Where in the brain are central chemoreceptors thought to be located?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

A pine grosbeak with pink and gray plumage perches on a branch, eating red berries among autumn foliage. — Chemoreception Animals, such as this pine grosbeak, use chemoreception to respond to chemicals that can be tasted and smelled in their environments. Many of these chemicals affect behaviors such as food preference and defense.

Central chemoreceptors are primarily thought to be located near the ventral (undersurface) part of the medulla in the brain.1

However, it is important to note that this location is not definitively confirmed, as microscopic examinations have yet to conclusively identify specific chemoreceptor cells in this region. Because these areas of the ventral medulla also house vasomotor neurons involved in the regulation of blood pressure, some researchers hypothesize that the observed respiratory responses may result from the modulation of these neurons rather than from distinct chemoreceptor cells. Consequently, some investigators suggest that the chemoreceptors responsible for responding to carbon dioxide may be more diffusely distributed throughout the brain.1