Coordination and responeces

Study points

Stimuli:(Stimulus: singular) changes in an organisms’

environment such as weather, fire …
Receptors: specialized part of an organisms’ body which
senses and receives the stimuli.
Effectors: The special organism’s respond to the stimuli.

Example: Muscles are effectors and they respond to a

stimulus such as touching fire by contraction/ when you smell
delicious food (stimulus) by your nose(receptor) your salivary
glands (effector) secrete saliva (water mouth).

Coordination: The way in which receptors pick up stimuli and

then pass information on to effectors.
The way between receptors and effectors must be fast and
efficient. WHY? Because animals search for food also they
want to avoid predators.

In Animals: there are 2 ways of sending information from

receptors to effectors:
1. The fastest: Nerves
2. The slowest: Hormones (Endocrine system)

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The human nerve system:

We have special cells called Neurons. They have usual
organelles but their shape is different to transfer impulses
faster.

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Cell body: consists of cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm and

dendrite (Short fibers, receive nerve impulses from other
neurons)
Axon: long, thin fibers of cytoplasm. It can be more than 1 m
long.
Myelin: is a layer of fat and protein which wrap around the
nerve fibers of active animals like mammals. There are some
narrow gaps in myelin sheath (Node of Ranvier) WHY?
Myelin insulates (stop electricity from getting in and out) the
nerve fibers so the electrical impulses have to jump from one
gap to another. As a result, the electrical impulses can be
transferred faster.

The central nervous system:

All mammals and many other animals have:
1. Central nervous system (CNS) which consists of Brain
and spinal cord. They have Neuron cells also their roles
are: coordinate the messages travelling through the
nervous system.
2. Peripheral nervous system: nervous and receptors

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Reflex Arcs:

1. Hand touches hot plate.

2. Skin as a receptor receives the dangerous stimulus.
3. Sensory neurons transfer the impulse from the hand to
spinal cord.
4. Rely neurons receive the impulses in spinal cord and
transfer them to brain.
5. Brain produces a respond then send the respond back
through the Motor neurons.
6. Motor neurons transfer the impulse to the arm’s muscle
(Triceps as the effector) to contract.
7. By the contraction of Triceps muscles the arm moves
fast to avoid the danger.

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1.Stimulus_2. sensory neurone_3. spinal cord_4. relay

neurone_5. brain_6. motor neurone_7. effector

3 types of neurons:
1. Sensory neuron: carries impulses from a sensory
receptor to spinal cord.
2. Relay neuron: Passes the impulses from spinal cord to
brain.
3. Motor neuron: passes the impulses from brain to
effectors.

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ATTENTION: NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE
NEURONES.

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Actions:
Involuntary: reflex actions
Voluntary: reading books

The knee jerk reflex: reflex action

Sharp tap under the knee(stimulus): receptors: sensory
neurons: spinal cord: relay neuron: brain: motor neuron:
muscles effector): contraction: raises the lower leg.

Synapses:

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Synaptic clefts: neurons are not connected together at the

end. There is a small gap between each pair which are called
synaptic clefts.
Synapse: A junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a
minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a
neurotransmitter.
Neurotransmitter: inside of the neurons’ axons are hundreds
of tiny vacuoles(VESICLES) which contain a chemical called
transmitter substances or Neurotransmitter.

1. Impulses received by neurons

2. Move through the Axon
3. Vesicles move to cell membrane
4. Empty their neurotransmitters into synaptic cleft
5. Neurotransmitters diffuse across tiny gaps
6. Attaches to receptors molecules of cell membrane
7. Produce nerve impulses in the second neuron
WHY SYNAPSES ARE ONE-WAY VALVES?
Nerve impulses only travel in one direction to pass the
information fast to the other neurons.

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Sense organs:
Groups of receptor cells responding to specific stimuli: light,
sound, touch, temperature, chemicals.

Eyes: vision
Ears: hearing and balance
Nose: smell
Tongue: taste
Skin: touch, temperature, pain
Receptors: can be specialized cells or ending of the sensory
neurons.