The Central Nervous Organization of Reflex Circulatory Control

Abstract

Abstract The cardiovascular system plays an essential role in maintaining the constancy of the internal environment (homeostasis) during the life of the individual. As indicated in Chapter 11, there are close similarities between the central organization of the nervous control of cardiovascular and respiratory activities as their fundamental role is the supply of oxygen to the tissues. This strong interrelationship extends even further to the reflex regulation of the two systems (see Daly, 1985 for review). Regulation of the cardiovascular system invariably involves the activation of several groups of receptors whose inputs to the CNS result in negative feedback reflex loops (see Heymans and Neil, 1958).