Human Refexes

WHAT IS A REFLEX?

Involuntary and automatic response

o t!e "ody to a stimuli t!at acts to
return "ody to !omeostasis

#e!avior mediated "y a neural

pat!$ay called a refex arc

neural pathway % connects one

part o nervous system $it! anot!er
t!rou&! neurons
WHAT IS A REFLEX AR'?

t!e neural pat!$ay o inormational

fo$ without involving the brain.

(uic)er "y activatin& motor neurons

in t!e spine no delay o routin&
si&nals t!rou&! t!e "rain *"rain still
receives sensory input+
, ELE-E.TS /F REFLEX AR'

0+ Receptor1 Site o t!e stimulus action

2+ Sensory .euron1 sends impulse to '.S

*a3erent+

4+ Inte&ration 'enter1 consists o one or

more interneurons in t!e '.S5

6+ -otor .euron1 'onducts impulses rom

t!e inte&ration center to an or&an5 *e3erent+

,+ E3ector: -uscle 7"er or &land cell t!at

responds to t!e e3erent impulses *"y
contractin& or secretin&+
8IA9RA- /F REFLEX AR'
:I.8S /F REFLEXES

S/-ATI' % stimulates s)eletal

muscles

;ullin& a$ay a lim" $!en touc!in&

somet!in& s!arp or !ot

A<T/./-I' % stimulates activity o

smoot! muscles= !eart and &lands

;upil dilation
-ETH/8/L/9>

Students $or) in pairs *one o"server=

one su"?ect+ t!en t!ey $ill reverse roles5

/"serve refex actions o t!e ollo$in&1

05 Li&!t intensity
25 #lin)in&
45 'onver&ence
65 S$allo$in&
,5 Salivation
-ETH/8/L/9> A.8 8ATA
EXPERIMENT ON SUBJECT RESPONSE OF SUBJECT
Li&!t Intensity % as seated in t!e
la"oratory
.o c!an&e in pupil diameter
Li&!t intensity % ater closin& eyes
or t$o minutes a$ay rom li&!t
;upil diameter increases
Li&!t intensity % ater acin& "ri&!t
li&!t or 2@A4@ seconds
;upil diameter decreases
Li&!t intensityA 'ard on su"?ectBs
nose= $ea) li&!t moved rom "ac)
o su"?ectBs !ead to$ards one eye5
#ot! pupils dilate
8ATA
EXPERIMENT OF SUBJECT RESPONSE OF SUBJECT
#lin)in& % /"server "rin&s !and
near su"?ectBs eye
Su"?ect "lin)ed $!en !and $as
moved close to t!e eye5
'onver&ence % T!e o"server
!olds small o"?ect six eet a$ay
in ront o su"?ect5 /"?ect is
Cuic)ly moved up to su"?ectBs
nose as t!e latter ocuses onto it5
Eyes o t!e su"?ect conver&ed
S$allo$in& % A "it o smoot! ood
is put in t!e mout! and moved
to$ards t!e t!e "ac) o t!e
ton&ue
-ovement o su"?ectBs t!roat
SalivationASu"?ect is "lindolded
and ood is !eld under nose or a
e$ seconds
Su"?ectBs saliva production
increased
8IS'<SSI/.

LI9HT I.TE.SIT> % PUPILLARY

LI!T REFLEX

Ad?ustments in pupil diameter in

accordance $it! li&!t levels5

Consensual: stimulation of one

pupil leads to the stimulation of
the other

Stron&er li&!t % pupil contracts

Wea)er li&!t % pupil dilates

LI9HT I.TE.SIT>

REFLEX AR'1 retinal

p!otoreceptor % optic
nerve % pretectal area
o mid"rain %
oculomotor nerve % iris
sp!incterDdilator

Sp!incter % contraction
% less li&!t enters

8ilator % dilation %
more li&!t enters
#LI.:I.9

'orneal Refex % involuntary closin&

o t!e eye t!at provides moisture and
protection rom irritants or !arm5

Stimulated "y touc!in& o cornea=

"ri&!t li&!t or perip!eral stimulus
*suc! as in t!e experiment+

'onsensual
#LI.:I.9

REFLEX AR'1 'ornea stimulation %

tri&eminal nerve *cranial nerve+A
pons o "rainstem % acial nerve %
or"icularis oculi muscleDlevator
palpe"rae superioris muscle

// % closes eyelids

L;S % opens eyelids

'/.EER9E.'E

Accommodation Refex1 Eye"alls

conver&e or move medially to
c!an&e optical po$er in order to
maintain a clearer ima&e

'auses eye"alls to conver&e

to&et!er

REFLEX AR'1 /ptic nerve % /ccipital

Lo"e % /culomotor nerveA ciliary
muscle and iris sp!incter muscleA
'ontract and conver&eA ocus
SWALL/WI.9

;!aryn&eal refex or &a& refex %

prevents somet!in& rom enterin&
t!e t!roat except as part o normal
s$allo$in&

;revents c!o)in&

REFLEX AR'1 sot palate stimulusA

&lossop!aryn&eal nerveAnucleus
am"i&uusAva&us nerveAp!arynxA
p!aryn&eal constriction
SALIEATI/.

Salivary refex % #rea)do$n o ood

'an "e tri&&ered "y mec!anical means

*c!e$in&+= &ustatory *taste+= olactory

Helps prepare or di&estion o t!e ood %

saliva contains amylase *enFyme t!at
"rea)s do$n starc!+

REFLEX AR'1 smellAolactory receptorA

salivary nucleii *medulla+A
acialD&lossop!aryn&eal nerve % salivary
&landAsecretion