The flexor reflex, also known as the withdrawal reflex or nociceptive reflex, is a protective mechanism that causes a limb to withdraw from a painful stimulus.
Understanding the Flexor Reflex
This reflex involves a specific neural pathway:
- Noxious Stimulus: A painful stimulus, such as touching a hot object.
- Afferent Neurons: Sensory neurons (afferents) detect the stimulus and transmit signals to the spinal cord.
- Interneurons: Within the spinal cord, the afferent neurons synapse onto interneurons. These interneurons act as intermediaries.
- Lower Motor Neurons (LMNs): The interneurons then excite appropriate pools of LMNs, often flexor LMNs.
- Muscle Contraction and Withdrawal: The LMNs stimulate the flexor muscles in the limb, causing it to contract and withdraw from the source of the pain.
Essentially, the flexor reflex uses interneurons to excite flexor LMNs in order to withdraw from a noxious stimulus.
