AnswersDriveThe primary purpose of the patellar reflex, which is the stretch reflex of the quadriceps femoris muscle in your anterior thigh, is to prevent the stretching of the quadriceps. The patellar reflex is illustrated in Figure 2. The patellar tendon attaches the quadriceps muscle to the tibia bone of the lower leg.
What is the receptor for the knee jerk reflex?
A motor neuron carries the message from the central nervous system to the effector. In a knee-jerk reflex arc the sensory neuron directly connects to the motor neuron in the spinal cord. This is called a simple reflex arc. from the spindle (receptor) to where it connects with the motor neuron in the spinal cord.
1
What is a knee jerk reaction?
Related to Knee jerk reaction: Knee jerk reflex. 1. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive; - in persons with strong feelings on a topic, it may be very predictable. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C.
2
Why is it important for doctors to test your reflexes?
This simple reflex forms the basis of the test performed by doctors during the examination of a patient's central and peripheral nervous system. Damage to the brain or spinal cord can produce very brisk reflexes in the affected limb, whilst damage to a peripheral nerve produces dimished or absent reflexes.
3
What is the function of the stretch reflex?
The stretch reflex (myotatic reflex) is a muscle contraction in response to stretching within the muscle. It is a monosynaptic reflex which provides automatic regulation of skeletal muscle length. When a muscle lengthens, the muscle spindle is stretched and its nerve activity increases.
4
What is the flexor reflex?
The withdrawal reflex (nociceptive flexion reflex or flexor withdrawal reflex) is a spinal reflex intended to protect the body from damaging stimuli. A withdrawal reflex is mediated by a polysynaptic reflex resulting in the stimulation of many motor neurons in order to give a quick response.
5
What happens in the ankle jerk reflex?
The ankle jerk reflex, also known as the Achilles reflex, occurs when the Achilles tendon is tapped while the foot is dorsi-flexed. A positive result would be the jerking of the foot towards its plantar surface.
6
Why do we have the stretch reflex?
When the stretch reflex is activated the impulse is sent from the stretched muscle spindle and the motor neuron is split so that the signal to contract can be sent to the stretched muscle, while a signal to relax can be sent to the antagonist muscles. The stretch reflex is very important in posture.
7
Why is it important to have reflexes?
The Importance of Reflexes - Parents With Purpose. A reflex is an involuntary motor response to a sensory stimulus. Reflexes perform many jobs for our central nervous system. They protect us from danger, they help us move our body, they help us see, etc.
8
What is the role of the reflex arc?
…functional group known as the reflex arc. Sensory cells carry afferent impulses to a central interneuron, which makes contact with a motor neuron. The motor neuron carries efferent impulses to the effector, which produces the response.
9
What is the effector of the patellar reflex?
A monosynaptic reflex extension of the leg resulting from a sharp tap on the patellar tendon. It helps maintain and upright position. It's effector muscles are located in the quadriceps femoris.
10
What is a superficial reflex?
Superficial reflexes are motor responses to scraping of the skin. They are graded simply as present or absent, although markedly asymmetrical responses should be considered abnormal as well. Classic examples of superficial reflexes include the abdominal reflex, the cremaster reflex and the normal plantar response.
11
What is a neural reflex?
A reflex arc is a neural pathway that controls a reflex. In vertebrates, most sensory neurons do not pass directly into the brain, but synapse in the spinal cord.
12
What is the normal response of the plantar reflex?
This normal response is termed the flexor plantar reflex. In some patients, stroking the sole produces extension (dorsiflexion) of the big toe, often with extension and abduction ("fanning") of the other toes. This abnormal response is termed the extensor plantar reflex, or Babinski reflex.
13
What are the basic components of a reflex?
There are two types of reflex arcs:the autonomic reflex arc, affecting inner organs, and the somatic reflex arc, affecting muscles. When a reflex arc consists of only two neurons, one sensory neuron, and one motor neuron, it is defined as monosynaptic. Monosynaptic refers to the presence of a single chemical synapse.
14
What is an extensor reflex?
The crossed extensor reflex is a withdrawal reflex. When the reflex occurs the flexors in the withdrawing limb contract and the extensors relax, while in the other limb, the opposite occurs. The crossed extensor reflex is contralateral, meaning the reflex occurs on the opposite side of the body from the stimulus.
15
What causes the knee jerk reflex?
The patellar reflex is a clinical and classic example of the monosynaptic reflex arc. There is no interneuron in the pathway leading to contraction of the quadriceps muscle. Instead, the bipolar sensory neuron synapses directly on a motor neuron in the spinal cord.
16
Why do we have a knee jerk reflex?
Now let's follow the path of the knee jerk reflex to see how it works. The tendon below your kneecap connects to the quadriceps muscle on top of your thigh. The hammer's rap on the tendon slightly stretches the muscle. Sensory nerves in the muscle are stimulated by the stretching and send an impulse to the spinal cord.
17
What is a Westphal sign?
Westphal's sign is the clinical correlate of the absence or decrease of patellar reflex or knee jerk.
18
Why does your knee jerk when the doctor hits it with a hammer?
The hit to the knee causes the thigh muscle to stretch. This stretch sends a signal along a sensory neuron to the spinal cord where it interacts directly with a motor neuron which goes to the thigh muscle. More importantly, the knee-jerk reflex is what's known as a mono-synaptic response.
19
How do you check deep tendon reflexes?
The triceps reflex is mediated by the C6 and C7 nerve roots, predominantly by C7. With the lower leg hanging freely off the edge of the bench, the knee jerk is tested by striking the quadriceps tendon directly with the reflex hammer. Repeat and compare to the other leg.