(4) Visceral motor neurons of the ANS (see section V), which innervate
visceral organs of the body's periphery, are distributed along with the peripheral nerves.
c. The General Reflex Arc (figure 11-9).
Figure 11-9. The general reflex arc.
(1) Definitions.
(a) An automatic reaction to a stimulus (without first having conscious
sensation) is referred to as a reflex. (As an example: The withdrawal of the hand from
a hot object.)
(b) The pathway from the receptor organ to the reacting muscle is
called the reflex arc.
(2) Components of the general reflex arc. The pathway of a general reflex
arc involves a minimum of five structures.
(a) The stimulus is received by a receptor organ.
(b) That information is transmitted to the CNS by the afferent (sensory)
neuron.
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