Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 9th Edition by Scott Powers, Edward Howley

Exercise 14

Describe the withdrawal reflex.

Step 1 of 3

Withdrawal reflex is a motor control function of the spinal cord that occurs via the reflex arc. The withdrawal reflex occurs in response to noxious stimuli. A reflex arc is the nerve pathway for a fast and automatic response. The reflex travels from the receptor to the sensory neuron (of the central nervous system), and from the CNS back to the effector organ along a motor pathway.

Most sensory neurons do not enter directly into the brain. Instead, they synapse in the spinal cord. This facilitates the reflex actions to proceed quickly. The spinal motor neurons are activated without routing the signals to the brain, though the brain receives signals while the reflex action occurs.