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Showing 1 question in Biology for Class 10. Tap a card to reveal the answer.
BiologyControl and CoordinationmediumWhat is a reflex arc? Trace the path of a reflex action when you touch a hot object.
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What it is
A reflex arc gives an instant, automatic response through the spinal cord - no thinking needed.
Answer
A reflex arc is the pathway followed by a nerve impulse during a reflex action, allowing a quick automatic response without conscious thought. When you touch a hot object, receptors in the skin send an impulse along a sensory neuron to the spinal cord; there a relay neuron passes it to a motor neuron, which carries the impulse to the muscles of the hand, causing you to pull your hand away instantly.
Receptor -> Sensory -> Spinal cord -> Motor -> Effector
- •Receptor -> sensory neuron -> spinal cord
- •Relay neuron -> motor neuron -> effector (muscle)
- •Fast, automatic, protects the body
- •Processed by spinal cord, not brain
Why learn this
It protects you in a split second (a hot pan, a sharp pin) before the brain even reacts.
💡 Memory trick
Receptor -> Sensory -> Spinal cord -> Motor -> Effector. The spinal cord shortcuts the brain.