Question

Why is reflex arc developed developed in animals

Answer 1

Thanks for the question!

It is definitely a very interesting question to solve and do some brainstorming.

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The purpose of reflex arc is too give timely responses to the body. For this organisms have evolved a system which involves the reflex arc to act to those stimuli. Reflex arc is also studied under Reflexology which gives an actllternative to apply zonal pressures on each part of body, this is actually not scientific and comes under pseudoscience, as, there are no convenient satisfactory evidences that Reflexology proves as a effective alternations of medicines.

Reflex arcs are needed to provide a fast or quick enough response to a external stimulus, because the impulses send by the body is usually at ultra-high speeds and needs to get maintained and the time should be pre-eminent to make a effecting response, if no response is given by the Brain, our Body gets damaged in the process (if extremely harmful, such as, high degree of burning making the skin melt to its core and eventually destroying the important tissues), depending upon the severity of the process or late responses.

Some of them are included in our daily lives and have practical importance, for example, if you get a cut or a wound by some stimuli, the first thing you get is "pain", making you to take drugs and clear the wound with a first aid kit, but, if the response is delayed or the reflex arc is absent there would be no impulses receiving the brain, the medium is absent, no transmission of messages no response given. Let's take another practical example, if you stare and look at a bright-enough light which is unbearable to the eye, delayed responses (even a slight one) will only bring menace and failure to do that makes the iris and the ciliary organs supporting the eye ball and the pupil to contract, to bring halt to that function, giving the entrance to highly excruciating light to enter the eye and destroy the cells surrounding the retina (fovea, rods and cones), leading to a cataract or permanent orbital damage. So, there was a need for highly complex organisms with labyrinthine functions to develop and evolve such a revolutionary mechanism for a instant effector ad to prevent any further hindrance by destruction of delicate organs, tissues, cells, etc. Delayed actions or responses to a stimulus can mean there is a damage to one of your spinal nerves and spinal cord, nerve roots to transfer electrical impulses are broken (connecting linkers), muscle damage or peripheral damage could also be the reason for it. We use the reflex hammer test to determine the repossession of muscles and how delayed the response of the contractions of muscular tendons were.

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Hope it helps and solves your query!!