Anatomy and Cell Biology 4451F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Vestibulospinal Tract, Jerky, Central Sulcus
12 Sep 2018
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Tactics how much do i bend my wrist, how much force do i need. Spinal reflexes and simple motor patterns (walking) are controlled by spinal cord. All that it needs is sensory neuron, interneuron, motor neuron. If we step on some glass shards, we get painful stimuli, sensory neurons relay this painful stimulus to spinal cord, synapses on interneuron and activates alpha motor neuron to let our muscle constrict to remove foot from painful stimulus. We also need to relax the antagonist muscle (extensor muscle). There is also an inhibitory neuron that also inhibits extensor muscle while flexor is activated. We also need to have information going to contralateral side. In order not to lose our balance, we have to at same time, do a compensatory movement with other leg. Pattern generator neurons have unstable resting membrane potential under specific conditions. Small circuits within the spinal cord are sufficient for basic locomotion.
