Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Concept Videos

Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Tiletamine-Zolazepam Use in Exotic Pets and Wildlife Anesthesia: A Narrative Review Towards Practical Guidelines.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026
Same author

Seasonal shifts in muskox metabolic rates and energy expenditure are primarily governed by ambient temperature.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Effects of sensorimotor delays and muscle force capacity limits on the performance of feedforward and feedback control in animals of different sizes.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

Body-weight support is the primary driver of elevated walking cost in cerebral palsy.

Research square·2026
Same author

A cellular basis for the mammalian nocturnal-diurnal switch.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Comparing the Limbic-Frontal Connectome across the Primate Order: Conservation of Connections and Implications for Translational Neuroscience.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
07:08

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Sensorimotor responsiveness and resolution in the giraffe.

Heather L More1, Shawn M O'Connor, Emil Brøndum

  • 1Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Canada. hmore@sfu.ca

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|March 1, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Giraffes, despite their size, do not have unique sensorimotor systems. Their physiology shows typical mammalian size-dependent trade-offs, impacting responsiveness and resolution, especially at high speeds.

More Related Videos

Non-aversive Animal Restraint Enabling Recording of Optomotor Reflex in Ground Squirrels
07:28

Non-aversive Animal Restraint Enabling Recording of Optomotor Reflex in Ground Squirrels

Published on: July 25, 2025

Assessing Forelimb Function after Unilateral Cervical SCI using Novel Tasks: Limb Step-alternation, Postural Instability and Pasta Handling
08:11

Assessing Forelimb Function after Unilateral Cervical SCI using Novel Tasks: Limb Step-alternation, Postural Instability and Pasta Handling

Published on: September 16, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
07:08

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Non-aversive Animal Restraint Enabling Recording of Optomotor Reflex in Ground Squirrels
07:28

Non-aversive Animal Restraint Enabling Recording of Optomotor Reflex in Ground Squirrels

Published on: July 25, 2025

Assessing Forelimb Function after Unilateral Cervical SCI using Novel Tasks: Limb Step-alternation, Postural Instability and Pasta Handling
08:11

Assessing Forelimb Function after Unilateral Cervical SCI using Novel Tasks: Limb Step-alternation, Postural Instability and Pasta Handling

Published on: September 16, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Comparative physiology
  • Biomechanics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Animal survival depends on sensorimotor control.
  • Larger animals face greater challenges in sensorimotor performance due to physical constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate if giraffes possess unique physiological adaptations for sensorimotor control to compensate for extreme size.
  • Quantify sensorimotor responsiveness and resolution in giraffes.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified nerve conduction, muscle electromechanical, and force generation delays to assess responsiveness.
  • Analyzed sciatic nerve fiber number and size distribution to evaluate resolution.
  • Compared giraffe data with size-dependent trends in other mammals.

Main Results:

  • Giraffe sensorimotor physiology aligns with general trends observed in other terrestrial mammals.
  • Larger animals, including giraffes, experience increased sensorimotor delays and reduced innervation density.
  • Giraffes may face amplified delays in sensing distal stimuli due to leg length.

Conclusions:

  • Giraffes do not exhibit unique physiological solutions for sensorimotor control compared to other mammals of similar mass.
  • Extreme size and long legs present challenges for sensorimotor precision and responsiveness in giraffes, particularly during rapid movement.
  • Giraffes may rely less on feedback for precise sensory responses when moving quickly.