Question

Motor neurons are considered the final common pathway because the only way any other parts of the nervous system can directly evoke skeletal muscle activity is by acting on these motor neurons?

Answer 1

Motor neurons are responsible for contracting skeletal muscle fibers and are considered the final common pathway in the nervous system.

Step-by-step explanation:

The motor neurons that tell the skeletal muscle fibers to contract originate in the spinal cord and brainstem. These neurons have long processes called axons, which transmit action potentials from the spinal cord to the muscles. Motor neurons connect to multiple muscle fibers within a target muscle, and the number of fibers innervated by a single motor neuron varies based on the muscle's precision and force requirements. The motor neurons are considered the final common pathway because they are the only way other parts of the nervous system can directly evoke skeletal muscle activity.