Reflex Action

After entering the spinal cord, sensory signals

may follow one or both of the following:-
They may ascend to a higher level of the CNS
through various sensory tracts and reach the
somato-sensory cortex via the thalamus.
They may terminate locally in the grey matter of
the spinal cord and elicit local segmental
responses.
A reflex: is an involuntary motor response to an
adequate sensory stimulus that occurs
subconsciously, without the mediation of the
cerebral cortex, e.g. withdrawal reflex
 Reflex Action: has the following character:-
• It has an important role in the protection of the body.
• It is responsible for the maintenance of the muscle
tone.
• It is responsible for the maintenance of the body
posture.
• Its center can be anywhere except the cerebral
cortex.
• Its center can be in the spinal cord or in the brain
stem.
• Reflex action: It is the functional unit of the nervous
system. It is an involuntary action in response to a
stimulus, carried out through the reflex arc
 Classification of the Reflexes
Reflexes may be anatomical, physiological and clinical.
1- Anatomical: The reflexes are classified anatomically
according to the spinal cord segment involved into:-
• Segmental reflex ( the reflex arc involves one side
of the spinal segment, in other words, the receptors
organ, afferent neuron, efferent neuron and effector
organ are located on the same side of the spinal
segment e.g. stretch reflex).
• Intersegmental reflex ( the reflex arc involves both
sides of the spinal segment, in other words the
efferent neuron and effector organ are on opposite
sides of the receptor organ e.g. the crossed extensor
reflex).
• Suprasegmental (the segments above the level of
the reflex arc are involved, e.g. the postural reflex).
• Physiological: Physiological
reflexes are classified into:-
the flexor/ withdrawal reflex
extensor / stretch reflex.
 Clinical Reflexes: are classified into unconditioned and
conditioned reflexes according to whether they were present
at birth or developed later.
• Conditioned reflexes: are not present at birth but are
acquired later on by training, e.g. cycling and swimming.
• Unconditioned reflexes: are inborn this means that they are
present since birth e.g. suckling reflex. They are of three
types:-
– Superficial reflexes (they are elicited by stimulation of
receptor organs that are present superficially in the skin or
mucous membrane e.g. conjunctival reflex, abdominal and
planter reflex)
– Deep reflexes (they are elicited by tapping the tendon of a
slightly stretched muscle, e.g. the knee jerk and ankle jerk).
– Visceral reflexes: They are concerned with the reflex
activity of internal organs. Part of the reflex is made by the
autonomic nervous system, e.g. cardiovascular,
gastrointestinal, micturition reflexes.
 THE STRETCH REFLEX
• Control of skeletal muscle contraction is
strongly dependent on the sensory feedback
coming from the receptors within the muscles.
• Skeletal muscles contain two types of
highly specialized proprioceptors
specifically concerned with movement.
• the tendon organ and the muscle spindle.
• The tendon organ responds mainly to
muscle tension generated by active
contraction.
• The muscle spindle is a stretch receptor
which is particularly sensitive to
lengthening of the muscle.
Stretch reflex: It is a reflex contraction of skeletal
muscle in response to passive stretch

Reflex arc of stretch reflex:

• Receptor: Muscle spindle.
• Afferent nerve: Rapidly conducting Ia & II
sensory fibrous.
• Center: Motor neuron pool.
• Efferent nerve: Rapidly conducting A and
motor fibers.
• Effector organ: Skeletal Muscle
 Muscle Spindle
• It is a fusiform structure.
• The spindle senses muscle length and changes in length.
• It has sensory nerve terminals whose discharge rate
increases as the sensory ending is stretched.
• It is present in the fleshy parts of the skeletal muscle on a
scattered manner.
• It lies parallel to muscle fibers = extrafusal.
• Each spindle consists of several small muscle fibers =
intrafusal.
• The intrafusal muscle fibers encapsulated by a connective
tissue capsule.
• The capsule is attached at its ends to the sides of extrafusal
fibers.
• The intrafusal muscle is short, slender and less striated.
• Each fiber is made up of two peripheral contractile parts and
a central noncontractile, multinuclear part.
There are two types of intrafusal fibers:
• 1) Nuclear bag. 2) Nuclear chain.
• The nuclear bag fibers: are longer (7-8 mm)
and thicker (25 mm) and have many nuclei in
a dilated, bag like central area.
• The nuclear chain fibers: are shorter (3-4
mm), and thinner (12 mm).
• - They have nuclei arranged side by side like
a chain in its central area.
• - They are attached to the sides of the nuclear
bag fibers.
Muscle Spindle
 Nerve supply to the Muscle spindle
Afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) nerve fibers supply the
muscle spindle.
1) Afferent (sensory) is arising from the spindles.
2) Efferent (motor), supplying the spindles (gamma efferent).
1) Afferent (sensory) nerves arising from the spindles.
There are two types of afferent nerve that supply the muscle
spindle:-
a) Primary afferent fibers (16 m):
• Large, type 1a, terminates by annulospinal endings around
the central part of the nuclear bag and nuclear chain
stimulated by stretch of central receptor area.
b) Secondary afferent fibers (8 m):
• Medium, type II, terminates by flower – spray endings
around the central parts of the nuclear chain fibers only.
2) Efferent (motor) nerves supplying the spindles
(gamma efferent).
• There are two types of efferent nerve fibers that
supply the peripheral, contractile parts of intrafusal
muscle fibers of the muscle spindle.
• Dynamic – γ – efferent fibers: They supply the nuclear
bag.
• Static – γ – efferent fibers: They supply the nuclear
chain.
• Stimulation of the γ-efferent fibers produces
contraction of the peripheral contractile parts of the
intrafusal fibers: this leads to stretching of central
noncontractile parts of these fibers, which stimulates
the stretch receptor.
 Functions of Stretch Reflex:
• 1- Skeletal Muscle Tone:
• Maintenance of the erect posture against the force of gravity, by producing a strong
muscle tone in the antigravity muscle.
• 2- Damping (smoothing) function:
• The signals discharged to a muscle often have varying intensities, and this would
result in irregular movements. However through the muscle spindle and alpha-
gamma linkage, the signal are adjusted to produce smooth movements.
• 3- Servo-Assist Function: servo = force regulator:
• The stretch reflex assists the brain to produce and regulate the force of muscle
contraction as follow when the muscle contract: The a and g motor fibers are
activated to the same degree. The extrafusal and intrafusal muscle fibers are equally
contracted and shortened to the same degree.
• So, central part of the intrafusal muscle fibers does not change in length, and
the intensity of the stretch receptor remains unchanged.
• If the muscle tries to left a heavy weight the extrafusal fiber contract
isometrically and intrafusal fibers contract at the periphery and lengthen the central
part. This potentiates the stretch reflex leading to strong muscle contraction to help
lifting the weight.
• Antigravity Function:
• To resist the gravity effect which tends to flex the muscle of the lower limbs and
trunk. The stretched muscles respond by reflex contraction to maintain the upright
position of body against the effect of gravity and prevent its fall down.
 Monosynaptic-Stretch Reflex
• Consists of only one
synapse within the
CNS.
– Sensory neuron
synapses directly with
the motor neuron.
• Striking the patellar
ligament, passively
stretches the spindles.
– Stimulates primary
endings in spindles,
activating sensory
neurons.
– Synapse with α motor
neurons stimulating
extrafusal fibers.
• Produces isotonic
 Golgi Tendon Organ Reflex

• Disynaptic reflex.
– 2 synapses are crossed
in the CNS.
• Sensory neurons
synapse with
interneurons.
– These interneurons
have inhibitory synapses
with motor neurons.
• Helps prevent
excessive muscle
contraction or passive
muscle stretching.
 Reciprocal Innervation

• Sensory neuron
stimulates motor
neuron and
interneuron.
• Interneurons inhibit
motor neurons of
antagonistic
muscles.
• When limb is flexed,
antagonistic extensor
muscles are
passively stretched.
 Crossed-Extensor Reflex

• Double reciprocal
innervation.
• Affects muscles on
the contralateral side
of the cord.
• Step on tack:
– Foot is withdrawn by
contraction of flexors
and relaxation of
extensors.
• Contralateral leg
extends to support
body.