is nerve cells needed for breathing
1 Oxygen: Specialized nerve cells within the aorta and carotid arteries called peripheral chemoreceptors monitor the oxygen concentration of the blood and feed back on the respiratory centers. 2  If the oxygen concentration in the blood decreases, they tell the respiratory centers to increase the rate and depth of breathing. This mechanism prevents damage to the lungs that would be caused by over-inflation. 2  Signals from higher brain centers: Nerve cells in the hypothalamus and cortex also influence the activity of the respiratory centers. 3  During pain or strong emotions, the hypothalamus will tell the respiratory centers to speed up.