Which structure receives inputs from receptors to adjust heart rate and acts as the cardiac control centre?

• A. Adrenaline
• B. Baroreceptors
• C. Chemoreceptors
• D. Cardiac Control Centre

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that heart rate is regulated by a central control point that processes sensory information from receptors and then sends out signals to adjust the heart’s pace. The cardiac control centre, located in the medulla oblongata, does exactly this: it receives inputs from receptors like baroreceptors (which detect changes in blood pressure) and chemoreceptors (which sense blood chemistry such as O2, CO2, and pH), processes that information, and then modulates heart rate by changing the balance of parasympathetic and sympathetic output to the heart. This is why it’s the best answer—the control centre is the structure that both receives sensory inputs and coordinates the adjustment of heart rate. Adrenaline acts as a mediator that can raise heart rate but isn’t a control centre. Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors are sensors, not the control centre themselves.