The action of the reflex is one that results from the reflex arc and that consists of a response to a stimulus that is characterized by its involuntary nature, that is, they are not motivated by the will of the emitter.
We will define it as the involuntary and immediate response, which is produced in an organ, upon receiving nervous energy originated by a stimulus.
The reflex action is produced by previously capturing the stimulus, conducting the nervous impulse that it originates and, finally, executing a response.
The set of anatomical structures that mediate between the receptor and the effector is called the reflex arc, that is, it is the path that the nerve impulse travels from the receptor to the effector.
The phenomenal speed that characterizes the reflex action and that could not occur in the conscious acts of our brain, facilitates an immediate action against something that normally implies a threat to the person, physical harm.
The question works like this: the sensory neuron is the one that will receive the stimulus in question and sends that information to a reflex center that is located in our spinal cord. Once here, the latter will transmit it to a motor-type neuron, which is responsible for responding to the stimulus, producing the corresponding muscle movement.
Meanwhile, the reflex arc, which is the pathway that controls the emission of a reflex act, is made up of a series of structures in the nervous system, such as neurons, effectors and receptors.
Each reflex action involves the coordination of three stages at high speed: emotion, driving and reaction. The whole process begins when the receptors pick up the nervous stimulus, which is carried out through the reflex arc towards the effector for the development of the response.
There are situations before which the body needs to react as quickly as possible. A classic example of this type of reaction is what happens when we touch an object that is too hot. Before we burn, we withdraw our hand with a quick movement that will protect us immediately. In fact, the speed at which this happens is such that we don't even think about how to act, but we respond involuntarily, almost automatically. It seems that our body is prepared to face certain circumstances of everyday life at certain times in life. These are called reflex acts.
