Control And Coordination

 There are two coordination systems in humans :

1. Nervous coordination system 2. Chemical coordination system.

Nervous Control System Chemical Control System

1. Consists of brain, spinal cord and nerve cells. 1. Consists of endocrine glands and their secretions.
2. Messages are transmitted in the form of electrical 2. Messages are transmitted the form of chemicals called
impulse through the nerve cells. hormones through the blood stream.
3. Coordination is very fast. 3. Coordination is too slow.

4. Effect lasts for a very short time. 4. Effect lasts for a longer time.
5. Messages can be sent only to the parts which are 5. Messages can be sent uniformly to the all parts of
connected to the nerve cells. body.

Stimulus : An external or internal agent which can make a change in our body.
Response : The change in our body due to the stimulus.
Example : We widraw our hand immediately while touching a hot pan. Hot pan is stimulus and the widrawing
hand is response.
Receptors : These are the sensory organs which receive the informations or stimuli from our surroundings. There are
five type of receptors :
1. Photoreceptors (eyes) : Detects light. 2. Phonoreceptors (ears) : Detects sound waves.

3. Thermoreceptors (skin) : Detects heat and touch. 4. Olfactory receptors (nose) : Detects smell.
5. Gustatoreceptors (tongue) : Detects taste.
● Flavor is the combination of taste and smell. So it can't be detected only by our tongue. That's why we don't feel
any flavour while closing our nose.
Effectors : Effectors are the glands and muscles which respond to an external stimulus.
Impulse : An electrical and chemical disturbance in a nerve cell produced by a stimulus.
● Flow of information within a nerve cell occurs in the form of an impulse.

Nervous Control System

● Nerve cells or neurons are the structural and functional units of nervous system.
● There are three types of neurons :
1. Sensory Neurons : Carry impulses from receptors to brain & spinal cord.
2. Motor Neurons : Carry commands from brain & spinal cord to effectors.
3. Relay Neurons : Connects both the sensory and motor neurons inside the brain & spinal cord.
Parts Of A Neuron (Nerve Cell)
1. Dendrites : Tips of these branched structures receive informations from our surroundings.
2. Cell Body (Cyton) : It consists of the nucleus.
3. Axon (Nerve Fibres) : It consists of nerve endings which transfer the information to the next neuron.
● Two neurons are not directly connected. They have a gap between the axon endings of one Neuron and the
dendrites of another neuron. This gap is called synapse.
Flow Of Information From One Neuron To Another
● Dendrites receive the information from external environment. It sets off a chemical reaction (electrical impulse)
inside the nerve cell.
● This impulse travels through the cell body and reaches to the axon endings.
● Axon endings release some chemicals.

● These chemicals crossed the synapse and start a similar electrical impulse inside the next neuron.
How Do The Effectors Work ?
Muscle cells have special proteins that change both their shape and their arrangement in the cell in response to
nervous electrical impulses. When impulses come, new arrangements of these proteins give the muscle cells a
shorter form. It results in the contraction and expansion of muscles.

Parts Of Our Nervous System

1. Central Nervous System (CNS) : It consists of brain
and spinal cord. Both of these receive the informations
from other body parts.
2. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) : It consists of the
nerves emerging from the brain and spinal cord.

 The nerves emerging from the brain are called

cranial nerves.

 The nerves emerging from the spinal cord are

called spinal nerves.
Fig. : A Nerve Cell (Neuron)

● Brain is protected by a hard bony box called cranium. A liquid named cerebrospinal fluid is found between the brain
and cranium. This fluid acts as the shock proof suspension and prevents the brain from external injury.
● Spinal cord is protected by our vertebral column (backbone).
● Spinal cord receives information from the body parts below the neck region and transfers them to brain. Brain
interprets them and commands the effectors accordingly. Thus the spinal cord acts as a mediator. This process
involves thinking which is very complicated and takes too much time.
Reflex Actions : There are some actions in aur body which do not involve thinking and to be performed
immediately without taking too much time. These actions are involuntary (not under the control of our will) and called
the reflex actions.
● Reflex actions are carried out by spinal cord and brain but they do not involve thinking.
Examples Of Reflex Actions
1. Widrawing aur hand while touching a hot pan. 2. Mouth watering on seeing a favourite dish.
3. Change in the size of eye pupil according to the amount of light. 4. Sneezing
5. Applying brakes when someone comes suddenly in front of your bike.
Reflex Arc : A shortest pathway for an impulse to travel from the receptor to the effector via central nervous
system is called a reflex arc.
Pathway Of A Reflex Arc

Stimulus ⟶ Receptor ⟶ Sensory Neuron ⟶ Relay Neuron (in spinal cord) ⟶ Motor Neuron ⟶ Effector ⟶ Response

Three Parts Of The Brain

1. Fore Brain : It is the largest part of brain which consists
of cerebrum and diencephalon (thalamus &
hypothalamus).

a) Cerebrum : It is the seat of intelligence, critical thinking

and problem solving. Responsible for seeing, hearing,
breathing, smell and hunger. Gives the commands for
voluntary actions.
b) Thalamus : It relays the stimulus related to the pain
and pressure.
Fig. : Reflex Arc c) Hypothalamus : It stimulates the pituitary gland
(master gland) to release the tropic hormones. It
regulates the body temperature.

2. Hind Brain : Located just below the forebrain. It consists of cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata.
a) Cerebellum (little brain) : It maintains the body balance, posture and coordination among the voluntary
muscles (precision of voluntary actions). Alcohol (wine) affects this part of the brain therefore the drinker walks
clumsily.
b) Pons : It connects brain with spinal cord and handles the unconscious processes like sleep and wake cycle.
c) Medulla Oblongata : It controls all the involuntary actions like heart beat, digestion, filtration of blood,
salivation, blood pressure and vomiting. It is the center of cellular respiration. Injury in medulla oblongata leads to the
failure of internal organs that results in death.
3. Mid Brain : It connects the forebrain and hind brain and transfers the informations between them.

Endocrine Control System

Glands : Glands are the organs which secret the
chemicals like digestive juice, enzymes, sweat and saliva.
There are two type of glands in human body :
1. Exocrine Glands : These glands convey their secretions
to the target organs through the ducts. Sweat glands,
mammary glands, gastric glands, salivary glands,
pancreas, liver (largest gland) are some examples of
exocrine glands.
2. Endocrine Glands (ductless glands): These glands
release their secretions directly into the blood stream.
Fig. : Human Brain Pituitary, thoiroid, pancreas, adrenal and gonads (testis &
ovary) are some examples of endocrine glands.

● The chemicals secreted by endocrine glands are called hormones. Their site of production is away from the site of
action.
● Pancreas is both exocrine as well as endocrine gland.
Note : Syllabus only includes the study of endocrine glands.
Endocrine Glands Location Hormones Functions

1. Pituitary Gland Forebrain below the hypothalamus Growth hormones and 1. Regulates the body growth.
(pea shaped) tropic hormones
2. Stimulates other glands to
secret hormones.

2. Thyroid gland In throat Thyroxin hormone Regulates the fat and protein
(butterfly shaped) metabolism.

3. Pancreas Behind the stomach Insulin Regulates the sugar level in

blood.

4. Adrenal gland Located on the top of both kidneys. Adrenaline hormone Prepares the body for fight,
flight (run) and emergency
situations.

5. Gonads Primary reproductive organs a) Testis : a) Secondary sexual characters

Testosterone (male (change in physical features)
a) Testis in males
sex hormone) during the puberty.
b) Ovaries in
b) Secondary sexual characters,
females
development of reproductive
organs and the regulation of
b) Ovaries : Oestrogen menstrual cycle.
(female sex hormone)

 Pituitary gland is also known as the master gland as the tropic hormones released by it stimulate the other
glands to secret the hormones.

 Iodine is an essential mineral for the production of thyroxin hormone. We involve iodine in our diet by using
iodised salt. Deficiency of iodine affects the production of thyroxin which leads to the swelling of thyroid
gland in neck region. This situation is known as goitre.

 If pancreas fails to release the proper amount of insulin, the sugar level in blood rises up. It leads to a disease
called diabetes. The patient of diabetes are suggested to take very less sugar in their diet. The patients are
treated by the injections of insulin.

 Over secretion of growth hormones by pituitary glands leads to the gigantism while the less secretion leads
to the dwarfism.

 Adrenaline hormone is called emergency hormone as it prepares our body for emergency situations like fight
and flight.
When squirrel feels scary, it runs very fast due to the secretion of endrenaline hormone.
Effects Of Adrenaline On Our Body

 Heart beat and the breathing rate become faster to supply the more oxygen to our muscles.

 Breathing rate increases due to the contraction of diaphragm and rib muscles.

 Muscles of around the arteries contract. It reduces the blood in skin and the digestive system and diverts its
paths to the muscles.

 Liver releases more sugar in blood to give energy.

Feedback Mechanism

Both the hyper secretion (high amount) and the hypo secretion (low amount) of hormones lead to the serious
consequences. Therefore it is important for the hormones to be secreted in appropriate amount at the right time.
The amount and the time of hormonal secretion is regulated by a mechanism called feedback mechanism.

Chemical Coordination In Plants

Plants do not have the nervous control system as they do not need any immediate response to the external
environment. They coordinate with the help of some chemicals called phytohormones (plant hormones).
There are two types of phytohormones :

1. Growth Promoting Or Stimulating Hormones : These hormones increase the growth of various plant parts and
delay aging.
Examples : Auxins, Cytokinin, Gibberellin
2. Growth Regarding Or Inhibiting Hormones : These hormones stops the growth of plants parts and promote the
fruit ripening, aging, wilting and falling of leaves.
Example : Abscisic acid (ABA)

Phyto Hormones Production Site Functions

1. Auxins In apical meristematic tissue (tip of Promotes stem growth by cell elongation,
leaves and stem) remains in shady part (never faces the
sunlight). Responsible for the bending of
sunflower.

2. Cytokinin In apical meristematic tissue Promotes the growth of fruits and seeds by cell
division

3. Gibberellin In roots Promotes the growth of stem.

4. Abscicic Acid (ABA) : In Roots Slows down the metabolism, stops the growth
Growth retarding hormone of plant parts, ripening of fruits, wilting and
falling of leaves.

Tropic Movements In Plants

● Plants are not locomotive (move place to place) like animals, but they show other type of movements like twisting
and bending.
There are two types of movements in plants :
1. Growth Independent or Nastic Movements : These movements do not involve the growth of plant parts. These
movements are non directional. These movements are carried out by regulating the amount of water in different
plant parts.
Example : Folding of the leaves of the mimosa pudica (sensitive plant).
2. Growth Dependent or Tropic Movements : Most of these movements involve the growth of plant parts. These
movements are directional.
Example : Bending of sunflower, growth of roots, twisting of tendrils around the support etc.
There are two types of tropism :
1. Positive Tropism : Growth of a plant part towards the stimulus.
 2. Negative Tropism : Growth of a plant part away from the stimulus.

Tropic Movement Stimulus Example Of +ve Example Of –ve Tropism

Tropism

1. Phototropism Sunlight Growth of shoot Growth of roots away from the

towards the sunlight sunlight

2. Geotropism Earth gravity Growth of roots Growth of shoot away from the
towards the gravity gravity

3. Hydrotropism Water Growth of roots Growth of shoot away from the

towards the water water source
source

4. Thigmotropism Touch or support Growth of tendrils ...................

towards the support

5. Chemotropism Chemicals like sugar Growth of pollen tube .....................

towards the ovary
during the fertilisation.

Q. How do the tendrils coil around the support ?

the part of the tendril in contact with the object does not grow as rapidly as the part of the tendril away from the
object.This causes the tendril to circle around the object.
Q. How does the sunflower bend towards the sunlight ?
When light is coming from one side of the plant, auxin diffuses towards the shady side of the shoot. This
concentration of auxin stimulates the cells to grow longer on the side of the shoot which is away from light. Thus, the
plant appears to bend towards light.