Why don’t I have to think about breathing?

Pedro_P

You inhale so automatically that you might not even realize how you know to do it in the first place.

Breathing happens so automatically you might not even realize how you know to inhale.
Pixabay
▼ If you’ve ever gone for a run you probably know the feeling of exhaustion that comes with trying to catch your breath. Maybe your nostrils burn and your heart races as your lungs beg for air, but none of these body parts is responsible for controlling your breathing. In fact, it’s your brain that’s telling your body to breathe all the time, even though you may only notice when your breathing becomes heavy after exercising.
The way your body knows how much to breathe has a lot to do with why you breathe in the first place. When you inhale, you take in oxygen, which your body needs in order to produce energy. The process of creating that energy leaves behind a gas called carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxideproduction is like the way a car running on gasoline leaves behind toxic fumes; it’s a waste product that needs to be removed from your body. You do that by exhaling.
Your brain is constantly monitoring the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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