reflexes/reflex arc

• reflexes are controlled by neurological and sensory mechanics; an immediate response to a stimulus
• reflexes are involuntary
• examples of involuntary actions:

  • coughing
  • knee reflex
  • flinching
  • blinking
  • swallowing
• the reflex arc ONLY involves the spinal cord
• a reflex is an involuntary (uncontrollable) and nearly immediate (instantaneous) response to a stimulus
• 1. receptor > detects a form of stimulus (e.g. skin receptor detects thumbtack > stimulus)
  2. sensory neuron takes signal from receptor/stimulus to the spinal cord in the CNS (Central Nervous System)
  3. signal is processed by the spinal cord
  4. spinal cord sends signal to motor neuron
  5. motor neuron takes signal to effector (e.g. motor neuron takes signal to muscle cell [effector] to take finger away from thumbtack [stimulus])
• effector: what performs the action
• in the reflex arc:

  1. the receptor detects a stimulus
  2. messages travel via sensory neuron
  3. message processed at spinal cord (does NOT go to the brain)
  4. messages travel via motor neuron
  5. motor neuron sends message to effector cell
• voluntary actions: actions we have control over
• the brain allows humans to choose what movement to perform in response to stimuli
• prefrontal cortex = PFC
• the PFC (prefrontal cortex) is responsible for regulating thoughts, actions and behaviours
• conditioning is the process of creating new reflexes through training. these new reflexes are unnatural.
• the reflex arc is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous response to a stimulus