polysynaptic reflex

Examples of polysynaptic reflex in the following topics:

• The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

  • The somatic nervous system keeps the body adept and coordinated, both through reflexes and voluntary action.
  • Reflexes can be categorized as either monosynaptic or polysynaptic based on the reflex arc used to perform the function.
  • Monosynaptic reflex arcs, such as the knee-jerk reflex, have only a single synapse between the sensory neuron that receives the information and the motor neuron that responds.
  • Polysynaptic reflex arcs, by contrast, have at least one interneuron between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron.
  • An example of a polysynaptic reflex arc is seen when a person steps on a tack—in response, their body must pull that foot up while simultaneously transferring balance to the other leg.

• The Newborn

  • Rooting/Sucking—This reflex allows the baby to find the mother's nipple (or bottle nipple) in order to eat.
  • Moro—The Moro reflex is thought to help babies cling to their mothers for safety and protection.
  • Stepping—The stepping reflex prepares the baby to start walking independently.
  • Babinski—The function of the Babinski reflex is unknown, although it may have to do with walking.
  • If the earlier Babinksi reflex is found in an adult, it can indicate some form of brain damage.

• Defining Learning

  • Instincts and reflexes are innate behaviors—they occur naturally and do not involve learning.

• Cerebral Cortex

  • It is the seat of higher-level thought like emotions and decision making (as opposed to lower-level thought like balance, movement, and reflexes).

• Hypnosis

  • The individual in a dissociated state is likely to respond with autonomic, reflexive behaviors.

• Biology of Emotion

  • The RAS is involved with arousal and attention, sleep and wakefulness, and the control of reflexes.
  • The reticular activating system is involved in arousal and attention, sleep and wakefulness, and the control of reflexes.

• Attention

  • This relies on the reflexive response that emerges from "overlearning" the skill of Morse-code transcription so that it is an autonomous function requiring no specific attention to perform.

• Additional Sensory Systems

  • Some signals from the vestibular system are sent to the neural structures that control eye movements and provide us with clear vision, a process known as the vestibulo-ocular reflex.

• Eating Disorders

  • The frequency and intensity of binge-purge episodes tends to escalate over time, enough so that many patients develop the ability to induce vomiting without mechanically triggering the gag reflex.

• Freud's Psychosexual Theory of Development

  • Freud believed this is why infants are born with a sucking reflex and desire their mother's breast.