Functional organization of respiratory neurones: a brief review of current questions and speculations

This article presents a short overview of current knowledge about the medullary respiratory neurones and the generation of breathing rhythm. The background respiratory neurophysiology of the medulla and pons is briefly reviewed, with some current ideas about the organization of the pontine-medullary respiratory control system and its development. Questions and speculations about the organization and generation of respiratory rhythm are included, with a view to stimulating experiments to provide answers.