Final answer:
The signal from touching the hot coal traveled from Mitch's hand to his spinal cord, initiating a reflex arc that caused a quick withdrawal response without the need for brain processing. Sensory neurons carried the high-temperature signal to the spinal cord, where interneurons relayed it to motor neurons, leading to the contraction of muscles.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Mitch tripped and reflexively drew back his hand after touching the hot coal, the signal sent by his nervous system traveled from his hand to his spinal cord. This withdrawal response is known as a reflex arc, which is a quick, automatic action that the body performs in response to a stimulus without the need for conscious thought. The process starts with sensory neurons that detect the high temperature on the skin and send an impulse through the sensory nerve to the spinal cord. Within the spinal cord, the impulse is received by interneurons, which then send a secondary signal through motor neurons to the muscles causing them to contract and pull away from the source of pain, in this case, the hot coal.
Reflex arcs are an essential part of the somatic nervous system. They provide a way for the body to protect itself from damage by reacting faster than it would take for the signal to be sent to the brain, processed, and a reaction to be sent back. Although the reflex is processed locally in the spinal cord, sensory information about the event is eventually sent to the brain to be acknowledged consciously.