Reflexes and Reaction Rates Lab Reaction Rate Lab: Reaction rate trials: 16 cm , 17 cm, 14 cm, 20 cm, 14 cm.

Average: 16.2 cm 2(16.2) Calculation: t = 980/2 = 0.181827458 seconds The reactions of the left hand would be slower, for the subjects dominant hand is the right hand which means that the muscles and reflexes are better developed in the right hand than those of the left hand. 1. This is because withdrawal of hand results from reflexes (by the spinal chord), whereas yelling indicates the cognition by the brain of hot temperature and pain, which takes more time because information has to travel through the neural pathways. Freddy is not aware of the pain when the hand is withdrawn. If the motor neuron associated with this reflex arc were severed, she would pull out her hand and yell at the same time, for she will only pull off her hand when she is aware of the pain. 2. This could be due to variety of causes. The accident might have injured her occipital lobe. It also might have severed the neuron pathways for the reflex arc of the eye, which would prevent the eye from reacting to stimuli. The doctor cannot repair the damaged reflex arc. The doctor should examine for further damages to the neural pathway, to detect the direct cause of the symptom is it due to the damaged reflex arc? Are the pupil muscles malfunctioning? 3. The doctor is checking for pain sensation. The doctor must start from the ankles to check the peripheral nerves, to see if the pathway that lead to the lateral spinothalamic tract of the spinal cord through the sensory ganglia and eventually the spinal cord is damaged.

4. Reflex arc pathway.

5. The Achilles and knee jerk reactions are crucial in walking in that they allow the contraction of the muscles for the leg to kick, as well as maintain posture and balance without consciously thinking about it. When you stand, and the leg is not moving, the reflexes are in full work. The reflexes maintain your body posture against gravity by the push and pull of your leg muscles. When you use your muscles to swing your legs, your reflexes are at work the least to minimize ankle flexion that would inhibit walking.