

Nervous Control of Body Movement

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Neural Reflexes

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Somatic Motor Reflexes
Monosynaptic and polysynaptic somatic motor reflexes

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-1a
Autonomic Reflexes
Some visceral reflexes are spinal reflexes

Sensory
Stimulus Receptor neuron

CNS
integrating
center
All autonomic reflexes are polysynaptic,
with at least one synapse in the CNS
and another in the autonomic ganglion.

Preganglionic
autonomic
neuron
Response
Postganglionic
autonomic
neuron
Autonomic
Target
ganglion
cell

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-2
 Skeletal Muscle Reflexes
 Proprioceptors are located in skeletal muscle, joint
capsules, and ligaments
 Proprioceptors carry input sensory neurons to CNS
 CNS integrates input signal
 Somatic motor neurons carry output signal
 Alpha motor neurons
 Effectors are contractile skeletal muscle fibers
 Examples of proprioceptors
 Muscle spindle
 Golgi tendon organ
 Joint receptors
 Are found in capsules and ligaments around joints
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Proprioceptors
Muscle spindles are sensory receptors in muscle that control muscle
tone and prevent injury from overstretching of the muscle. They are
found in all muscles and are tonically active, firing increases as the
muscle stretches.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-3a–b
 Muscle Spindles
Muscle spindles monitor muscle length and prevent
overstretching of the same muscle. The tonic signaling
produces muscle tone.
(a)
1 Extrafusal muscle
fibers at resting length
1
Spinal
3 cord
Sensory 2 Sensory neuron is
neuron tonically active.
endings 2
Sensory
neuron
Intrafusal 3 Spinal cord integrates
fibers of function.
muscle spindle

4 Alpha motor neurons

to extrafusal fibers
receive tonic input
4
from muscle spindles.
5 Alpha motor
neuron
5 Extrafusal fibers
maintain a certain
level of tension
even at rest.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-4a
 Muscle Spindles
During a stretch reflex increased firing by the sensory
neuron increases signaling by the alpha motor neuron
causing the muscle to contract.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-4b
 Alpha-Gamma Coactivation***
Gamma motor neurons intervate the ends of intrafusal
fibers in muscle spindles and keep the sensory neuron
active even when the muscle contracts
(a) If gamma motor axons are cut, the spindle loses activity when muscle contracts.

1 Alpha motor Muscle shortens

neuron fires.
Muscle
length
3
2 Muscle contracts.
2 Less stretch
4 on intrafusal Action potential

Stretch on center Action fibers

3
of intrafusal fibers potentials
is reduced. of
spindle
Muscle shortens
sensory
Firing rate of neuron
4 Time
spindle sensory
neuron decreases.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-5a
 Alpha-Gamma Coactivation
When an alpha motor neuron fires the muscle contracts and
shortens but the gamma motor neuron will also fire and thus
there will be stretching at the spindle fiber to keep the tonic
firing.
(b) Alpha-gamma coactivation maintains spindle function when muscle contracts.

1 Alpha motor
1
neuron fires and
gamma motor
1 2 neuron fires. Muscle Muscle shortens
length

2 Muscle contracts.

3 Intrafusal fibers do not slacken, so

2 firing rate remains constant.
Action
3 Stretch on centers potentials
of intrafusal fibers of
unchanged. Firing spindle
rate of afferent sensory Muscle shortens
1 neuron remains neuron
constant.
Time

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-5b, steps 1–3
 Proprioceptors
Golgi tendon organs are sensory receptors in muscle that respond to
tension changes in the muscle and attempt to prevent injury from
excessively strong contractions. When golgi sensory neuron fibers
the efferent signal in inhibitory and thus there is a loss in
contraction strength

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-3a, c
Muscle Reflexes: response to load and overload

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Patellar Tendon (Knee Jerk) Reflex
Afferent path: Action
potential travels through
Receptor: Muscle
sensory neuron.
spindle stretches
and fires.
Stimulus:
Tap to tendon
stretches
muscle.

The patellar tendon (knee jerk)

reflex illustrates a
monosynaptic stretch
reflex and reciprocal
inhibition of the
antagonistic muscle.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-7
 Patellar Tendon (Knee Jerk) Reflex
Afferent path: Action
potential travels through
Receptor: Muscle Integrating
sensory neuron.
spindle stretches center:
and fires. Sensory neuron
Stimulus: synapses in
Tap to tendon spinal cord.
stretches
muscle.

The patellar tendon (knee jerk)

reflex illustrates a Efferent path 1:
monosynaptic stretch onto
Somatic motor neuron
reflex and reciprocal
inhibition of the
antagonistic muscle.

Efferent path 2: Interneuron

inhibiting somatic motor neuron

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-7
 Patellar Tendon (Knee Jerk) Reflex
Afferent path: Action
potential travels through
Receptor: Muscle Integrating
sensory neuron.
spindle stretches center:
and fires. Sensory neuron
Stimulus: synapses in
Tap to tendon spinal cord.
stretches
muscle.

The patellar tendon (knee jerk)

reflex illustrates a Efferent path 1:
monosynaptic stretch onto
Somatic motor neuron
reflex and reciprocal
inhibition of the
antagonistic muscle.
Effector 1: Quadriceps
muscle
Efferent path 2: Interneuron
inhibiting somatic motor neuron
Response: Quadriceps
contracts, swinging lower
leg forward. Effector 2: Hamstring
muscle

Response: Hamstring
stays relaxed, allowing
extension of leg
(reciprocal inhibition).

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-7
Flexion Reflex and
the Crossed Extensor Reflex
Spinal cord 3a Ascending pathways to brain
2 Gray
matter
Spinal
Sensory White cord
neuron matter
1 Painful stimulus
activates nociceptor.

2 Primary sensory
neuron enters spinal
cord and diverges.

Nociceptor

Painful
stimulus
1
3a One collateral activates
ascending pathways for
sensation (pain) and postural
adjustment (shift in center of gravity).

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-8, steps 1–3a
Flexion Reflex and
the Crossed Extensor Reflex
Spinal cord 3a Ascending pathways to brain
2 Gray
matter
Spinal
Sensory White cord
neuron matter
1 Painful stimulus
activates nociceptor.
3b
2 Primary sensory
neuron enters spinal
cord and diverges.

Nociceptor

Alpha motor
Painful neurons
stimulus
1
3a One collateral activates Extensors
ascending pathways for inhibited
sensation (pain) and postural Flexors contract,
adjustment (shift in center of gravity). moving foot
3b Withdrawal reflex pulls foot away away from
from painful stimulus. painful
stimulus.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-8, steps 1–3b
Flexion Reflex and
the Crossed Extensor Reflex
Spinal cord 3a Ascending pathways to brain
2 Gray
matter
Spinal
Sensory White cord
neuron matter
1 Painful stimulus
activates nociceptor. 3c
3b
2 Primary sensory
neuron enters spinal
cord and diverges.

Nociceptor

Alpha motor
Painful neurons
stimulus
1
3a One collateral activates Extensors
ascending pathways for inhibited
Extensors contract
sensation (pain) and postural Flexors contract, as weight shifts to
adjustment (shift in center of gravity). moving foot left leg.
3b Withdrawal reflex pulls foot away away from
from painful stimulus. painful Flexors inhibited
stimulus.
3c Crossed extensor reflex supports
body as weight shifts away from
painful stimulus.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-8, steps 1–3c
Movement Classification

Three types of movement: Reflex (simplest)

voluntary (most complex) Rhythmic (a combination
of relex and voluntary).
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
CNS Integrates Movement
 Spinal cord integrates spinal reflexes and contains
central pattern generators
 Brain stem and cerebellum control postural reflexes
and hand and eye movements
 Cerebral cortex and basal ganglia
 Voluntary movement- can become reflexive once well
learned

Rhythmic movement is initiated at the cerebrum but

maintained by interneurons in the spinal cord

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Integration of Muscle Reflexes
Reflexes are
managed by the
spinal cord,
cerebellum, and
brain stem. They
do not require
input from the
cerebrum.
However, sensory
input is send to
the cerebrum so
we aware of what
happens.

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-9
CNS Control of Voluntary Movement

Voluntary movement can be planned

based on postural reflex information.
There are 3 phases, sensory feed back is
used in the first two.
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-10
Voluntary Movement
Feedforward reflexes and feedback of information
during movement

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings Figure 13-13
Visceral Movement
 Contraction of cardiac and smooth muscle
 Moves material in hollow organs by changing the
shape of the organ
 Controlled by ANS as a reflex
 Some create own action potentials
 Muscle can respond to hormones or signaling from
neighboring cells through gap junction

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings