The nerve pathway linking the heat receptor in the hand with the arm muscle is about 1.5 meters in length. It would take the nervous impulse 0.02 seconds to travel this distance along a neuron. However, it takes about 0.5 seconds for the arm to start moving during the reflex response to the heat stimulus.

It takes the muscle time to act once it receives a response from the nerves. It also takes time for the electric impulse to pass between gaps in the nerves (synapses).

Answered by ollieboyne | 2024-06-10

The reflex action begins with a heat stimulus detected by skin receptors, which generates a nerve impulse that travels to the spinal cord in about 0.02 seconds. The reflex response involves additional processing time within the nervous system leading to the arm's movement, which takes about 0.5 seconds. This demonstrates the coordination between sensory detection, neural processing, and motor response in the body.
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Answered by ollieboyne | 2024-10-12