SCIENCE 10 HANDOUT| NERVOUS SYSTEM AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

The Nervous System controls and coordinates the activities of all your body parts. All actions and
thoughts are coordinated with the different complex organs and nerves which enables us to
receive stimuli and respond to these stimuli. The Central Nervous System (CNS) receives
information from the sense organs, interprets this information, and generates responses. The CNS
consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) connects the
Central Nervous System (CNS) to the other parts of the body. The PNS consists of the different
types of nerves. Cranial nerves are nerves that are directly connected to the brain. Spinal nerves,
on the other hand, are nerves that are connected to the spinal cord. These nerves always go in
pairs. The PNS has two divisions: Somatic Nervous System and Autonomic Nervous System.
Somatic Nervous System is responsible for actions that we can control or actions we are
conscious of. The Autonomic Nervous System, on the other hand, are responsible for the
involuntary functions of our body.
The Brain
Your brain is the control center of our body. It is responsible for our learning, thinking,
remembering, monitoring our surroundings, interpreting stimulus, and responding to it.

The Endocrine System is composed of many glands that secrete chemical messengers called
hormones to the blood vessels to regulate the different activities of the body. Remember that
Nervous System also regulates and controls life functions. However, Nervous System transmits
messages by electrical signals that pass-through neurons. Moreover, there is this one particular part
of the brain where the Nervous System and Endocrine System shake hands—this is the
hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a small gland located at the base of the brain. It regulates the
activities of the body, metabolism and reproduction.
Homeostasis is the maintenance of internal balance in an organism despite changes in the
environment. This mechanism is responsible for regulation and maintenance of the internal
environment of our body. Communicating systems of the body responds immediately to change
from different conditions or internal environment. Since the Nervous System and Endocrine System
are both carrying information to all parts of the body, they are considered as the communicating
systems. Through nerve impulse and hormones, they dictate to the target cell or organs in the body
how to respond with internal and external changes.

There are so many factors in our body that should be maintained to a “set-point” or normal levels
like our temperature, fluids, nutrients and more. Feedback mechanisms help keep these things
balanced (homeostasis). These are negative feedback and positive feedback loops. Negative
Feedback is a control system that reduces or even stops the body from producing change when
favorable or stable conditions are met. On the other hand, Positive Feedback is a control system
that causes the end products of an action to produce more of that action to occur in the feedback
loop.
To maintain homeostasis, coordination between the nervous system and the endocrine system is
essential.
PARTS OF THE FEEDBACK LOOP
1. Stimulus – something that disrupts the body’s homeostasis.
2. Sensor – detects the change in homeostasis.
3. Control Center – part of the body that responds to the change and takes action. The pituitary
gland in the brain is the control center.
4. Effector – any organ or cell that ultimately responds to the stimulus.
5. Response – a response from the effector balances out the original stimulus to maintain
homeostasis.