A Note on Breath

Dr. Parimal Devnath,

12B174-Valvan, Lonavla

Pune-410403.

We breathe, or breath happens, therefore we live.  We live so long as breath functions.  The very moment breath ceases to function; the chapter called life comes to a close.  Breathing is the most significant sign of life or it is the only sign of living.  Or is it the only sing of life?

            Though it is hard to find proof to substantiate the fact that breath occurs the very moment inception takes place, yet it may be noted that function of breath is predominantly evident in a growing foetus, which is evident even long before actual birth takes place.  It is possible that since breath is a muscular function, this function may not be possible to observe in certain earlier stages of a growing foetus, since at such stages muscles are yet to develop to be noticeable.

How does breathing happen?  As per a very simple deliberation made in the Satapatha Brahmana, breathing is a neuro-muscular activity which happens due to continuous contraction (sankocana) and relaxation (vikasana) of the lung capillaries or lungs muscles.  What induces this so very simple function of contraction-relaxation popularly known as inhalation and exhalation?  Brain impulse? Demand for oxygen from muscle tissues?  May be so!  Yet the answer is not fully satisfactory.

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