| When a physician strikes your patellar tendon, the tendon fibers are
stretched and activate the golgi tendon organ (receptor). (This mimics
what would happen to the tendon if one were to fall over backwards.) An action potential
results, and is carried toward the spinal cord. Within the gray matter the sensory neuron synapses with an
interneuron. The interneuron in turn synapses with one or more
motor neurons, and an action potential is in turn initiated in the motor neuron(s). The motor neurons carry an action potential to various
leg muscles, which contract and cause your leg to extend (to prevent
falling!). |
