10. The physiology of motor systems
10. The physiology of motor systems
- Gillian Pocock, Gillian PocockSenior Lecturer in Clinical Science, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
- Christopher D. RichardsChristopher D. RichardsEmeritus Professor of Experimental Physiology, Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- and David A. RichardsDavid A. RichardsAssociate Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine, USA
Abstract
This chapter explores the capacity to perform the precise movements needed for complex manipulations and speech, emphasizing that coordinated purposeful movement is a fundamental aspect of human existence. The chapter points out that the simplest form of motor act controlled by the nervous system is called reflex. This is a rapidly executed, automatic, and stereotyped response to a given stimulus. The chapter discusses how most reflexes involve extensive coordination between groups of muscles and is achieved by interconnections between various groups of central neurons. The neurons forming the pathway taken by the nerve impulses responsible for a reflex make up a reflex arc.
