If a sharp flash of light - we close our eyes; if the battery is hot, we instantly pull our hand away ...
All these actions are automatically performed by millions of people around the world, regardless of place of residence, age and gender. In a word, the same reaction to everything sharply and unexpectedly expressed in the world around us: cold, boiling water, pain, fright - this is what unites us all. Scientists call this reaction the simple and familiar word "reflex." Let us, after the scientists, show a healthy curiosity and understand this interesting question: what exactly are innate and acquired reflexes? What is their main difference between themselves?
Background from the 17th century
The famous Frenchman and great scientist Rene Descartes became interested in human reactions to sharp stimuli in the 17th century and first gave them a detailed description.
But in those days, psychology was not yet considered a science. Therefore, Descartes concluded that any reaction to a stimulus is just a reflection of our knowledge about the properties of surrounding objects and substances.
The concept of “reflex” owes its origin to the talented Russian scientist Sechenov IM. He was the first in the world who proved and showed that any cause of the mental state of a person as a whole, and all his actions in particular, lies solely in the influence of the external environment on the nervous system. Simply put: if the senses are not irritated, then the emotional life of a person immediately disappears. From here comes the famous expression: "Tired of losing feelings." After Sechenov’s death, his scientific research was continued by the great academician Pavlov I.P.
The great discovery of Pavlov
It is to Ivan Petrovich that we owe a clear classification of existing reflexes and the systematization of knowledge about reflexology. Academician Pavlov proved that there are two main types of reflexes: innate and acquired.
Pavlov devoted his scientific activity all his long life and became the owner of the Nobel Prize in medicine at the beginning of the 20th century. Being a native of a family of clergymen, Ivan Petrovich became an academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Studying closely the nervous regulation of living organisms, the scientist was able to clearly show what is an example of an innate reflex and what is its definition. It should be noted that many people still do not see much difference between the skills given to us genetically and the abilities acquired by us in the process of life. The great Pavlov, after conducting many experiments, concluded that congenital reflexes are those for the occurrence of which no special conditions are required. Accordingly, acquired (conditional) - arise exclusively during the period of human adaptation to the external environment.
How did Pavlova’s dog help people?
Who does not know about Pavlov’s dog ?! There are practically no such people. Studying the process of digesting food in dogs, Ivan Petrovich began to notice that saliva began to be actively released in experimental dogs not at all at the sight of food, but at the sight of the person bringing this food.
Seeing this, Pavlov made a simple and at the same time brilliant conclusion: salivating when receiving food is a classic reflex that has a character absolutely unconditional, that is, equally common to all dogs. In other words, it is a congenital reflex, an instinct for food consumption.
And salivating at the sight of a lactating person is a typical conditioned reflex that is not characteristic of all dogs and developed precisely in these animals at the sight of a completely specific person.
Let us think with you precisely about congenital reflexes that have genetic stuffiness and are in no way dependent on the influence of the external environment.
Classification of reflexes for non-professionals
In general, all congenital reflexes have a very diverse classification system.
For example, for non-professionals the most understandable is the division of reflexes into: simple, complex and complex. What is an example of the innate reflex most pronounced? This is an example given by us, at the very beginning of the text, with a hand being pulled away from a hot battery.
Complex reflexes can include, for example, sweating. And to the most complex reflexes - a long chain of simple actions.
The classification according to the reaction force of any living organism to its irritating factor is also extremely understandable. If we proceed from it, then all innate reflexes are divided into positive (for example, the search for fresh pastries by smell) and negative (the desire to quickly escape from danger, noise, stench).
Unconditioned reflexes and their biological significance
By their biological significance, all reflexes in humans are divided into five main types:
- food;
- genital
- protective;
- indicative;
- locomotor.
Human congenital reflexes are food, as well as sexual and protective. Let's consider each of them separately.
The food reflex is the ability to swallow, suck, and salivate; sexual - sexual arousal; protective - this is the withdrawal of the hands from the hot or the desire to cover the head with the hands in case of expectation of a blow.
In addition to these, there are indicative reflexes - this is the need to identify all unfamiliar stimuli, namely to turn around at a sharp noise or unexpected touch. A locomotor reflex is a locomotor reflex - it is such a reflex that serves to move and allows you to keep the body in the desired (correct) position in the surrounding space.
Simonov's classification: convenient and clear
The famous Russian scientist Simon P.V. proposed his simple and understandable system for classifying human congenital reflexes.
He divided all unconditioned reflexes into three types:
- Vital.
- Reflexes of the set roles.
- Reflexes of independent development.
Let us try to understand what is the essence of each species and why exactly this classification has become so popular in the world?
Vital - these are all those reflexes that are directly related to the preservation of human life itself. We list them:
- Food.
- Defensive.
- Reflex saving effort. For example, if the result of actions is expected to be the same, then the person always chooses the one that takes his minimum costs.
- Reflex that regulates sleep and wakefulness.
Here it is especially important to understand a simple truth: if any of the above needs is not satisfied at the time, then the life of a living organism immediately ends. This is the fundamental difference between congenital and conditioned reflexes.
To realize any of these reflexes, a person does not need another person. This is their main difference from role-playing reflexes, which can be done only by contact with another person, but not in any way alone.
Role reflexes include parental and sexual. The last group of "self-development reflexes" includes:
- Reflex game.
- The reflex of the researcher.
- Reflex copy.
The "birthplace" of unconditioned reflexes
Where is the "father's house" of all the reflexes generously given to us by nature?
Their "homeland" is our central nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord. Do you remember what happens at the medical examination: a doctor, gently hitting a patient’s knee with a rubber mallet, observes the level of involuntary extension of his lower leg. In other words, the doctor monitors the reflex: if the reflex is weak or, conversely, very strong, then this is considered a pathology.
Unconditioned reflexes are very numerous. So, in the brain, in its lower parts, there are many reflex centers. They form the so-called "reflex arcs."
If we begin to move from our spinal cord upward, then immediately along the route we will meet the medulla oblongata. All reflex processes, such as sneezing, swallowing, coughing and salivation, are possible thanks to the medulla oblongata.
Further, moving up the spinal cord, we will meet the midbrain. The midbrain responds and controls precisely those reactions that arise in response to visual or acoustic stimuli. These are such reactions known to everyone: narrowing and expansion of the pupils when light enters them; reflex rotation of the head and the whole body in the direction of the source of sharp light and sound.
Features of unconditioned reflexes
We have already found out that the reflex arcs of our innate reflexes are of a constant nature. But at the same time they can be more or less activated at different periods of human life.
For example, sexual reflexes actively manifest themselves when the body reaches a certain age, while other reflex reactions gradually fade away. So, all babies, when they click on their palm, unknowingly grab the finger of an adult. This grasping reflex completely disappears with the process of growing up.
The significance of unconditioned reflexes
Congenital reflexes are of great importance. They, according to recent studies of scientists, are implemented in the womb. For example, the sucking reflex. But over the course of life, a huge number of conditioned reflexes are added to innate reflexes. Conditional, correctly superimposed on top of the unconditioned reflexes, give a person adaptive capabilities and help to adapt as best as possible to the outside world.
The reflexes given to us from birth are most important precisely in the early stages of existence, at a time when we still do not have our own personal ideas and concepts about the structure of life around us. Then all our actions are guided exclusively by processes that are completely reflex in nature.
Unconditioned reflexes - a generous gift of nature
A person’s innate reflex is a complex of natural skills. Therefore, the skills given to us by default already at birth are an invaluable gift that helps the new man in adapting to an unfamiliar life surrounding him.
Just watching the newborns, you can see the whole set of unconditioned reflexes in their pure form. The first person to analyze our natural reflexes and give them a professional assessment is a neonatologist.
8 basic reflexes are considered to be innate human reflexes. They are "born" into the world with the baby and allow him to survive outside the body of the mother. Let's name them all, and then analyze each one individually. Congenital reflexes in humans, examples:
- respiratory;
- sucking;
- gag reflex;
- Kussmaul reflex (or search);
- reflex reload;
- jerking reflex;
- flashing reflex;
- pupillary reflex.
It is very important to check all these innate reflexes in dynamics. It is the problems with these reflexes in the infant that are the main “beacons” of a possible pathology of the central nervous system.
Consider a little more detailed examples of the main congenital reflexes in humans.
A fascinating journey through the first human reflexes
As soon as we are born, the respiratory reflex "turns on": the baby's lungs open and he takes his first breath.
Almost simultaneously with the breathing skill, a sucking reflex appears. If, for example, you barely touch the nipple of the mouth of a newborn, then it will immediately begin to suck. The sucking process calms the baby and it is absolutely necessary: ​​if the baby was not pumped in infancy, then growing up, he can begin to suck the ends of his hair, fingers, or bite his nails. And then the intervention of a pediatric neurologist will be required.
The gag reflex is designed to help the newborn survive. It appears immediately after birth and forces the baby to push any hard objects out of his mouth with his tongue. It does not allow the baby to choke and completely fades to six months as unnecessary.
Kussmaul reflex is also called search. It is he who allows the baby to find the nipple. This reflex should be symmetrical on both sides. So, if you barely touch the child’s cheek, he immediately turns the head in the direction of touch and opens his mouth in search of food.
The first thing a neonatologist does is to check for the Reflex reflex. Checking this is always extremely unpleasant for the baby and, as a rule, causes a loud cry. The doctor with a slight pressure runs a finger along the spine of the child, expecting the baby to straighten the body, bend the arms and legs and raise the head. So the work of the entire nerve arc is checked.
Three basic human reflexes
Immediately after birth, the baby has three protective reflexes given to him by nature:
- Pulling back. For any injection, the child should pull the leg or handle.
- Pupillary. Bright light always causes a narrowing of the pupil.
- Nictitating. If you blow into the face of a newborn, he immediately squints his eyes.
These three basic reflexes, generously presented to man in the very first seconds after he was born, protect his whole future life and do not leave him until the very last days.
Interesting facts and very useful conclusions.
All human reflexes can be congenital and acquired.
All congenital reflexes of human behavior can conditionally be divided into two segments: motor and spinal. Motor reflexes are unconditional oral reflexes: search, sucking, etc. Spinal reflexes are caused by the functioning of the spinal cord. This is a grasping, protective, reflex of Perez, etc.
Here are just a few curious facts that are an example of a demonstration of innate reflexes in babies. These facts are surprising, sincere admiration and give an understanding of those huge "starting" abilities that are given to man by nature. Let us not stand aside and get acquainted with at least some of them:
- Until six months, all children are “professional swimmers”: they perfectly hold their breath. At the same time, the heart rate drops sharply, and blood circulation in the fingers of the arms and legs decreases.
- Until 1985, when operating on newborns, doctors did not give them anesthesia, believing that they still did not feel pain. Infants do not yet have a conscious memory, so pain does not cause them long-term harm.
- If someone touches the handle of the baby, then he immediately, without hesitation, instinctively grabs him. All children have a strong grasping reflex. This reflex appears in the womb at the 16th week of pregnancy. What is most interesting, the grasping reflex is so powerful that it can support the baby’s own weight.
- When a future mother suddenly becomes infected with an internal organ during pregnancy, the fetus sends stem cells for its regeneration and treatment.
There is a fair opinion of psychologists that any psychic dependence of a person on something is caused not by innate unconditioned reflexes, but exclusively by the formation of a negative conditioned reflex. For example, psychological drug addiction is always closely associated with the fact that the consumption of a particular narcotic substance is strongly associated with a pleasant state. Simply put, a negative conditioned reflex is formed, which is firmly preserved throughout the course of human life.
Therefore, we owe all our negative habits and bad character traits to conditioned reflexes that are firmly formed throughout life.
All unconditioned reflexes are given to us by nature from birth. They carry in themselves only goodness and help us survive, defend ourselves, grow stronger and become stronger. Nature gives man the very best, and you just need to be able to properly dispose of it.