Learn about the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, and how they coordinate the body's responses to stimuli.
The brain controls thought, memory, and voluntary actions. The spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body and controls reflexes.
What is the function of the brain?
Controlling thought, memory, emotions, and coordinating voluntary actions
What is the function of the spinal cord?
Connecting the brain to the body's nerves and controlling reflex actions
A reflex action is a quick, automatic response to a stimulus, controlled by the spinal cord without needing conscious thought from the brain.
Why do you pull your hand away from a hot object before you consciously feel the pain?
This is a reflex action, processed quickly by the spinal cord, bypassing the slower route through the brain
Give another example of a reflex action.
Blinking when something approaches the eye, or the knee-jerk reflex
1. What is the function of the brain?
2. What is the function of the spinal cord?
3. What is a reflex action?
4. Give an example of a reflex action.
5. Why are reflex actions faster than consciously thought-out responses?