MODULE 2 : BODY COORDINATION

CHAPTER REVIEW

1. Body coordination is the working together of different parts of the body so that the
body can carry out an activity or function correctly and efficiently.
2. Body coordination is controlled by two systems in the body:
(a) The nervous system
(b) The endocrine system
3. The nervous system has a network of nerves connected to the brain.
4. The endocrine system coordinates body functions by producing and sending out
hormones.
5. The nervous system works together with the endocrine system to coordinate body
activities and functions. This coordination is essential for the body to function
efficiently as one organism.
6. The nervous system may be divided into two main parts:
a. the central nervous system
b. the peripheral nervous system
7. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. It is the
center for receiving nervous impulses from the sensory organs, interpreting them and
deciding on the responses.
8. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves from the brain (cranial nerves) and
the spinal cord (spinal nerves).
9. The peripheral nervous system may be divided into two main systems, namely:
i. the somatic (body) nervous system
ii. the autonomic nervous system
10. The somatic nervous system consists of cranial nerves and spinal nerves. This
system controls voluntary actions (e.g. writing, playing)
11. The autonomic nervous system consists of nerves from the internal organs (e.g.
heart, kidneys) and the glands. This system controls involuntary actions such as the
beating of heart and digestion.
12. Neurones (nerve cells) receive and transmit nervous impulses.
13. Neurones are classified into three types, namely:
a) Sensory neurones
Transmit impulses from a sensory organ (receptor) to the central nervous system
(brain or spinal cord).
b) Motor neurones
Transmit impulses from the central nervous system to the effectors (muscles or
glands).
c) Relay neurons
Transmit impulses from the sensory neurones to the motor neurons only. They
are found in the brain and the spinal cord only.
14. Nervous coordination is the process of the body receiving stimuli, sending the
information as impulses to the central nervous system and responding to the stimuli.
15. The stimuli are detected by receptors in the body.
16. The reaction to a stimulus is called a response. A response may be in the form of
movement, caused by muscles. A response may also be in the form of secretions,
produced by glands.
17. The muscles or the glands which respond to stimuli are called the effectors.
18. A reflex action is defined as a quick, automatic response to a stimulus. Reflex
actions are protective actions; they are quick actions that protect us from injury.

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19. The nervous pathway of a reflex action forms a reflex arc:

Receptor  sensory neurone  spinal cord  motor neurone  effector

20. Proprioceptors are stretch receptors in the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the
body.
21. These stretch receptors act as internal sensory organs and enable us to carry out
muscular activities without having to watch them.
22. The sense that helps us to detect position and movement of the limbs by using
proprioceptors is known as the kinaesthetic sense.
23. The three main parts of the brain are the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla
oblongata.
24. Cerebrum is the center of intellect. It controls all our voluntary actions.
25. Cerebellum controls movement and maintaining balance during movement.
26. The medulla oblongata controls all our involuntary actions.
27. A voluntary action is a body activity that can be controlled by the conscious mind
e.g. writing, dancing and reading.
28. The nervous pathway for a voluntary action is as follows:

Receptor Spinal cord Cerebrum Effector

29. An involuntary action is a body activity that cannot be controlled by the conscious
mind, e.g. beating of the heart, sweating and digestion of food.

Receptor Spinal cord Medulla oblongata

Effector

30. Hormones are chemicals produced by endocrine glands to control and regulate
body activities.
31. Endocrine glands are ductless glands that secrete hormones.
32. The main endocrine glands in our body are the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland,
the adrenal gland, pancreas, the ovary and testis.
33. Hormonal imbalance can negatively affect one’s health.
34. Drugs are chemicals that can affect our nervous system.
35. Some drugs are very dangerous because they are addictive, have violent withdrawal
symptoms and produce hallucination.
36. Drug abuse means the misuse of drugs without doctor’s prescriptions.
37. Drug abuse can affect body coordination and health.
38. Alcoholic drinks are drinks that contain ethanol, a type of alcohol. They affect our
nervous system; slow our reaction and causes drunkenness.
39. Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage our organs such as the stomach,
liver and heart.
40. The mind of a person (the ability to think, feel and imagine things) is affected by
factors such as hormonal imbalance, the use of alcohol and drugs, stress and brain
injury.

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41. Comparison of nervous coordination with hormonal coordination

Nervous coordination Hormonal coordination

Similarities
 Respond to stimuli
 Coordinate the body’s activities and
functions
 Have target organs

Differences

Consists of the brain, the Components Consists of endocrine or

spinal cord and nerves
Electrochemical impulses
are sent through nerves
Impulses target a small
area such as muscles or
glands
Very fast through nerves
Response to impulses is
immediate
The effect of the impulses
lasts a short while
ductless glands
How impulse is sent Chemical impulses in the
form of hormones are sent
through the blood
Target Impulses target a large
area such as a system or
the whole body
Speed of impulse Very slow, carried by the
blood
Response Response to impulses
(hormones) is very slow
Length of effect The effect of impulses
lasts a very long time

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ACTIVITY 1

The figure below shows a neurone.

a) i) Name the neurone

ii) State its function.

b) Name the parts labelled X and Y.

X:

Y:

c) Name the effector shown in the figure above.

d) How does the effector respond to an impulse from the brain?

e) What other parts of the body also act as effectors?

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ACTIVITY 2

The figure below shows a vertical section through the human brain.
.

a) Name the parts labelled X and Y.

X: Y:

b) State the main function of each part.

X:

Y:

c) The surface of the brain is folded. What is the advantage of this?

d) Name a nerve that connects a sense organ directly to the brain.

e) What is present in the space marked P?

f) The brain requires two essential substances in order to function. Name them.

i)

ii)

g) What happens if the brain does not get enough of the substances in (f) (i) and (ii)?

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ACTIVITY 3
Figure 3 shows the human muscle

Proprioceptor
P

Muscle fibre

Figure 3
a) Name structure P.

b) Explain the functions of structure P.

i)

ii)

c) State the sensory system that involves structure P and state the function of the
system.

d) Why a cable walker is an example of the sensory system you mentioned in (c)?

ACTIVITY 4

Figure 4 shows the endocrine glands in a female body.

Figure 4

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a) Name the endocrine glands labelled P, Q, R, S and T.

P:

Q:

R:

S:

T:

b) How do these glands respond to nervous impulses from the central nervous system?

c) i) Which gland is called the master gland?

ii) Why is it so called?

d) State one effect on the body if the gland marked S does not produce enough of its
hormones.

e) State one likely effect on a pregnant woman if her glands marked T do not produced
enough of the hormone progesterone.

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ACTIVITY 5
Figure 5 shows an experiment carried out on three rats to study the effect of alcohol on
their pulse rate.

Figure 5
Each rat is fed with 5 cm3 wine of different concentration of alcohol and its pulse rate is
taken with an electronic pulse detector fixed around the base of the tail. The pulse rates
are recorded in table 1.

Rat A B C
Alcohol concentration/ % 5 10 15
Pulse or heart rate per minute 102 115 126

a) What is the hypothesis of this experiment?

[ 1 mark ]
b) Which rat is most affected by the alcohol?

[ 1 mark ]
c) How does the alcohol cause the increase in the pulse rate or heart beat?

[ 1 mark ]
d) What is the manipulated variable in the experiment?

[ 1 mark ]
e) What is the fixed variable in the experiment?

[ 1 mark ]

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ASSESSMENT

SECTION A: OBJECTIVE

1. Nervous coordination in the body enables the body to carry out the following.
I Receiving and responding to stimuli
II Detecting changes in the environment
III Performing activities such as riding a bicycle
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III

2.
P: Receptor
Q: Effector
R: Motor Neurone
S: Relay Neurone
T: Sensory Neurone
A normal nervous impulse passes through the parts named above. Which is the correct
order?
A. Q, T, R, S, P
B. T, P, S, Q, R
C. P, T, S, R, Q
D. Q, S, T, R, P

3. Among the following, which does not involve the action of proprioceptors?
A. Doing the skip jumping
B. Buttoning your shirt without looking at it.
C. Estimating the weight of a mango.
D. Observing the view around

4.
Receptor cerebrum  effector

Which of the following will have a nervous pathway as shown in the above flow chart?
A. Reflex action
B. Conditioned reflex action
C. Involuntary action
D. Voluntary action

5. The figure shows an endocrine gland.

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If this gland does not produce enough hormones, the person is most likely to suffer from
A. Hypertension
B. Hepatitis B
C. Diabetes mellitus
D. Heart disease

6. Why is the surface of the cerebellum highly folded?

A. To provide more nutrients
B. To house more neurons
C. To speed up the transmission of impulses
D. To protect the brain from injuries

7. Which of the following comparisons is true about the nervous coordination and
hormonal coordination?
Nervous coordination Hormonal coordination
A The transmission of messages is slow The transmission of messages is
rapid
B Affected area is localised Affected area is widespread
C The effect is permanent The effect is temporary
D The destinations of messages are The destinations of messages are
target organs effectors

8. Hormones that control secondary sexual characteristics in a woman include

I Oestrogen
II Testosterone
III Progesterone
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III .

9. Which use of drugs stated below is not considered as drug abuse?

A. To become more active and alert
B. To increase sexual desire and performance
C. To escape from worries and stress
D. To get rid of a bacterial infection

10. Which of the following health disorders is least likely to be due to excessive drinking
of alcohol?
A. Cirrhosis
B. Gastroenteritis
C. Bird flu
D. Addiction

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SECTION B: STRUCTURE

1.
A study of the profile of drug addicts in Malaysia according to their age was conducted
from 1976 to 1990. Table 1 shows the data collected in the study.

Age group (years) ≤ 20 21 - 25 26 - 30 31- 35 36 - 40 41- 45 ≥ 46

Percentage of addicts 15.0 32.5 21.6 3.4 2.2 1.8

Table 1
Percentage of addicts (%)

a) Complete the table by determining the percentage of addicts for the age group 21 –
25 years old.
b) Draw a histogram on the graph below to show the percentage of drug addicts
according to age group.

Age group (years)

c) Which age group has the most drug addicts?

d) Give two possible reasons to explain this.

i)

ii)

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2. Figure 2 shows the reflex arc for a reflex action.

Figure 2

a) Name the parts labelled X, Y and Z.

X :

Y :

Z :

b) Draw arrows in the diagram to show the path of the impulse passing through the
reflex arc.

c) Why do we feel pain only after we pull our finger away from the needle?

d) What is the importance of reflex actions?

e) Complete the flow chart below to show the path of an impulse when a reflex action
occurs.

Receptor Impulse (i) (ii) (iii)

(v) (iv)
Muscles

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SECTION C: ESSAY

1.
A researcher wants to find out how many upper secondary students have
over production of hormone from the thyroid gland. He takes a small
sample of blood from each student, adds a dye to the serum and reads
the hormone concentration (µg/ litre) in a special instrument. He takes ten
samples from each school.

a) Based on above statements, write one suitable hypothesis on the investigation.

[ 1 mark ]

b) Describe an experiment to test your hypothesis on a group of rats. Your description

should include the following:

i) Aim of the experiment [ 1 mark ]

ii) Identification of variables [ 3 marks ]

iii) List of apparatus and materials [ 1 mark ]
iv) Method [ 3 marks ]
v) How to tabulate the data [ 1 mark ]
vi) Conclusion [ 1 mark ]

2.
a) State four differences between nervous coordination and hormonal coordination.
[ 4 marks ]
b) Figure 3 shows several processes that take place in our body.

Growth Development of secondary

sexual characteristics

Coordination

Conversion of glucose
into glycogen Metabolism

Figure 3

Study the above processes. Explain how you would develop a concept based on the
information in figure 3. Your explanation of the concept should include the following.
i) Identify two common characteristics
ii) Develop initial concept
iii) Give other examples and non examples in relation to the concept
iv) Explain the actual concept.

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ANSWERS

ACTIVITY 1

a) i) motor neurone

ii) transmits nervous impulses from the brain or the spinal cord to an effector

b) i ) X : axon
Y : dendrite

c) muscle

d) by contracting or relaxing

e) endocrine glands

ACTIVITY 2

a. X: medulla oblongata
Y: cerebellum

b. X: controls involuntary actions such as heartbeat

Y: controls body balance

c. It gives a larger area to hold grey matter

d. optic nerve/ auditory nerve/ olfactory nerve

e. spinal fluid

f. i) oxygen
ii) glucose

g. The person will faint

ACTIVITY 3

a. Sensory neurone
b. i) it receives impulses from the receptor.
ii) It sends impulse to the brain
c. The sensory system is the sense of balance. It controls the posture and balance of
the body.
d. It involves a good sense of balance and coordination of many muscles to walk on
such small cable.

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ACTIVITY 4

a) P: pituitary gland
Q: thyroid gland
R: adrenal glands
S: pancreas
T: ovaries
b) By secreting hormones into the bloodstream.

c) i. Pituitary gland
ii. Its hormones control the functions of other endocrine glands such as the ovaries.

d) Blood glucose in the body will be very high/The person may suffer from diabetes
mellitus

e) It may cause the foetus to be aborted.

ACTIVITY 5

a) Alcohol increases pulse or heart rate

b) C

c) This is done through the nervous and endocrine (hormonal) system

d) The different concentration of alcohol

e) The same size of rats involved

SECTION A: OBJECTIVE

1. D
2. C
3. D
4. D
5. C
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. D
10. C

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SECTION B: STRUCTURE

Percentage of addicts (%)

1.a. 23.5

b.

35

30

25

20

15

10

20 21-25 26–30 31-35 36-40 41-45 ≥ 46 Age group (years)

c. 26 -30

d. i) Desire to know/ Desire to try drugs

ii) Influence of friends/Lack of attention of parents/Ignorance of danger of drugs

2.a) X : sensory neurone

Y : synapse
Z : motor neurone
b)

c) The reflex action does not involve the brain

d) To avoid injury
e) i) sensory neurone
ii) synapse
iii) relay neurone
iv) synapse

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 v) motor neurone
SECTION C: ESSAY

1) a) Some upper secondary students have high thyroxin concentration in their blood

b) I) To determine the blood thyroxin concentration of rats. [1m]

ii) Fixed Variable : Volume of blood taken [Im]
Responding variable: Blood thyroxin concentration. [1m]
Manipulated variable : Different rat [1m]
iii) Instrument to determine blood thyroxin, dye, small test tube, sterilized blades
and alcohol
v) Method
 Blood is taken from each rat by sterilizing the tale end and it is cut with a
blade
 Serum is obtained from the blood and dye is added into the serum
 The serum is then put into an instrument to read the concentration of
thyroxin [3m]

v)
Rats Blood thyroxin (g/ Litre of serum)
Rat no. 1
“
Rat no. 10
[1m]
vi) Some rats have low/ high blood thyroxin concentration. [1m]

3. a)
Nervous coordination Hormonal coordination
Involves nerves Involves endocrine glands
Message in the form of electrical Messages are in the form of chemical
impulses substances
Carried by neurons Carried by blood
The speed of transmission is rapid The speed of transmission is relatively
slower
The duration of effect is temporary The duration of effect is longer/ lasting

b)
Common characteristic  Processes happen over a long
period
 Processes controlled by hormones
Initial Concept Processes happen over a long period are
controlled by hormones
Other examples - Breezing rate/ heart beat
Non-examples - Writing/ dancing
Actual concept Hormonal coordination is the regulation
of body activities by hormones

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