Monstershoes, MEMBER
17, Sweden
92 points (OXYGEN)
July 16, 2010 19:20

Reflex and Instinct

In reference to Natalias question "How does instinct work?" (really intresting discussion :p) I have another one.

What is the difference between Reflex and Instinct.

I think that instinct is something that you think, but actually not think and reflex is something that acts on instict.

Am I right or wrong?
TAGS:
Natalia, FORUM MODERATOR
17, Greece
851 points (SILICON)
July 19, 2010 15:05

That's a very interesting question as well!
Well, "I think that instinct is sth that you think but actually not think", is not exactly correct as a thought. As orfeas had explained in the previous post, instinct has more to do with the amygdala than with the "thinking" part of the brain. I'm not sure what you meant by that, though.
I can't give you a definite answer, but I think reflex is something a lot different... I mean, when you're hungry, you are going to eat something - that's an instinctive reaction, and when you put your hand on a hot frying pan you rapidly lift it - that's a "reflective" reaction... My distinction is more or less empirical... I am not completely sure I can explain the differences in a general way though. I just think of them as two different things.

 		 
 
  
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That's a very interesting question as well!

Well, "I think that instinct is sth that you think but actually not think", is not exactly correct as a thought. As orfeas had explained in the previous post, instinct has more to do with the amygdala than with the "thinking" part of the brain. I'm not sure what you meant by that, though.

I can't give you a definite answer, but I think reflex is something a lot different... I mean, when you're hungry, you are going to eat something - that's an instinctive reaction, and when you put your hand on a hot frying pan you rapidly lift it - that's a "reflective" reaction... My distinction is more or less empirical... I am not completely sure I can explain the differences in a general way though. I just think of them as two different things.


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orfeas, MEMBER
19, Greece
1668 points (SULFUR)
July 19, 2010 23:15

"True reflexes can be distinguished from instincts by their seat in the nervous system; reflexes are controlled by spinal or other peripheral ganglia, but instincts are the province of the brain."

 		 
 
  
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"True reflexes can be distinguished from instincts by their seat in the nervous system; reflexes are controlled by spinal or other peripheral ganglia, but instincts are the province of the brain."


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Natalia, FORUM MODERATOR
17, Greece
851 points (SILICON)
July 21, 2010 15:31

That seems to be a good distinction Orfea (where did you get it from btw?). That explains why a "reflective" reaction (like dragging your hand off a hot surface) doesn't seem to relate to our brain at all...

But how are spinal and peripheral ganglia actually controlling what we do? Doesn't everything start out from our brain?

 		 
 
  
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That seems to be a good distinction Orfea (where did you get it from btw?). That explains why a "reflective" reaction (like dragging your hand off a hot surface) doesn't seem to relate to our brain at all... 


But how are spinal and peripheral ganglia actually controlling what we do? Doesn't everything start out from our brain?


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orfeas, MEMBER
19, Greece
1668 points (SULFUR)
July 21, 2010 22:56

Our brain doesn't control everything. Explaining the exact way that ganglia works is difficult. However, I can give you a quite good example. The electronics at our houses have always a safety switch that automatically stops the electricity when its flow is too great, so that we don't have to interupt it on ourselves. In the same way, when there is an overflow of a signal (for example, extreme pain) there are certain switches (ganglia) that have such a neuro-organization that send the commands to our muscles on their own, without having to take orders from the brain.

I got the distiction from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instinct

 		 
 
  
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Our brain doesn't control everything. Explaining the exact way that ganglia works is difficult. However, I can give you a quite good example. The electronics at our houses have always a safety switch that automatically stops the electricity when its flow is too great, so that we don't have to interupt it on ourselves. In the same way, when there is an overflow of a signal (for example, extreme pain) there are certain switches (ganglia) that have such a neuro-organization that send the commands to our muscles on their own, without having to take orders from the brain.


I got the distiction from   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instinct


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