Reflexes

Work through the animation from bbc.co.uk and then fill in the gaps below.

Word List

sensory
survival
direct
receptor
suckling
predators
behaviour
secondary
rapid
modify
food
slow
new
response
conditioned
pupil
disadvantage
motor

 

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Simple reflexes produce involuntary responses.

In a reflex arc cells are stimulated. Impulses pass along a neuron to the brain or spinal cord. Impulses then pass along a neuron to an effector which carries out the .

Simple reflexes make sure that an animal will respond to a stimulus in a way that is most likely to result in its e.g. finding , sheltering from , and finding a mate.

Simple animals rely on reflex actions for most of their .

The of this simple behaviour is that these animals have difficulty responding to situations.

Simple reflexes in humans include a baby and the reflex to bright light.

A reflex response to a new stimulus can be learned by giving a stimulus in association with the primary stimulus, e.g. Pavlov’s dogs. This is a reflex action.

In a conditioned reflex the final response has no connection to the stimulus.

Some conditioned reflexes the animal’s chances of survival, e.g. rejection by birds of poisonous caterpillars with particular colouring.

In some circumstances the brain can a reflex response via a neuron to the motor neuron of the reflex arc e.g. keeping hold of a hot dinner plate.

  


 Check out Pavlov's experiments by visiting the Nobel prize web site.