Question

What is the difference between reflex action and involuntary action

Answer 1

1. All reflex actions are involuntary in nature but all involutary actions are not reflexes as the beating of heart is an involuntary action but is not reflex action. 

2.Reflex actions are v. quick but all involutary actions may not be v. fast as in heart beating. 

3A reflex action may involve any muscle or a gland as we withdraw our hand on touching a hot object BUT all involuntary actions involve only smooth i.e., involuntary or cardiac muscles. 

4. Reflex actions are at the level of spinal cord whereas the inv. actions generallly involve brain too 

5. Nerves and autonomious nervous system can increase or decrease the rate of inv. actions but reflex actions can be controlled by great will only and are not usually controllable. 

6. reflex actions are done to meet emergencies where as an inv.action may or may not be for just meeting an emergency but may be a critical lie process as circulation of blood, swallowing of food, movement of food in food pipe, etc. 

7. A reflex action may be conditioned as in the case of salivation response by a dog on just hearing the bell (even when food is not supplied ) in Pavlov's expt. but an inv, action would not be generally influenced by external conditioning. 

Answer 2

Reflex action:

i)  When an immediate incident occurs,then the reflex action happens.

ii) Reflex Action work with the help of spinal cord.

iii) Actions taken from spinal cord are called as reflex actions.

iv) This actions are taken without getting know to our Brain.

v)  When we see something, and if we need  a  very immediate action, then it is necessary for taking a immediate action. But, our brain can't take it. Because, retaining time of brain is more. Hence, Spinal cord takes reflex actions.

Eg: When we touch  to any hot object, then we immediately take our hand outside from it. In this situation, There is no working of Brain. The actions in such a  condition are taken from spinal cord.  We don't think after touching hot objects that, "should I remove my hand from it or not?". Spinal cord later sends the information to our brain....

Involuntary moment:

i) There  are types of muscles movements in our body:  Voluntary muscles and involuntary muscles.

ii) The processes in our body that occurs without our permission is called as "Involuntary action".

iii) Involuntary actions are automate actions. This actions don't need any permission of ours. They occurs continuously in  our body.  

iv) We walk, talk, see, move with our own permission. Because, they are types of involuntary actions.

v) But some processes in our body happens automatically which aren't in our control.

vi) Eg: Beating of heart, Blood filtration, Respiration