Reflex Arcs

Reflex Arc

A relatively direct connection between a sensory neuron and a motor neuron that allows an extremely rapid response to a stimulus, often without conscious brain involvement

Reflexes

A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

Receptor

A small area on the dendrite that receives the signal from the other neuron

Effector

An organ (a gland or muscle) that becomes active in response to nerve impulses

Interneuron

Central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Sensory Neuron

Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Motor Neuron

Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Withdrawal Reflex

a type of neural control mechanism; such as a hand moving away from heat or fire

Knee Jerk Reflex

a variant of the stretch reflex in which stretching of the tendon beneath the knee leads to an upward kick of the leg

Reflex Center

quickly processes the information of a reflex by routing it to the appropriate motor neurons