A quick protective response
Follow one simplified pathway involved in withdrawing from heat.
The picture in words
- Sensory input
- A receptor sends information toward the spinal cord.
- Spinal pathway
- Local circuitry can organize a rapid response.
- Motor output
- Signals activate muscles involved in withdrawal.
Reading the illustration
Trace the sensory route into the spinal circuitry, then the motor route toward the muscle. The arrows show the order of signaling in a simplified reflex.
Try a question
What can the spinal pathway contribute before a person describes the sensation?
Show the explanation
It can organize a rapid protective movement. Information also reaches the brain, contributing to awareness and further action.
Read the sources
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/3-4-the-brain-and-spinal-cordSelected rendered passages: Reflex passage; plasticity search no match.