ABSTRACT
Charles Scott Sherrington's greatest legacy to neuroscience was his elucidation of the spinal reflex – work that led him to recognise the importance of inhibition in neuronal function, discover proprioception and identify the synapse as the site where nerve cells interact. Sherrington began examining the patella reflex, otherwise known as the knee jerk, which is produced by tapping the tendon below the kneecap – a test routinely used by doctors to assess the health of the nervous system. Sherrington first identified the spinal roots that mediated the patellar reflex and then severed their nerve pathways that relayed information to and from the leg muscles. Sherrington deduced that the knee jerk must involve two motor neurons: one producing excitation of the quadriceps and the other causing inhibition of the hamstrings. To identify the destination of the motor nerves, Sherrington typically anaesthetised an animal and used a mild electric current to stimulate the ventral roots.
