orienting reflex

orienting reflex definition - medical

o·ri·en·ting reflex (ôrˈē-ĕnˌtĭng)

noun
An aspect of responding to environmental stimuli in which an organism's initial response to a change or novel stimulus makes the organism more sensitive to the stimulation, as when the pupil of the eye dilates in response to dim light. Also called orienting response.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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