Question

1. Compare the components of a visceral reflex with a somatic reflex.
2. Explain what is meant by “referred pain”.
3. Explain how the sympathetic system might affect respiration and heart rate.
4. Mark ate a very big meal in the evening. After the meal his wife would like him to share the clean-up, but Mark explains that he is “too tired” and promptly goes to sleep. What seems to be his problem?
5. Match the parasympathetic ganglion with the appropriate cranial nerve from the list.

A. CN III       B. CN V      C. CN VII      D. CN IX      E. CN X

______ Submandibular ganglion.

______ Otic ganglion.

______ Ciliary ganglion

______ Terminal ganglion.

Answer 1

1) viseral reflexes are the unconscious automatic ones which require receptors to sense, afferent neurones to send the signal to the CNS, interneurons within the CNS , efferent neurones to carry the signal away from the CNS towards the effector organ/tissue. It's efferent pathway has 2 steps- a pre-ganglionic fibre from later horn of the spinal cord or cranial nuclear neurones in the brain stem to a ganglion and a post-ganglionic fiber which projects towards the respective internal organ or the tissue.

On the other hand, the somatic arc is just as similar but it's effector pathway occurs in one step wherein the efferent neurones(lower motor neurones from the lateral horn of the spinal cord ) leave the CNS to reach the effector skeletal muscle.