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Diving reflex in a human baby. The diving reflex, also known as the diving response and mammalian diving reflex, is a set of physiological responses to immersion that overrides the basic homeostatic reflexes, and is found in all air-breathing vertebrates studied to date.
The diving reflex is more pronounced in aquatic mammals and is thought to have originated as a way to conserve oxygen and enhance the ability to stay underwater for longer periods. Key components of the diving reflex include: Bradycardia: The heart rate decreases significantly when the face is exposed to cold water. This helps to conserve ...
Most human babies demonstrate an innate swimming or diving reflex from birth until the age of approximately six months, which are part of a wider range of primitive reflexes found in infants and babies, but not children, adolescents and adults. Other mammals also demonstrate this phenomenon (see mammalian diving reflex).
Knee jerk or patellar reflex — a kick caused by striking the patellar tendon with a tendon hammer just below the patella, stimulating the L4 and L3 reflex arcs. Moro reflex , a primitive reflex — only in all infants up to 4 or 5 months of age: a sudden symmetric spreading of the arms, then unspreading and crying, caused by an unexpected ...
The diving reflex is sometimes cited as evidence. This is exhibited strongly in aquatic mammals, such as seals, otters and dolphins. It also exists as a lesser response in other animals, including human babies up to 6 months old (see infant swimming). However adult humans generally exhibit a mild response.
Human physiology of underwater diving is the physiological influences of the underwater environment on the human diver, and adaptations to operating underwater, both during breath-hold dives and while breathing at ambient pressure from a suitable breathing gas supply.
Edmund Goodwyn, M.D. (1756–1829) was an English physician whose medical school graduation thesis contains several important contributions, [1] including the discovery of the diving reflex. [2] He advanced early important arguments in favor of artificial ventilation for the treatment of asphyxia over alternative resuscitation measures of the ...
Assuming the mammalian diving reflex, some divers can reduce their heartbeat significantly, down to 14 bpm, radically reducing overall body oxygen demands even down to 100ml per minute. The amount of dissolved oxygen in water varies, but on average is 7.6mg per liter.