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Typically, the term "effector" is used to describe the final structure in a reflex pathway--the structure that actually does the work. What "work"? It depends on the context.

For example, in a reflex that ends in movement of a limb (like bending the arm) the effector would be the skeletal muscle that contracts and causes the limb to move.

There are seven steps in the simplest reflex pathway:

  1. Stimulus
  2. Sensory receptor
  3. Afferent (sensory) pathway
  4. Integrating center
  5. Efferent (motor) pathway
  6. Effector
  7. Response

In the endocrine system, the term "effector" could be used to describe the tissues that the hormones act on. It is also possible, depending on the context, that "effector" could be used to describe the endocrine gland itself. See the following examples:

Blood sugar regulation

  1. Stimulus = high blood sugar
  2. Sensory receptor = beta cells of pancreas
  3. Afferent pathway = second messengers in beta cells
  4. Integrating center = beta cells of pancreas
  5. Efferent pathway = insulin traveling in the bloodstream
  6. Effector = many body tissues (e.g. adipose tissue) with insulin receptors
  7. Response = uptake of glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream

Adrenaline release (fight or flight response)

  1. Stimulus = fearful sight or sound (e.g. the screech of braking tires, or the sight of a dog coming after you)
  2. Sensory receptor = Hair cells in the cochlea, or rods & cones in the eyes
  3. Afferent pathway = sensory neuron (cranial nerve VIII if sound, CN II if sight)
  4. Integrating center = brain, esp. hypothalamus
  5. Efferent pathway = sympathetic neuron (part of autonomic nervous system)
  6. Effector = adrenal gland
  7. Response = release of adrenaline (epinephrine) into bloodstream

I hope you can see what I mean by context. The release of epinephrine will start a whole new reflex pathway! It depends on where you begin.

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12y ago

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