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How does our body know to do a reflex action in some situation?
Reflex actions are  defined as any action that the body performs unconsciously. There are several different kinds of reflex actions, including some that are responses to external stimuli and others that regulate body organs and functions.

Many reflex actions happen in response to external stimuli, and most of these actually work without any involvement from a person’s brain.
 
For example, if a person touches a hot object he will withdraw his hand immediately. This happens because the nerve signal from the injury travels through the body—when it reaches the spinal cord, it triggers an automatic response before the brain can ever get involved. The spinal cord reacts by sending back another signal that causes the person to automatically pull his hand away from the hot object.


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