Science Common Sense

1594 - How do animals respond to stimuli.

Animals respond to stimuli through their nervous system. Here's how:

1. Stimulus: Something happens, like a loud noise, a tasty smell, or a predator's presence.
2. Sensors: Special parts of the animal's body, like eyes, ears, or nose, detect the stimulus.
3. Nerve cells: The sensors send messages to nerve cells, which carry the information to the brain.
4. Brain: The brain decides what to do, like "run away" or "eat the food."
5. Muscles: The brain sends messages to muscles, which move to respond to the stimulus.

For example, if a dog sees its owner with a treat, its eyes detect the stimulus (the treat), the message goes to the brain, and the brain says "sit and eat the treat." The muscles in the dog's legs and mouth move to sit and eat the treat.

It's kind of like a little decision-making process that happens really fast, all the time, in all living creatures!