Normally, whenever we smell/touch/see/hear/taste anything, that information gets sent to our brain and is processed before the brain decides whether we need to respond to the information. However, in situations where something could cause harm to us, the information gets sent via the reflex arc. In this pathway the information gets processed much quicker. For example, when you touch a really hot plate and immediately recoil your hand away, as if without any thought? That message of the plate being too hot for you wizzes along this reflex arc to make you move your hand before you cause serious harm to yourself. So if we go back to the beginning, the first thing that alerts our body that we're in trouble is the temperature of the plate, AKA the stimulus. This stimulates specific surrounding receptors, which in turn fire up a Sensory neurone. All Sensory neurones transmit information TO the central nervous system (known as CNS, which is made up of the brain and the spinal cord). This special Sensory neurone speeds to the spinal cord, skipping the brain. It then passes the information to the Relay neurone, which is where the Spinal Cord speedily processes this information and in turn fires up the appropriate Motor neurone. All Motor neurones transmit information FROM the central nervous system to specific effectors. These effectors can be anything, from muscles to organs! In this case, the effector would be muscles in your hand and wrist so that you can flinch away from that hot plate!