CHAPTER – 7

CONTROL AND COORDINATION

Coordination : The working together of various organs (parts)
of the body of an organism in a proper manner to perform the
vital activities of life is called coordination. Through
coordination, different organs interact and complement the
functions of one another.
Stimuli : The changes in the environment to which organisms
respond and react are called stimuli. Eg. Temperature , light,
sound, smell, gravity, pressure etc.
Both plants and animals respond to stimuli but in different
ways.
Control and coordination in animals- Higher Animals can react
to stimuli in many different ways as they have evolved two
separate systems for better coordination –

• Nervous system

• Endocrine system
HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
Receptors- The specialized tips of nerve cells which help in
detecting the changes in the environment are called
receptors. They are located in our sense organs.
Stimulus Name of receptors Location

Light Photoreceptors/visual Eyes

Sound Phonoreceptors/ auditory Ears

Smell Olfactory receptors Nose

Taste Gustatory receptors Tongue

Heat/Cold Thermoreceptors Skin

NEURONS
A nerve cell or neuron is the structural and functional unit of
nervous system.
Function- conduct information from one part of the body to
another via nerve impulse
Structure of a neuron: A neuron has three prominent parts :

1. Cell body (Cyton)- contains abundant neuroplasm, large nucleus and

other organelles. Centrioles are absent. Nerve cells do not divide.

2. Dendrites (singular Dendron)- Short, branched protoplasmic

processes arising from cell body. They receive impulses and transmit
them towards the Cell body.

3. Axon – Single, long, protoplasmic process of uniform diameter arising

from cell body. Axons conduct impulses away from Cyton. Axon terminal
has synaptic knobs.

Synapse- the junction between two neurons

Types of Neurons :
1. Sensory neurons-transmit impulses from the sensory cells
(receptors) towards the Central Nervous System(brain, spinal cord)

2. Motor neurons- transmit impulses from CNS towards the muscle

cells (effectors). Effectors respond to stimuli.

3. Relay neurons- occur in the CNS and serve as links between sensory
and motor neuron
 Nerve impulse- it is a self propagated electrochemical
current that travels from one neuron to another neuron for
passing the information.

Direction of flow of impulse

Stimulus -> dendrite -> cell body-> axon -> axon terminal -> synapse
Neuromuscular junction – the area of contact between nerve endings
and a muscle fibre..
The coordination between nervous and muscular tissues cause action
 Types of Nervous Actions
a. Voluntary actions- performed under the conscious directions of the
brain . Eg.- walking, writing etc

b. Involuntary actions- for controlling and coordinating the functioning

of internal organs. Eg. – Beating of heart muscle

c. Reflex action- certain body responses which do not require deep

thinking. Spontaneous, immediate, without the will of the organism
 Types of Reflexes

i. Spinal Reflexes- reflex actions coordinated by the spinal cord. Most

of the reflex actions are spinal reflexes. Information of spinal
reflexes also goes on to reach the brain and is stored as memory.
Eg- withdrawal of hand on touching a hot plate

ii. Cerebral reflexes- reflex actions coordinated by brain

Eg- contraction of eye pupil in bright light.
 REFLEX ARC
It is the path taken by nerve impulse that controls a reflex action.

Stimuli --------à Receptor---------------à Sensory neuron----------------à

Central Nervous System(relay centre)---------à Motor neuron--------à
Effector organ
 Advantages of Reflex action:
• It enables the body to give quick responses to harmful stimuli. Thus
protecting the body.
• It minimizes overloading of brain.
• In many animals reflex arcs have evolved as efficient ways of
functioning in the absence of true thought process.
 HUMAN BRAIN
• Highly developed and is 1.2 to 1.4 kgs in weight.
• Protection of brain- it is protected by cranium.
Under the cranium, brain is covered by three layers called meninges.
Between the meninges, cerebrospinal fluid is present that acts as a
shock absorber.
• Spinal cord is protected by vertebral column.
 Parts of Brain:-
1. FORE BRAIN
> Cerebrum- has specialized areas for all sense organs, controls
movement of voluntary muscles.
> Thalamus- coordinates between spinal cord and cerebrum.
> Hypothalamus- controls body temperature, hunger, fatigue, emotions.
Secretes hormones
2. MID BRAIN
> controls reflex movements of the eye muscles, head, neck & trunk.
3. HIND BRAIN
> Cerebellum- controls precision in voluntary movements, body posture &
balance.
>Pons- regulates some aspects of respiration.
>Medulla- controls involuntary actions such as BP, salivation, rate of heart beat
, breathing etc.
HUMAN BRAIN
 CHEMICAL COORDINATION IN MAN
Need for Chemical coordination in man

Even though the messages in animals are communicated via nerve

impulses, there are some limitations to the use of nerve impulses. These
are :
• The impulses can reach only those cells which are connected by nerve
fibres.
• Nerve cells take time to rest their mechanisms before a new impulse
can be passed in them.
Thus , chemical coordination via HORMONES plays a crucial role since
hormones diffuse in blood and reach each and every cell of body.
HORMONES: These are the bio-chemical messengers that
regulate biological processes in living organisms.

Some characteristics of hormones :

• These are secreted by ductless glands known as endocrine glands.
• These are synthesized at a place away from the site of action (target
organs).
• These are poured directly into the blood.
• They are generally slow in action.
• They are highly specific and are secreted in precise quantities.
• They may accelerate or inhibit body functions.
HUMAN ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Endocrine Hormones secreted Function Disease
Gland

Pituitary Growth hormones It regulates body growth and Ø Gigantism (over secretion)
Gland development. Ø Dwarfism (under secretion)

Thyroid Thyroxine (Iodine helps in its It regulates the metabolism of Ø Goitre (Symptom swollen neck)
Gland secretion) carbohydrates, proteins and fats
in the body
Adrenal Adrenaline It is an emergency hormone
which prepares the body to meet
fear,fight or flight
Pancreas Insulin It helps in conversion of blood Ø Diabetes (deficiency of insulin,
glucose into glycogen. Thus blood glucose level rises)
regulates blood sugar level
Testis Testosterone Development of secondary sexual
characters in males

Ovary Oestrogen Development of secondary sexual

characters in females
FEED BACK MECHANISM
Carbohydrate rich meal

Glucose level rises in blood

Insulin secreted by cells of pancreas

Insulin stimulates cells to take up glucose

Glucose level falls in blood

Insulin synthesis stopped/inhibited

 COORDINATION IN PLANTS
• Plants only have chemical coordination that regulates their
movement.
• Plant movements are changes in orientation of plant parts in relation
to others like bending, twisting, elongation.
• Types of plant movements:
Ø due to growth (GROWTH MOVEMENTS)
Ø due to turgor changes (TURGOR MOVEMENTS)
 GROWTH MOVEMENTS
• Caused by unequal distribution of growth
hormones
• The size of the organ increases
• Movements are permanent or irreversible
• Generally slow movements
• Movement in plant parts either towards
stimulus (positive tropism) or away from
stimulus (negative tropism) (Directional
movement).
• Eg. Bending of shoot towards light
TURGOR MOVEMENTS
• Caused by change in turgidity of cells due to
passage of water
• No change in size
• Movements are temporary or reversible
• Generally quick movements
• The direction of response is not determined
by the direction of stimulus (non-directional).
• Eg. Folding of leaves of Mimosa pudica on
touching (touch-me-not plant).
Types of tropic movements found in plants:
• PHOTOTROPISM – The growth and movement of plant parts in response to light.
Shoots bend towards the light (positive phototropism) while roots bend away
from light (negative phototropism).
• Eg. Movement of sunflower in the direction of sun.
• GEOTROPISM- The growth and movement of plant parts in response to gravity.
Roots grow downwards (positive geotropism) while shoots grow upwards
(negative geotropism).
• HYDROTROPISM- The growth and movement of plant roots towards water or
moisture.
• CHEMOTROPISM- The growth and movement of a plant part in response to
chemical stimulus.
• Eg. – the growth of pollen tube towards the ovule in response to certain chemical
secretion from stigma.
• THIGMOTROPISM – The growth in a plant part in response to touch . In pea
plant, when tendrils come in contact with any support, it circles around the
object and thus cling to it.
 PLANT HORMONES Plants produce certain chemical substances in their
cells which stimulate plant growth (Growth Promoter). While some other
retard the growth of plants (Growth Inhibitor)

Types of Plant Hormones and their Functions:

• AUXIN – Synthesized at shoot tips. It leads to stem elongation as it promotes

cell enlargement and differentiation.
• GIBBERELLINS- helps in the growth of stem, elongation of internodal region.
• CYTOKININ- Promotes cell division, present in greater concentration in areas
of rapid cell division such as fruits and seeds, breaks dormancy, delay aging.
• ABSCISSIC ACID- It inhibits growth. Promotes falling of leaves(Abscission)
Causes wilting of leaves by stimulating stomata to close.