Editing Withdrawal reflex (section)

{{Short description|Spinal reflex}}
The '''withdrawal reflex''' ('''nociceptive flexion reflex''' or '''flexor withdrawal reflex''') is a [[spinal reflex]] intended to protect the body from damaging stimuli.<ref name="soscad">{{cite book |last1=Solomon |last2=Schmidt |editor1-first=Field |editor1-last=Carol |title=Human Anatomy & physiology |edition=2 |year=1990 |publisher=Saunders College Publishing |isbn=0-03-011914-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/humananatomyphys00solo/page/470 470] |chapter=13 |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/humananatomyphys00solo/page/470 }}</ref>  The reflex rapidly coordinates the contractions of all the flexor muscles and the relaxations of the extensors in that limb causing sudden withdrawal from the potentially damaging stimulus.<ref name=PearsonGordon2013-p792>{{harvp | Pearson | Gordon | 2013 | loc = Cutaneous Reflexes Produce Complex Movements That Serve Protective and Postural Functions, p. 792 }}</ref> Spinal reflexes are often monosynaptic and are mediated by a simple [[reflex arc]]. A withdrawal [[reflex]] is mediated by a [[reflex arc|polysynaptic reflex]] resulting in the stimulation of many motor neurons in order to give a quick response.<ref name="Martin">{{cite book|last1=Martin|first1=Elizabeth|title=A dictionary of biology|date=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-019-920462-5|page=519|edition=6th}}</ref>