Organisation of the spinal cord

Question 1

What do alpha motor neurones activate?

Answer 1

Skeletal muscle fibres

Question 2

What do gamma motor neurones activate?

Answer 2

Intrafusal fibres within muscle spindle

Question 3

What does distal musculature control?

a) position
b) fine movement?

Answer 3

b

Question 4

What does proximal and axial musculature control?

a) position
b) fine movement?

Answer 4

a

Question 5

What fibre controls the length of a muscle spindle?

Answer 5

Gamma motor neurone

Question 6

When a muscle spindle detects a change in length what occurs?

Answer 6

1a afferents signal change in length and stimulate muscle contraction, this activates alpha motor neurones

Question 7

What is the Golgi tendon organ reflex?

Answer 7

Inhibits muscle contraction of antagonistic muscle when 1b afferents detects change in tension

Question 8

What change in the muscle activates both stretch and Golgi tendon reflex?

Answer 8

Increase in muscle length

Question 9

What is the effect of the stretch and tendon reflex occurring at the same time?

Answer 9

Tendon reflex dampens down the stretch reflex to stop excessive contraction

Question 10

What does the central pattern generator do?

Answer 10

Regulate programmed movements e.g. walking, chewing, breathing within brainstem/spinal cord