Education
Tap the tendon and follow the stretch reflex through the sensory neuron, the spinal cord and the motor neuron to the kicking leg, with every delay labeled and added up. Compare the one-synapse knee-jerk with the slower withdrawal reflex, see the antagonist muscle get inhibited, and cut the dorsal or ventral root to see which part of the reflex disappears. A simple limb model turns the neural drive into a kick you can measure.
Reflex Arc Simulator is an interactive learning tool on VTC. Tap the tendon and follow the stretch reflex through the sensory neuron, the spinal cord and the motor neuron to the kicking leg, with every delay labeled and added up. Compare the one-synapse knee-jerk with the slower withdrawal reflex, see the antagonist muscle get inhibited, and cut the dorsal or ventral root to see which part of the reflex disappears. A simple limb model turns the neural drive into a kick you can measure. It runs in your web browser and is free to use, and suits students, teachers and self-learners.
Who it's for: Students, teachers and self-learners
Reflex Arc Simulator is an interactive learning tool on VTC. Tap the tendon and follow the stretch reflex through the sensory neuron, the spinal cord and the motor neuron to the kicking leg, with every delay labeled and added up. Compare the one-synapse knee-jerk with the slower withdrawal reflex, see the antagonist muscle get inhibited, and cut the dorsal or ventral root to see which part of the reflex disappears.
Yes. The VTC app catalog lists Reflex Arc Simulator at no cost, and it runs in your web browser with nothing to install.
It is aimed at students, teachers and self-learners. To start, open https://reflexarc.apps.vtc.com in your browser.