2

Even though we cannot survive for more than few minutes if we stop breathing or if our heart stops, why is it so that our heart beat is controlled involuntarily while breathing can be voluntarily controlled to a certain extent. I just noticed that blinking of eyes also falls in this category; though we involuntarily blink and our eyelids close involuntarily in bright light, there is still voluntary modulation. What kind of evolutionary changes and natural selection could have led to these kind of voluntary modulations i.e. cortical control over these processes?

WYSIWYG
  • 35,564
  • 9
  • 67
  • 154
9Heads
  • 249
  • 1
  • 8
  • 1
    Perhaps to make tasks like eating and speaking possible. Note that you cannot voluntarily stop breathing indefinitely. – canadianer Apr 28 '15 at 11:13
  • 1
    You already know why these processes cannot be voluntary. There is some level of voluntary control on breathing but it is overall involuntary. So if that is your question then you should note what @canadianer said. – WYSIWYG Apr 28 '15 at 11:52
  • 1
    evolution does not have consciousness or will. It does not make choices. Living beings are formed through mutations, natural selection,genetic drift etc. – Nandor Poka Apr 28 '15 at 12:32
  • @WYSIWYG involuntary and unconsiously doing something is different. – 9Heads Apr 28 '15 at 12:34
  • @DivyaPrakash they more or less mean the same. Moreover I never mentioned the word "unconscious". – WYSIWYG Apr 28 '15 at 12:40
  • Many unconsious activity like walking, writing, understanding and interpreting language are possible even though none of them are quite certainly involuntary action – 9Heads Apr 28 '15 at 12:40
  • @canadianer while eating and speaking breathing could also have been stopped involuntarily. There is no reason for making it voluntary to eat and speak. – 9Heads Apr 28 '15 at 12:44
  • @DivyaPrakash There is no debate here about subconscious control of voluntary activities. You still have to clarify your question. Plus your above comment to canadianer just sounds philisophical and not scientific. – WYSIWYG Apr 28 '15 at 12:44
  • I specifically want the answer in terms of certain evolutionary advantages if possible. – 9Heads Apr 28 '15 at 12:45
  • @DivyaPrakash Evolutionary advantage of what?? Little voluntary control on breathing or heart beat being involuntary. I am sure you know why that latter is advantageous. – WYSIWYG Apr 28 '15 at 12:48
  • @WYSIWYG Little voluntary control on breathing, I guess. As for the advantageousness of latter I am going to research more about what could happen if heart beat was made voluntary. – 9Heads Apr 28 '15 at 12:53
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – 9Heads Apr 28 '15 at 12:58

0 Answers0