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a) Why is higher reasoning or conscious thought are not necessary or desirable features of reflexes?
b) When might it be adaptive for conscious thought to intervene and modify a reflex action?

2007-03-26 06:44:54 · 1 answers · asked by arwb01r 2 in Science & Mathematics Biology

1 answers

reflex mechanisms are generally stimulatory mechanims that are of imperative in survival. for example any stimuli that elicits a pain response is generally noxious and harmful to the body, hence the withdrawal reflex. the stretch reflex is basically a display of the effectivity of the Lower Motor Neuron of the particular muscle which is an integral component of the movement of the muscle itself in voluntary movements. in some cases however thwe response may be modified for example in the case of the plantar reflex i.e when you stroke the sole of the foot hard with a blunt object which is considered a noxious stimulus instead of a withdrawal response, the toes get plantar flexed i.e. the foot actually moves towards the stimulus overriding the pain response which is generally dominant. this is meant for postural stability i.e. when we are walking,if we withdraw our feet at every hard tactile stimulus to it as in by stones etc we'll keep falling.
as concious intervening takes considerably more time to elicit a response it is not suitable for the above the purpose for a noxious stimulus like with heat etc if we do not withdraw immediately it might cause considerable tissue damage which is not desirable, hence i feel that reflexes are best left the way they are.

2007-03-26 07:56:05 · answer #1 · answered by rara avis 4 · 0 0

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