29.

1 How Organ Systems Communicate

KEY CONCEPT
The nervous system and the endocrine system
provide the means by which organ systems
communicate.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The body’s communication systems help maintain
homeostasis.
• A stimulus causes a response.
– Responses can be chemical, cellular, or behavioral.
– The nervous and endocrine systems respond to stimuli.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The nervous system controls

thoughts, movement, and
emotion.
• The endocrine system controls
growth, development, and
digestion.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The nervous and endocrine systems have different
methods and rates of communication.
• The nervous system works quickly, using chemical and
electrical signals.
– interconnected network of
cells
– signals move through cells
– divided into central nervous
system (CNS) and peripheral
spinal
nervous system (PNS) chord
nerves
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The endocrine system works more slowly.

– only chemical signals
– signals move through bloodstream
– physically unconnected organs

target cell
hormone

bloodstream

receptor
not a target cell
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
KEY CONCEPT
The senses detect the internal and external environments.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The senses help to maintain homeostasis.
• Senses gather stimuli, and send
it to the nervous system.
• Nervous system responds to
stimuli.
– Pupils shrink when too much
light enters the eyes.
– Goose bumps when cold air
touches skin.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

The senses detect physical and chemical stimuli.

• The eye contributes to vision.
– Photoreceptors sense light.
– Two photoreceptors work
together: rod cells and cone
cells.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The ear contributes to hearing.

– mechanoreceptors called hair cells
– bend in response to vibrations
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• Taste and smell use chemoreceptors.

– Taste uses tongue, and smell uses nose.

– Chemoreceptors detect chemicals dissolved in fluid.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The skin senses touch.

– Mechanoreceptors detect pressure.

– Pain receptors detect damaged tissue.

– Thermoreceptors detect temperature.

pain receptor

light pressure receptor

hair follicle

heavy pressure receptor

29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
KEY CONCEPT
The central nervous system interprets information, and the peripheral nervous system gathers and
transmits information.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The nervous system’s two parts work together.
• The CNS includes the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord.
• The PNS includes four systems of nerves.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The CNS and PNS pass signals between one another.

– Sensory receptor generates impulse.
– PNS passes impulse to CNS.
– CNS interprets impulse.
– CNS passes impulse to PNS.
– PNS stimulates a response.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The CNS processes information.
• The brain has three parts.
– cerebrum controls
thought, movement,
emotion
– cerebellum allows for
balance
– brain stem controls basic life
functions

midbrain
Brain pons
stem medulla
oblongata
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The brain stem has three parts.

– midbrain controls some reflexes
– pons regulates breathing
– medulla oblongata controls heart function, midbrain
swallowing, coughing
pons
medulla
oblongata
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• The spinal cord controls reflexes.

– sensory neuron sends impulse to spinal cord
– spinal cord directs impulse to motor neuron
– does not involve the brain

interneuron

motor neurons

sensory neuron
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The PNS links the CNS to muscles and other organs.
• The somatic nervous system regulates voluntary
movements.
• The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary,
functions
– sympathetic nervous system: “fight vs. flight”

– parasympathetic nervous system: calms

the body, conserves energy
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
KEY CONCEPT
The endocrine system produces hormones that affect growth, development, and homeostasis.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
Hormones influence a cell’s activities by entering the cell
or binding to its membrane.
• Glands are organs of the
endocrine system.
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• Hormones are chemical signals that influence cell’s

activities.
– produced by glands
– travel through the circulatory system
– affects cells with matching receptors

target cell

hormone

bloodstream

receptor
not a target cell
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• There are steroid hormones and nonsteroid hormones.

– Steroid hormones enter the cell.
– Nonsteroid hormones do not enter the cell.

Steroid hormone
Steroid hormone Non-steroid
diffuses through the Nonsteroid
cell membrane hormone binds to hormone
receptor on the
cell membrane.

receptor
Steroid hormone
binds to a receptor Receptor stimulates
within the cell.
receptor a second messenger
with in the cell.
second
messenger
nucleus Second messenger
The hormone and starts a series of
receptor enter the chemical reactions in
nucleus and bind the cytoplasm. Chemical
to DNA
reactions
DNA
Steroid hormone
causes DNA to Second messenger
make proteins. reactions activate
enzymes.
activated
proteins enzymes
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
Endocrine glands secrete hormones that act throughout
the body.
• There are many glands located throughout the body.

HYPOTHALAMUS
PITUITARY
THYROID

THYMUS
ADRENAL GLANDS
PANCREAS
FEMALE
GONADS :OVARIES

MALE GONADS : TESTES

– Hormones travel through the bloodstream to cells with matching receptors.

29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
The hypothalamus interacts with the nervous and
endocrine systems.
• The hypothalamus is a gland found in the brain.

– a structure of both the nervous and

endocrine systems
– produces releasing hormones,
sent to pituitary gland

• The pituitary gland is found below

the hypothalamus in the brain.
– controls growth and water
levels in blood
– produces releasing hormones
sent throughout the body
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate

• Releasing hormones stimulate other glands to produce

hormones.
– allow glands to communicate with one
another
– are used in temperature regulation
29.1 How Organ Systems Communicate
Hormonal imbalances can cause severe illness.
• Abnormal hormone levels affect homeostasis.
• Hormonal imbalances might be treated with surgery or
medicine.
• Steroids, a pituitary tumor, or some prescription drugs can
make the pituitary overactive and indirectly cause
problems.