In a reflex arc, which component detects a stimulus?

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Multiple Choice

In a reflex arc, which component detects a stimulus?

Detecting a stimulus in a reflex arc is accomplished by a receptor. Receptors are specialized sensory endings that respond to specific types of energy—such as temperature, touch, or chemical changes—and convert that stimulus into a nerve impulse. Once the receptor detects and transduces the stimulus, the signal travels along the sensory pathway toward the central nervous system, where it can trigger a rapid response carried out by motor pathways to the effector. The effector itself—usually a muscle or gland—executes the reflex action, not detection. The afferent neuron is the conduit that carries the impulse toward the processing center, but it is not the detector. The efferent neuron then relays signals from the CNS to the effector to produce the response.

Detecting a stimulus in a reflex arc is accomplished by a receptor. Receptors are specialized sensory endings that respond to specific types of energy—such as temperature, touch, or chemical changes—and convert that stimulus into a nerve impulse. Once the receptor detects and transduces the stimulus, the signal travels along the sensory pathway toward the central nervous system, where it can trigger a rapid response carried out by motor pathways to the effector. The effector itself—usually a muscle or gland—executes the reflex action, not detection. The afferent neuron is the conduit that carries the impulse toward the processing center, but it is not the detector. The efferent neuron then relays signals from the CNS to the effector to produce the response.

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