How are somatic and autonomic reflexes similar and how are they different?

Answer 1

An autonomic reflex is one that involves the response of an organ, such as the peristaltic contraction of the smooth muscle of the intestines, that is not controlled consciously. Somatic reflexes involve a response that involves a skeletal muscle contraction in response to a stimuli. Sensory nerves send signals through an afferent pathway to the central nervous system for processing. If a quick response is needed, the spinal cord will send out a signal back out the efferent pathway to the appropriate skeletal muscle. The signal is also sent up the spinal cord to the brain for further processing. This 'splitting' of the signal allows the reflex to happen quicker than if the signal were sent only to the brain for processing before a response could be initiated.

The autonomic reflex is associated with one branch of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions; these include internal organs and glands. A somatic reflex is part of the other branch of the peripheral nervous system that controls skeletal muscle movements, including the reflexes, like the knee jerk test that a doctor would give you.

Answer 2

As far as function goes, somatic reflexes connect to skeletal muscle, so it triggers reflexes like kicking your knee when the patellar tendon it hit, or pulling your hand back when it touches something hot, or pulling back when you step on something sharp.
Autonomic reflexes connect to smooth muscle, so it triggers changes in things you don't normally have control over, like how wide the arteries are dilated, or the churning of the stomach, or excretion from sweat glands.

A somatic reflex is usually an arch that only goes as high as the spinal cord. The signal goes up the sensory nerve to the spinal cord and then down a motor nerve to produce the motion. All of the processing of the signal is done in the spinal cord.
An autonomic reflex involves different centers in the brain and does not always trigger motion.

Answer 3

the somatic nervous system which controls organs under voluntary control (mainly muscles) and the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) which regulates individual organ function and homeostasis, and for the most part is not subject to voluntary control.

Answer 4

Automatic is involuntary and somatic is voluntary