Pulmonary Brakes: The Autonomic Defense of the Hering-Breuer Reflex

Take the deepest breath you possibly can. No matter how hard you try, there is an invisible, biological wall that stops your lungs from expanding any further. This is not a lack of chest capacity; it is a forced neurological override designed to save your life. This mechanism is the Hering-Breuer Reflex. Embedded deep within the smooth muscle of the airways are highly sensitive stretch receptors...