Co-ordination in human being

Some important terms

• Stimulus- The changes in the environment to which living
organisms respond are called stimuli.
• Eg :- heat, cold, sound, smell, taste, touch, pressure, gravity, water
etc.
• Living organisms respond to stimuli in the form of body movements.
• Response- the specific reaction shown by a living organism towards a
stimulus.
• Impulse- an electrical wave of excitation that travels across a neuron
and carries specific messages.
 Some important terms
In animals control and co ordination is done by the nervous system and
endocrine system.
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
a) Receptors:- are the sense organs which receive the stimuli and pass the
message to the brain or spinal cord through the sensory nerves.
Eg :- Photoreceptors in the eyes to detect light.
Phonoreceptors in the ears to detect sound. Olfactory
receptors in the nose to detect smell. Gustatory receptors in
the tongue to detect taste. Tangoreceptors in the skin to detect
touch.
b) Effectors :- are the muscles and glands which respond to the information from
the brain and spinal cord through the motor nerves.
c) Sensory nerves :- are nerves which carry information from the receptors
(sense organs) to the brain and spinal cord.
d) Motor nerves :- are nerves which carry information from the brain and spinal
cord to the effectors (muscles and glands).
 Coordination
• The working together of various organs in an organism to
produce a proper response to a stimulus is called
coordination.
• In animals control and co ordination is done by:
• Nervous system
• Endocrine system
• Control and co-ordination is brought about with the help of a
special type of cells called nerve cells or neurons.
 b) Nerve cell (Neuron) :-
• Neuron is the structural and functional unit
of the nervous system.
• It has a cell body called cyton containing a
nucleus and cytoplasm.
• It has several branched structures called
dendrites.
• It has a long nerve fibre called axon which is
covered by a protective covering called
Myelin sheath.
b) Nerve cell (Neuron) :-

• The junction between two neurons is

called synapse.
• Messages pass through the nerve cell
in the form of chemical and electrical
signals called nerve impulse.
• The dendrites receive the information
and starts a chemical reaction which
produce electrical impulse which
passes through the axon.
Transmission of messages through neurons
 Types of nerve cells/neurons
According to their function, nerve cells
are classified into three types.
1. Sensory neurons : Sensory neurons
conduct impulses from sensory organs
to the brain and the spinal cord.
2. Motor neurons : Motor neurons
conduct impulses from the brain or
spinal cord to effector organs like
muscles or glands.
3. Association neurons : Association
neurons perform the function of
integration in the nervous system.
 The human nervous system

The human nervous system is divided into the following three parts.
1. Central nervous system
2. Peripheral nervous system
3. Autonomic nervous system
 Central Nervous System or CNS
• The central nervous system consists of the
brain and spinal cord.
• The brain is the main controlling part of the
nervous system and it is safely located in the
cranial cavity.
• The spinal cord is protected by the
vertebral column.
 Meninges
In the space between the delicate central
nervous system and its bony covering are
the protective layers called the meninges.
• Cavities present in various parts of the
brain are called ‘ventricles’ whereas
the long tubular cavity of the spinal
cord is called the ‘central canal’.
• The ventricles, central canal and
spaces between the meninges are filled
with cerebro-spinal fluid.
• This fluid supplies nutrients to the
central nervous system and protects it
from shock.
 Brain
• The brain of an adult human weighs about
1300 – 1400 grams and consists of
approximately 100 billion neurons.

• The left side of our brain controls the right

side of our body and right side of our brain
controls left side of the body.

• In addition, the left side of the brain

controls our speech and conversation,
writing, logical thinking, etc. whereas the
right side controls artistic abilities.
 Parts of brain
Cerebrum :
• This is largest part of our brain and consists
of two cerebral hemispheres.
• These hemispheres are joined with each
other with the help of tough fibres and
nerve tracts.
• The cerebrum occupies two-thirds of the
brain. Hence, it is also called the large
brain.
• Its surface has deep, irregular ridges and
grooves which are called convolutions.
• Convolution increases the surface area of the
cerebrum and therefore a large number of
nerve cells can be accommodated.
Parts of brain

Cerebellum :
• This is the smaller part of the
brain situated below the
cerebrum at the back of the
cranial cavity.
• Its surface shows shallow
grooves instead of deep
convolutions.
Parts of brain
Medulla oblongata
• This is the hind-most part of
brain.
• There are two triangular swollen
structures called pyramids on
the upper side of medulla
oblongata.
• The medulla oblongata continue
downwards to the spinal cord.
Central Nervous System or CNS
Spinal cord
• The spinal cord is a part of the
central nervous system and it is
held within the vertebral column.
• It is slightly thick but gradually
tapers towards the end.
• There is a thread-like fibrous
structure at its end. It is called the
Filum terminale.
 Peripheral nervous system
The peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves
originating from the central nervous system.
These nerves connect the central nervous system with all
parts of the body. They are of two types.
A. Cranial nerves
• Nerves originating from the brain are called cranial
nerves.
• They are associated with various parts in the head,
thorax and abdomen.
• There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves.
B. Spinal nerves
• Nerves originating from the spinal cord are called
spinal nerves.
• These are associated with arms, legs, skin and some
other parts of the body.
• There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
Autonomic nervous system

The autonomous nervous

system consists of the
nerves of involuntary
organs like the heart,
lungs, stomach, etc.
It is is not under the
control of our will.
 Reflex action
Reflex action is a sudden, unconcious
and involuntary response of the
effectors to a stimulus.
Eg :- We suddenly withdraw our hand
if we suddenly touch a hot object.

In this reflex action, the nerves in the

skin (receptor) detects the heat and
passes the message through the
sensory nerves to the spinal cord.
Then the information passes through
the motor nerves to the muscles
(effector) of the hand and we
withdraw our hand.
b) Reflex arc :-
The pathway of a reflex action is called reflex arc. In a
reflex arc the stimulus is received by the receptors (sense
organs) and it passes through the sensory nerves to the
spinal cord. From the spinal cord the information passes
through the motor nerves to the effectors (muscles/glands)
for the response.

Stimulus

Receptors
Sensory nerves
(Sense organ)

Spinal cord

Effectors
Motor nerves
(Muscles/Glands)

Response
Chemical control
 Introduction
• Chemical coordination is a Type of coordination present between the
cells or different organs within the body of multicellular organisms.
• Group of cells (glands) releases specific chemicals (HORMONES)
which regulates the activities of other cell of the body.
• Hormones are chemical messengers released by glands or specialized
cells into the circulating blood and influence the function of cells at
another location in the body.
 ENDOCRINE GLANDS AND HORMONES
• Endocrine glands lack ducts and are hence, called ductless glands.
• Their secretions are called hormones.
• They secret their secretions directly into the blood.
• Hormones are non-nutrient chemicals which act as intercellular
messengers and are produced in trace amounts.
• Invertebrates possess very simple endocrine systems with few
hormones whereas a large number of chemicals act as hormones and
provide coordination in the vertebrates.