Class 11 Zoology simulations · Neural Control and Coordination

Reflex arc: the knee jerk

Tap the patellar tendon. The impulse runs in through a sensory neuron and straight out through a motor neuron in the spinal cord.

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What to notice

The reflex happens involuntarily, without waiting for a decision from the brain.

Key relation

Receptor → afferent neuron → spinal cord → efferent neuron → effector

Try this

Tap harder. Does the kick get larger?

What you can change

• Tap strength: 0 to 100 %

More in Neural Control and Coordination

• Nerve impulse: the action potential
• Myelinated vs non-myelinated fibres
• Transmission across a chemical synapse

See all Class 11 Zoology simulations or every Physica simulation.