What are the structures and functions of a reflex arc?

Answer 1

A reflex is a rapid, involuntary response to a stimulus such as a hot stove.

The reflex arc is the pathway traveled by the nerve impulses during a reflex. Most reflexes are pathways that traverse only the spinal cord.

During a spinal reflex, information may be transmitted to the brain, but it is the spinal cord that is responsible. They can happen faster than you can think about it.

A reflex arc involves the following components:

• The receptor is the part of the neuron (usually a dendrite) that detects a stimulus (burn).
• The sensory neuron transmits the impulse to the spinal cord.
• The integration center involves one, two or more synapses in the gray matter of the spinal cord.
• A motor neuron transmits a nerve impulse from the spinal cord to a peripheral region.
• An effector is a muscle or gland that receives the impulse form the motor neuron (remove the hand). In somatic reflexes, the effector is skeletal muscle. In autonomic reflexes, the effector is smooth or cardiac muscle, or a gland.

Answer 2

In the reflex arc, the first structure stimulated are the muscle spindles in the fibre, which stimulate the 1a sensory afferent motor fibres, which detects the involuntary shortening of the muscle. This muscle spindle travels through the dorsal root ganglion and synapses to another neuron located in the motor horn, which then synapses back onto the muscle to cause muscle shortening. :)

Answer 3

You have a sensory neuron. You have nucleus on posterior root gangalion. Then you have a second neuron ending in anterior horn cell. Then you have a motor neuron to the target organ. It means muscle.

Answer 4

Sensory, intermediate and motor neuron.