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IRRITABILITY /
SENSITIVITY
CSEC BIOLOGY
WHAT IS IRRITABILITY (aka SENSITIVITY)?
This is the ability to detect and respond appropriately to any
changes in the environment.
It is a characteristic of life and important to survival.
It also requires the ability to always monitor one’s internal and
external environment.
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IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
STIMULUS • A change in the external or internal environment
RESPONSE • Change in the organism or part of the organism that
results from detection of the stimulus
RECEPTOR • Part of the organism that DETECTS the stimulus
• In humans, these are the sense organs
EFFECTOR • Part of the organism that RESPONDS to the stimulus
• In humans, these are muscles and glands
THE IMPORTANCE
OF IRRITABILTY
S1|
SYLLABUS REFERENCE: B7.1, B7.2
& B7.4
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SYLLABUS OBJECTIVES – S1
• [B7.1] define ‘stimulus,’ and ‘response’;
• [B7.2] describe the response of: (a) green plants to stimuli; (b) invertebrates to
variations in light intensity, temperature and moisture;
• The response of stems and roots of seedlings to light, touch and gravity
• Relate observations to the behavior of plants in natural situations
• The response of invertebrates such as millipedes, earthworms, or woodlice.
• [B7.3] define receptor and effector
• Sense organs, muscle and glands. Leaf, petiole, apical meristem.
• Examples to include reaction to hot objects and insect bites.
• [B7.4] explain why the response to stimuli is important for the survival of organisms;
• Refer to investigations with green plants and invertebrates.
OVERVIEW / CONCEPT
• Response to stimuli is important to survival, whether it involves
moving towards sources of nutrition or moving away from any
harmful thing.
• ‘Stimuli’ and ‘response’ are very specific concepts. Every
organism needs some kind of receptor to detect the stimulus, and
effectors that make an appropriate response possible.
• All organisms have this ability. However, the stimuli they respond
to, as well as how they respond, reflects the needs and complexity
of the organism.
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To Find (or Make) Food
• Plant response to light and gravity are
an example.
• The shoot grows towards a light source
and the root grows towards gravity.
To Hide from
Predators
(or from Prey)
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To Avoid Harm
Pupils constrict and dilate to
control how much light gets
into the eye.
Too much light can damage
the retinas.
Response to
Stimuli in Plants
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RECEPTORS & EFFECTORS IN PLANTS
RECEPTORS
• No specialized cells or nerve endings
• Alternatives include pigments detecting light (photoperiodism) and starch
grains detecting gravity.
EFFECTORS
• Growth regions called apical meristems. Most plant responses are
growth responses.
• Response is usually a TROPISM. That is, bending towards or away from the
stimulus.
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EXPERIMENTS INVESTIGATING
TROPISM
• One of the earliest experiments
investigated the bending of plant shoots
towards light. Known as phototropism.
• OBSERVATIONS:
• The shoot would bend toward the light
source if untreated or if the tips cut of
but still in contact via the agar.
• If the tip was cut off, or covered with
opaque material, the shoot would not
bend towards the light source.
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EXPERIMENTAL CONCLUSION
• Where is the receptor in the plant shoot?
• Where is the effector?
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OTHER EXPERIMENTS, OTHER RESPONSES
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THE EXCEPTIONS
• The Venus flytrap and Mimosa pudica.
• Both show rapid responses to stimuli.
• In both cases, they respond to touch.
• The Venus flytrap has tiny hairs inside
their modified leaves that are triggered
when an insect lands on it and bends
it.
• Both respond with rapid movement This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
facilitated by osmosis.
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Invertebrate
Response to
Stimuli
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Choice Chamber Experiment
• Invertebrates such as
millipedes are added to the
choice chamber and left to
move freely
• We then observe and
count how many individuals
move to which chamber.
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Why Do Invertebrates Prefer These Conditions?
• Protection from predators. They can hide in the darkness from
them.
• Molting and Growth. Humidity allows invertebrates to molt their
old exoskeletons and expand their new ones.
• Respiration. Some invertebrates, such as woodlice, have gills for
breathing. (They are related to crabs and shrimp.) Humidity is
essential for the diffusion of gases and for keeping the gills from
drying out.
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COORDINATING
RESPONSE IN
HUMANS
S2| SYLLABUS REFERENCE: B7.3 & B7.7
Includes comparison of nervous vs
endocrine systems – an overview
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SYLLABUS OBJECTIVES – S2
• [B7.7] describe the functions of the main regions of the brain;
• Cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla
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OVERVIEW / CONCEPT
• In humans, response to stimuli requires coordination. This
ensures that response to external and internal changes are
appropriate and well-timed. It also ensures that the responses are
in sync, across the entire body.
• In humans, coordination is managed by two organ systems:
nervous system and endocrine system. They produce different
types of responses to various types of stimuli. The timing of these
responses also vary significantly.
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• THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMS HANDLE THE DETECTION AND THE
COORDINATED RESPONSE TO STIMULI:
• NERVOUS SYSTEM
• ENDOCRINE (HORMONAL) SYSTEM
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NERVOUS SYSTEM ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Voluntary AND involuntary action Involuntary only
Messages are carried as electrical impulses Messages are carried by chemicals known as
HORMONES
Nerves are the transport medium and transport Blood is the transport medium, and the
network circulatory system is the transport network
Messages are transmitted rapidly Messages are transmitted slowly
Messages are carried to specific locations in the Messages are carried to generalized regions of
body, such as skeletal muscle in the arm the body, such as the reproductive organ system
Messages have an immediate effect on the body Messages affect the body over a longer period of
time. Up to months later.
Messages have a short-lived effect on the body Messages have a long-lasting effect on the body.
Up to several years.
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THE NERVOUS
SYSTEM
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THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
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PERIPHERAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Has a Sensory and Motor division
• Includes all the cranial and spinal
nerves that connect the CNS to the
rest of the body.
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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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CEREBRUM • Controls conscious thought, problem
solving, decision making, planning and
emotions
• Responsible for intelligence, memory,
learning, speech and language
• Processes visual, auditory, and other
external information
• Coordinates voluntary actions
CEREBELLUM • Controls balance and posture
• Coordinates movement
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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MEDULLA OBLONGATA Controls involuntary actions like
(BRAIN STEM) blood pressure, heart rate, breathing,
and swallowing
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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HYPOTHALAMUS • Regulates body temperature
• Regulates water balance by controlling
release of ADH by the pituitary gland
• Regulates the reproductive cycle by
controlling the release of FSH and LH by
the pituitary gland
PITUITARY GLAND Secretes a variety of hormones such as ADH,
FSH and LH.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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Interaction of Glands
• The hypothalamus is in the brain
and controls the release of
hormones from the pituitary gland.
• It is an important link between the
endocrine and nervous systems.
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THE ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM
• It releases hormones into the blood
to signal other cells to behave in
certain ways.
• It is a slow but widespread form of
communication.
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Endocrine glands
• Release hormones into the
bloodstream.
COMPONENTS • Minute concentrations are produced
and released.
OF THE • Ductless, meaning the hormones
ENDOCRINE released directly into the bloodstream
SYSTEM Hormones
• Chemicals travel through the
bloodstream and affect the activities
of cells in other parts of the body.
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THE PITUITARY GLAND
• Function:
• It secretes nine hormones that
directly regulate many body functions
and controls functions of other glands.
• Includes ADH, Growth Hormone,
Thyroid-stimulating hormone and
gonad-stimulating hormone.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
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THYROID GLAND
• Function:
• It plays a major role in regulation the
body’s metabolism.
• It releases the hormone thyroxin,
which affects tissues throughout the
body, controlling metabolic rate.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
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PANCREAS
• Function: The Insulin and Glycogen
in the Pancreas help to keep the level of
glucose in the blood stable.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
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ADRENAL GLAND
• Functions:
• The adrenal glands release
Adrenaline in the body that helps
prepare for and deal with stress.
• The hormone targets the liver, heart,
skin, lungs and alimentary canal. It
prepares the body for fight/flight
response.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
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OVARIES
• Functions:
• Pair of reproductive organs found in
women that produce eggs.
• Also secrete estrogen and
progesterone, which control ovulation
and menstruation.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
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TESTES
• Functions:
• Pair of reproductive glands that
produces sperm.
• Also secrete the hormone
testosterone, which stimulates the
development of primary and secondary
masculine characteristics.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
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NERVOUS
COORDINATION OF
RESPONSE IN HUMANS
S3| SYLLABUS REFERENCE: B7.5 & B7.6
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SYLLABUS OBJECTIVES – S3
• [B7.5] explain the relationship among the receptor, the central
nervous system and the effector;
• Emphasis on the coordinating function of the brain and spinal cord, and
the roles of sensory and motor neurons
• [B7.6] explain a simple reflex action
• Use simple flow diagrams to show the pathway along which the impulse
travels in the reflex
• Investigate changes in pupil in response to changes in light intensity,
using mirrors, or the knee jerk reflex.
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OVERVIEW / CONCEPT
• The human nervous system coordinates rapid responses to
various stimuli. In fact, some responses to specific stimuli is
‘hard-wired’ into the nervous system and is known as a reflex arc.
• Other ‘voluntary’ responses are not as rapid but have the
advantage of being adjusted according to the needs of the
moment.
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THE NERVES AND
NEURONES
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• A nerve is an organ containing a
bundle of nerve cells called neurons.
• Neurons carry electrical impulses
throughout the body.
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Parts of a Neuron
• Cell body: contains nucleus & most of the
cytoplasm
• Dendrites: projections that bring impulses
into the neuron to the cell body. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
• Axon: long projection that carries impulses
away from cell body
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Sensory Neuron
• It transmits electrical impulses to the CNS
• Long dendron, long/short axon
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Interneuron / Relay Neuron
• Links sensory and motor neurons
• Myelin sheath absent
• Located in the brain and spinal cord.
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Motor Neuron
• Carries impulses from the CNS to effectors
• Short, multiple dendrons (dendrites), long axon.
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Neuron-to-Neuron Communication
Because neurons never touch, chemical
signalers called NEUROTRANSMITTERS
must travel through the space called a
SYNAPSE between two neurons.
The message is transferred when
RECEPTORS receive the neurotransmitters.
They also ensure that impulses travel in
ONE DIRECTION ONLY, while allowing
many neurons to interconnect. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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INVOLUNTARY ACTION –
THE REFLEX
• A reflex is an involuntary response that is
processed in the spinal cord not the brain.
• Reflexes protect the body before the brain
knows what is going on. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
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