respiratory rhythm, a regular, oscillating cycle of inspiration and expiration, controlled by neuronal impulses transmitted between the respiratory centers in the brain and the muscles of inspiration in the chest and diaphragm. The normal breathing pattern may be altered by a variety of conditions. See also apnea, apneustic breathing, Biot’s respiration, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Hering-Breuer reflex, hyperventilation, hypoventilation, Kussmaul breathing, tachypnea.
