Relay neurone

There, it passes to a relay neurone, which links the incoming sensory pathway to the outgoing motor pathway. A motor neurone then carries an impulse away from the CNS to an effector. In this example, the effector is an arm muscle: it contracts, pulling the hand away.

A relay neurone is found entirely within the CNS. It passes impulses from one neurone to another within the brain or spinal cord.

Relay neurones within the central nervous system can connect incoming sensory neurones to outgoing motor neurones. This pathway shows where each component fits; how the components coordinate a complete response is considered separately.

In the spinal cord, a relay neurone passes the signal to a motor neurone. The motor neurone carries an impulse to a muscle, the effector. When the muscle contracts, the hand moves away.