1. What is the homeostatic value of flexor reflexes? Homeostasis is defined as ôThe condition in which the body's internal environment remains relatively constant, within limitsö (ôGlossary Human BiologyùIntroductionö). ôReflexes help to maintain homeostasis by permitting the body to make exceedingly rapid adjustments to homeostatic imbalancesö (ôThe Spinal Cord and Spinal Nervesö). When a sensory stimulus threatens the homeostatic state of an organism, an involuntary neural response to the stimulusùa reflexùoccurs (Winter 59). An example of such a protective reflex is the flexor withdrawal reflex, which is also known as the ôouchö reflex; it is designed to protect us from such pain-associated dangers as burning our hand on a hotplate. As soon as we perceive pain, we withdraw our hand from the hotplate. As the most powerful flexion response, this reflex takes precedence over other reflexes, such as those associated with locomotion, ostensibly to protect the limb from further damage (ôSharpen Your Reflexesö). Pain is not the only stimulus that provokes the protective reflex; it can also be stimulated with deep pressure, as when standing on a pebble, or light touching, such as tickling with a feather. The flexor withdrawal reflex can be stimulated anywhere on the body (ôSharpen Your Reflexesö).
The homeostatic value of such reflexes is predicated on the fact that they detect possibly injury before it happens. They can be considered, therefore, a protective mechanism that ensures that the body remains in its normal state of homeostasis and does not incur injury that would disrupt its internal equilibrium. In a sense, they maintain homeostasis by serving as an internal warning system that alerts the body to withdraw from the pain, pressure, or other stimulus that is a potential threat to the homeostasis they protect.
2. Where are the olfactory receptors, and why is that site poorly suited f
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