diving reflex

American  

noun

Physiology.

1. a reflex of humans, other mammals, reptiles, and birds, triggered by immersion in cold water, that slows the heart rate and diverts blood flow to the brain, heart, and lungs: serves to conserve oxygen until breathing resumes and to delay potential brain damage.

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Etymology

Origin of diving reflex

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Think of activating your diving reflex as a way of channeling your inner dolphin.

From Washington Post • Sep. 7, 2021

When people plunge into water, they respond with the so-called diving reflex: The heart rate slows and blood vessels constrict as a way to shunt blood to vital organs.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2018

All mammals have a diving reflex, but marine mammals like seals have a particularly strong one.

From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2018

This distinct slowing of the heart is one component of the larger diving reflex that diverts blood to essential organs while submerged.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The reason, says Nemiroff, is a combination of coldness, which lowers the body's need for oxygen, and an old mammalian response known as the diving reflex.

From Time Magazine Archive