Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of O2 Sensing with Special Reference to the Carotid Body

A decrease in the O2 in the air brings into play an array of compensatory mechanisms, which include an increase in ventilation, changes in the distribution of blood flow to organs in the body, an increase in the O2-carrying capacity of the blood, and shifts in metabolic pathways. The exact configuration of the response varies with the severity of hypoxia, with its duration, and with the maturity of the human or animal exposed to hypoxia.