Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Scratch reflex
open-in-new
<p>The scratch reflex is an automatic response to the activation of <a href="/facts/Sensory_neuron/EwY1m2bV">sensory neurons</a> located on the surface of the body. Sensory neurons can be activated via stimulation, such as a parasite on the body, but can also be activated by responding to a chemical stimulus that produces an <a href="/facts/Itch/MBWq6SPc">itching</a> sensation. During a scratch <a href="/facts/Reflex/codE8Eff">reflex</a>, a limb reaches toward and rubs against the site on the body surface that has been stimulated. The scratch reflex has been extensively studied to understand the functioning of <a href="/facts/Biological_neural_network/pgngqMLf">neural networks</a> in vertebrates. Despite decades of research, key aspects of the scratch reflex are still unknown, such as the neural mechanisms by which the reflex is terminated. </p>