Reflex Arc
The postnatal innervation of the “reflex arc” is essential for proper endogenous smooth muscle function in the digestive tract.
Overview
The human body contains numerous bodily and sensory processes that rely on involuntary smooth muscle control to function properly. These are bodily processes that occur without conscious control or direction. This involves the “reflex arc”, the process of a sensory signal synapsing at the spine for faster than normal, “reflexive” response time.
Rather than wait for painful stimuli to percolate up to the brain with the rest of the billions of stimuli received every second, reflexes ensure certain noxious stimuli synapse/turn around at the spine for much faster reaction time.
Smooth Muscle Reflexive Control
The reflex arc is responsible for essentially hijacking skeletal muscle (voluntary) for instinctive response to harmful stimuli, but it’s also essential for proper reflexive control of internal endogenous processes that rely on smooth muscle. Organs and bodily processes such as those involved in digestive and pulmonary function contain smooth muscle, which in contrast to striated skeletal muscle, is not voluntarily controlled. These processes take place below the level of consciousness. Without reflexive control they do not function properly.
There are multiple essential endogenous processes that rely on reflexive synapsing to function properly. Some of these are:
- Peristalsis
- Stomach Contractions
- Oxygen Transport
- Immune Response to Gut Infections
- Spincter Control
- Diaphragmatic Control
Reflexive Response to External And Internal Environment
A human baby requires reflexive response to the external environment to instinctively react to harmful stimuli, and requires reflexive response to its own internal environment for bodily processes to function properly.
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