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 pulling his hand back was processed in Thomas's spinal cord. This is because the spinal cord contains neural circuits that can produce reflexive responses without involving the brain. In this case, the sensory receptors in Thomas's skin registered the painful stimulus of the hot dish and sent signals to the spinal cord, which then triggered the reflexive action of pulling his hand back.

Thomas Was Distracted as He Was Cooking and He Inadvertently