Carotid body chemoreception: mechanisms and dynamic protection against apnea.

A critical role of peripheral chemoreceptors in terminating apnea and in initiating normal breathing has been emphasized. Since these are the only organs which signal hypoxia, failure of its adequate development can contribute to the disease of respiratory failure in neonatal life. The failure may reside in any of the steps from initiation of O2 chemoreception involving respiratory and non-respiratory pigments, ion balance including H+ and Ca2+, neurotransmitter mechanisms and transduction.