larger diameter nerve fibres have less resistance facing ion flow and so they are able to conduct at a much faster pace than smaller diameter nerve fibres
List the components of monosynaptic reflex arcs.
stimulant (e.g. change in temperature)
receptor (receptors on the skin surface detect a change in temperature)
afferent signal (receptors fire action potentials along a neuronal afferent pathway to the brain or spinal cord)
processing of signal occurs (afferent signals reach the dorsal section of the spinal cord where they can then undergo interneuron synapse where they are then directed to alpha neurons in the ventral section of the spinal cord, the alpha neurons synpase and produce an efferent signal, the signal branches back into the spinal cord into renshaw cells where it is inhibited by feedback inhibition this stops over stimulation)
efferent signal reaches motor neurons (efferent signal reaches motor neurons in the effector site and causes a desired effect (e.g. shivering - contraction of skeletal muscle to produce heat)
Describe the structure and function of muscle spindles and their reflex connections with α-motor neurones supplying the muscle
muscle spindles are present within the muscle fibres and they detect the amount of stretch occuring in a muscle they can be activated during the myotatic reflex which is described below.
golgi-tendon organs are parralell to muscles (not within but running alongside) their function is to detect the muscle ‘tone’ within the muscle so basically to detect how much tension there is within the muscle. it is present in the inverse myotatic reflex, which is described below.
Explain how muscle spindles monitor muscle length, while Golgi tendon organs monitor tension.
muscle spindles are stretchy and they stretch alongside muscles inorder to detect their stretch, this is how they are able to detect the stretch, as they are connected to the muscle and stretch with them which allows stretch detection.
golgi tendon organs