Righting reflex
Encyclopedia
The righting reflex is a reflex
Reflex
A reflex action, also known as a reflex, is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. A true reflex is a behavior which is mediated via the reflex arc; this does not apply to casual uses of the term 'reflex'.-See also:...

 that occurs when the body of an animal becomes inverted. It causes the body to turn around so that the animal is on its feet. The reflex may occur in the cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is a sheet of neural tissue that is outermost to the cerebrum of the mammalian brain. It plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. It is constituted of up to six horizontal layers, each of which has a different...

, via visual cues, or in the midbrain via the labyrinthine
Labyrinthine righting reflex
The labyrinthine righting reflex is a reflex that is initiated after the vestibular apparatus has sensed that the body is not erect. The reflex acts to restore the body to the standing posture. The reflex is initiated by the head, wherein it moves back into position, and the rest of the body follows....

 or proprioception
Proprioception
Proprioception , from Latin proprius, meaning "one's own" and perception, is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement...

cues. The reflex can be affected by alcohol consumption.
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