The Sensory Receptor of the Stretch Reflex is The

Question

The sensory receptor of the stretch reflex is the
A) Golgi tendon organ.
B) muscle spindle.
C) dorsal root ganglion.
D) collateral axon.
E) alpha motor neurons.

Accepted Answer

The sensory receptor of the stretch reflex is the muscle spindle. The muscle spindle is a proprioceptor located within the muscle that detects changes in muscle length and speed of contraction, and initiates a reflex contraction of the muscle in response to stretching. The Golgi tendon organ is another proprioceptor located at the junction of the muscle and tendon, and functions to prevent excessive muscle tension. The dorsal root ganglion is a cluster of cell bodies of sensory neurons located outside the spinal cord. Collateral axons refer to the branching of a single axon, and alpha motor neurons are motor neurons that innervate skeletal muscle fibers.