Thomas was distracted as he was cooking, and he inadvertently touched a very hot dish. Instantaneously, he jerked his hand back, a reflexive action that was processed:
A) in his spinal cord.
B) simultaneously in his spinal cord and brain.
C) first in his brain, then a moment later in his spinal cord.
D) with no involvement of the central nervous system.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reflexive action of jerking his hand back was processed in Thomas's spinal cord. This type of reflex action, known as a spinal reflex, occurs without involvement or conscious effort from the brain. The sensory receptors on his skin detected the heat and sent a message through sensory nerves to the spinal cord, which processed the message and sent an immediate signal back through motor neurons to muscles in his arm, causing him to jerk his hand back.

Thomas Was Distracted as He Was Cooking, and He Inadvertently