¶ … Burned There are specialized cells called receptors that receive information about the environment and changes in that environment. Each kind of receptor reacts to a different kind of stimulus. For example, the receptors on the retina in the eye detect light. Receptors are all connected to nerve cells, and the nerve cells carry information from the receptor to the brain, where the signal is processed. The brain makes the decision about what to do with the information, such as move a part of the body to cause a reaction based on the information the receptors sent. However, in the case of an emergency situation, this normal interpretation process takes too long even though it is extremely fast, and instead another emergency plan is followed by the nervous system. When burned the body will experience a reflex reaction.

The skin has receptors that detect both pressure and temperature. In the case of an emergency situation...

The receptors in the skin that detect heat are called thermoreceptors. When burned, the thermoreceptors send a lot of impulses in rapid fire along the nerves to the spinal cord, a kind of S.O.S signal for help. Because it would take too long for the signal to reach the brain, the impulses travel along the relay neuron which is in the spinal cord. The impulse then exits into the motor neuron to the arm muscles. Immediately, the muscles receive the instructions to contract, thereby pulling the hand away from the heat source and rescuing it from further damage. This reaction which occurs without sending the impulse all the way to the brain is called a reflex; the path the impulse takes from the receptors through the nerves to the spinal cord and back to the muscles…