Question

You touch a hot stove and pull your hand back. This reflexive action was most likely the result of activity in your

A) Sympathetic nervous system.
B) Parasympathetic nervous system.
C) Spinal cord.
D) Brain.

Answer 1

Touching a hot stove triggers a reflex action that involves the somatic nervous system and the spinal cord, where the reflex arc results in a quick withdrawal of the hand without brain involvement.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you touch a hot stove and reflexively withdraw your hand, this action involves the somatic nervous system and the spinal cord. The sensory receptors in the skin detect the high temperature, sending an action potential through the sensory neurons to the spinal cord. There, interneurons activate the motor neurons without involving the brain, causing a quick contraction of the muscles, particularly the biceps brachii, to pull the hand away. Hence, the correct answer is C) Spinal cord.