Question #626
Considering the carotid body and the carotid sinus, which of the following statements is correct?
The carotid body is located at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery (C4) and consists of chemoreceptors, partially derived from neural crest cells, which are capable of detecting partial pressure of oxygen and pH.
The carotid sinus is also located at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery but is visible as a dilatation of the internal carotid artery. It consists of baroreceptors innervated by the sinus branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve which are capable of detecting changes in blood pressure. In addition, there are barorecptors in the aortic arch but these are innervated by the vagus nerve). The carotid sinus can be massaged in order to slow the heart rate.