Definition
Enteric reflexes are fundamental mechanisms in the autonomic neural control of motility up and down the digestive tract, starting with swallowing at the oral end and terminating with defecation at the anal end. With the exception of the control of the striated musculature in the pharynx during swallowing and control of the skeletal musculature of the pelvic floor during maintenance of fecal continence and defecation, most enteric reflexes are mediated by the autonomic nervous system. The three divisions of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. the parasympathetic, sympathetic and enteric divisions) interact with each another in mediating involuntary control of motor behavior of the smooth musculature of the digestive tract, secretory behavior of the glands and gastrointestinal blood flow.
Reflex circuits were also called “reflex arcs” in earlier literature. A reflex circuit consists of a minimum of a sensory neuron that synapses with and excites a motor neuron, which in turn...
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References
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Wood, J.D. (2008). Autonomic/Enteric Reflexes. In: Binder, M.D., Hirokawa, N., Windhorst, U. (eds) Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_492
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_492
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