General anatomy and histology: Golgi tendon organ: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · General anatomy and histology: Golgi tendon organ

Sample item

During a very heavy lift, muscle contraction suddenly relaxes to protect the tendon. Which receptor, lying in series with muscle fibres at the musculotendinous junction and carried by Ib afferents, mediates this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Golgi tendon organ

The Golgi tendon organ lies in series with the muscle and senses tension. Its Ib afferents inhibit the contracting muscle through an inhibitory interneuron, called autogenic inhibition. Muscle spindles lie in parallel and sense length.

Option by option

  • A. Pacinian corpuscle

    It detects vibration in the dermis and does not protect tendons from overload.

  • B. Golgi tendon organ (correct)

    Correct. It lies in series with the muscle, senses tension and inhibits the same muscle.

  • C. Ruffini ending

    It signals skin stretch and is not the receptor at the muscle-tendon junction.

  • D. Muscle spindle

    It lies in parallel with extrafusal fibres and detects length through Ia and II afferents.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is B, Golgi tendon organ. The Golgi tendon organ lies in series with the muscle and senses tension.

Why is "Pacinian corpuscle" not the answer?

It detects vibration in the dermis and does not protect tendons from overload.

Why is "Ruffini ending" not the answer?

It signals skin stretch and is not the receptor at the muscle-tendon junction.

Why is "Muscle spindle" not the answer?

It lies in parallel with extrafusal fibres and detects length through Ia and II afferents.

What concept does this question test?

It tests General anatomy and histology: Golgi tendon organ in Anatomy. Its Ib afferents inhibit the contracting muscle through an inhibitory interneuron, called autogenic inhibition. Muscle spindles lie in parallel and sense length.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study General anatomy and histology: Golgi tendon organ?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.