Reflex Actions

• What are reflex actions defined as?

  Rapid responses to a stimulus
• Why don't we have to think about reflex actions?

  Because they are automatic responses
• What is the main purpose of reflex actions?

  To prevent us from getting hurt
• How can reflex actions be related to survival?

  By quickly avoiding danger
• What is the grasping reflex?

  Baby grips a finger
• How do pupils react in bright light?

  They get smaller
• What are voluntary actions?

  Actions we decide to carry out
• How does voluntary actions differ from reflex actions?

  They require thought and are slower
• Do we have to think about voluntary actions?

  Yes, we do
• What is the passage of information in a reflex called?

  Reflex arc
• What are the five components of a reflex arc and their order?

  • Receptor: Detects stimulus
  • Sensory Neuron: Passes info to CNS
  • Relay Neuron: Passes impulses between sensory and motor neurons
  • Motor Neuron: Passes info from CNS to effectors
  • Effector: Muscles contract/glands secrete
• What initiates an impulse in a reflex arc?

  Receptor detecting a stimulus
• What type of neuron passes information from receptors to the CNS?

  Sensory neuron
• Which neuron passes information from the CNS to the effectors?

  Motor neuron
• Where is the relay neuron located?

  Spinal cord/unconscious brain
• What is the role of the effector in a reflex arc?

  Muscles contract/glands secrete hormones