Model Answers

Formative Practice 12.3

CHAPTER 12 COORDINATION AND
RESPONSE IN HUMANS 1 The motor neurone receives nerve impulses from
the relay neurone of the central nervous system
and transmits them to an effector such as muscles
Formative Practice 12.1 or glands for an appropriate response.
1 Response refers to how an organism reacts after
2 To generate the required energy needed for the
detecting a stimulus.
transmission of nerve impulses.
2 Skin
3 Electrical impulses are transmitted through the
3 Coordination is very important to humans because synapse chemically, by means of neurotransmitters.
any changes that occur in the external environment
4 The transmission of nerve impulses is slowed down
or in the body can be detected and an appropriate
because there are no Ranvier nodes.
response can be executed.
4 Formative Practice 12.4
Sensory Motor 1
neurone neurone Receptor Sensory neurone Relay neurone in
Effector the spinal cord
Mechanoreceptor Integration (hand
centre (brain) muscles) Effector Motor neurone

External Response (hitting 2 Reflex action is defined as a quick and automatic

stimuli: bite the mosquito) response that does not involve thinking. Reflex
action is important to protect ourselves from
threatening situations and guarantees survival in
the ever-changing environment
Formative Practice 12.2
3 Voluntary action is an action under conscious
1 The brain receives various types of information from
control while involuntary action is an action we have
the receptor. It analyses, integrates and links the
no control over.
information together to form a meaningful overview.
After the information is processed, appropriate 4 The condition may be due to the presence of
response(s) will be determined and effectors are sensory neurones at the amputated part. Therefore,
directed to execute the response(s). the neurotransmitters secreted by the sensory
neurones at the amputated part trigger nerve
2 The cerebellum functions to control and regulate
impulses and are interpreted by the brain as pain.
body movement as well as maintain body balance.
The medulla oblongata controls involuntary
Formative Practice 12.5
responses such as peristaltic action.
1 The patient forgets easily and loses his/her sense
3 The somatic nervous system controls all voluntary
of direction even in familiar places. If the brain
actions while the autonomic nervous system
degeneration continues, he/she will lose the ability
controls involuntary actions.
to read, write, eat, walk and speak.
4 We cannot refrain from sneezing because it is an
2 Drugs speed up or slow down impulse transmission
involuntary action.
at the synapse by obstructing the action of
substances that transmit synapse.

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 3 To reduce nausea and pain of the patient oxygen and glucose to the brain and skeletal
muscles. This is because the brain must be very
4 Alcohol impairs the brain’s ability to estimate
alert and prepared to move the body, and the
distance while driving, and to coordinate.
skeletal muscles need energy to fight or to run
away quickly. This means that in a threatening
Formative Practice 12.6 situation, both the endocrine and nervous systems
1 cooperate to produce an immediate response to
Hormone Function face the threatening situation. After the mechanism
succeeds in controlling the threatening or ‘fight
Oxytoxin Stimulates contraction of the or flight’ situation, the body condition returns to
uterus’ smooth muscles during normal.
childbirth
ADH Stimulates water absorption by Formative Practice 12.7
the kidney
1 The posterior lobe of the individual’s pituitary gland
Thyroxine Increases the metabolism rate of
failed to secrete antidiuretic hormone (ADH).
most body cells
2 Blurred vision and wounds take longer time to heal
2 • S
 ecreted by a specialised gland known as the
3 Goitre happens due to the failure of thyroid gland to
endocrine gland
produce sufficient thyroxine. This may result from
• Required in a small quantity only a lack of iodine since thyroxine contains iodine.
• Effect/influence period is long Seafood contains high iodine content. Therefore
eating a lot of seafood may be able to increase the
3 • T
 he nervous system transmits information rapidly body’s iodine content
through nerve impulses; the endocrine system
transmits information at a slower pace through 4 The gene for human growth hormone was
hormones. successfully inserted into Escherichia coli. This
enables the mass production, isolation and
• An impulse induces response from one organ
purification of the hormone for commercial use.
only but a hormone induces response from
Stunted children can be injected with this growth
several organs.
hormone.
• The effect of a hormone is usually long-term and
permanent until it is removed from the blood. Summative Practice 12
• A nerve impulse produces a quick and short
1 The cerebellum controls and coordinates body
response.
movement as well maintains body balance. The
4 In a threatening or ‘fight or flight’ situation, the medulla oblongata controls involuntary responses
hypothalamus transmits nerve impulses directly such as peristalsis.
to the adrenal medulla to secrete adrenaline 2 Reflex action is defined as a rapid and automatic
and noradrenaline. Both hormones quickly act response without thinking. The ability to carry out
by producing the required response in a ‘fight or reflex action is important because it protects us
flight’ situation. These include increased heartbeat from harmful situations and guarantees our survival
rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood in the ever-changing environment.
glucose level, and metabolic activities. In a ‘fight
or flight’ situation, the heart needs to pump more 3 The main endocrine gland is the pituitary gland
because it secretes a number of hormones

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 that induce other endocrine glands to secrete (e) (i) To continue the transmission of the
hormones. electrical impulse to the next neurone upon
reaching the synaptic knob
4 Effect of deficiency — dwarfism
(ii) Synaptic vesicles secrete neurotransmitters
Effect of excess — gigantism
that diffuse across the synapse and attach
5 (a) (i) Spinal cord to the receptor proteins on the receiving
(ii) X contains neurones to transmit impulses neurone dendrite. The dendrite is then
to and from the brain. stimulated to trigger a nerve impulse that
is carried by the receiving neurone to the
(b) The cell bodies of sensory neurones are effector.
clustered in Y (dorsal root ganglion).
(f) Impulse transmission occurs in one direction
(c) only because after being secreted from the
synaptic vesicles, neurotransmitters will move
across the synapse, and fuse with the receptor
of the next neurone. Therefore, impulse
transmission takes place in one direction only.

Essay Questions

7 • S
 timulants such as cocaine prevent the

removal of the neurotransmitters that stimulate
(d) If the spinal nerve in Z is cut, the motor excitement.
neurone will not be able to convey information • This will produce an intense euphoric feeling
to the effector (such as muscles and glands), followed by depression.
and the effector will not be able to respond to
• Stimulants also increase impulse transmissions
the commands of the spinal cord.
that cause increases in the heartbeat and
6 (a) V – mitochondrion U – vesicle T – synapse respiration rates.
(b) Neurotransmitter • Depressants such as heroine will retard and slow
down the activities of the nervous system.
(c) Generate energy for electrical impulse
• This slows down the production of
transmission
neurotransmitters which will then reduce the rate
(d) of heartbeat and respiration.
Direction of impulses
from nearby neurones • The individual will experience temporary
excitement and satisfaction.

8 (a) (i) The nervous system and endocrine system

have a number of similarities:
• Both have specific target organs.
• Both respond to certain stimuli.
• Both function to coordinate all body
activities.

axon S

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 The nervous system and endocrine system also (b) • A
 zman is aware of his action when riding
have some differences: a bicycle because his action involves a
voluntary response under his conscious
Nervous system Endocrine system control.
Consists of a Consists of endocrine • He is not aware of the food digestion in
network of millions of glands without ducts the digestive tract because digestion is an
neurone cells involuntary response which is beyond his
conscious control.
Messages are Messages are conveyed
conveyed in the form by organic chemical • The control centre involved in riding the
of electrical impulses substances known as bicycle is the central nervous system and
through neurones hormones through the involves the musculoskeletal system.
bloodstream • Azman has past experiences on how to ride
Effect is rapid and Effect is slow a bicycle. This information is triggered in the
immediate. motor area of the cerebral cortex.
• Since the information is triggered in the
Effect involves Effect involves
cerebral cortex, it is a conscious response.
response of one responses of a few
organ organs • The information is then transmitted to the
effectors, that is, the skeletal muscles on the
Short-term effect. Long-term effect. foot and arm through the motor neurone.
The effect ceases
• The contraction of the skeletal muscles
as the
enables Azman to ride the bicycle at his own
impulse comes to
will. Besides cerebral cortex, information
an end.
on the body balance is also sent from the
(ii) • A
 sharp nail that pierces through the skin balance receptor in the ears to the control
causes the sensory receptor in the skin centre.
to generate nerve impulses. • The control centre involved in food digestion
• The nerve impulses are transmitted is the medulla oblongata and the muscles
along the sensory neurone to the spinal involved are the smooth muscles.
cord. • The presence of food in the digestive tract
• In the spinal cord, the nerve impulses triggers impulses on the receptor and
are conveyed from the sensory neurone information is sent to the medulla oblongata.
to the relay neurone. • This information is conveyed to the smooth
• From the relay neurone, the nerve muscles through the motor neurone. The
impulses are transmitted to the motor smooth muscles contract and relax in
neurone. rhythm to produce a wave of peristalsis that
will move the food along the digestive tract.
• The motor neurone carries the nerve
impulse from the spinal cord to the • Since the information does not reach the
effector (muscle tissues) so the foot can cerebral cortex which is responsible for
be moved immediately. voluntary responses, the perception of food
peristalsis does not arise.

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 Enrichment will stimulate the motor neurones that stimulate
many muscle fibres.
9 The brain makes decisions based on past
experiences. It knows that a book is heavier than 10 A patient with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s suffers
a piece of paper. Therefore, the brain stimulates from brain neurone degeneration that affects
a number of muscle fibres depending on the mental functions. Due to the loss of various mental
energy required. Some motor neurones are able functions that include memory, movement and
to stimulate many muscle fibres whereas some emotional changes, the patient often requires
can only stimulate a few muscle fibres. The motor full-time intensive care. Therefore, the caregiver
neurones that are able to stimulate a large number should have a good understanding of the medical
of muscle fibres will produce more lifting force condition and display perseverance in taking care
compared to the ones that stimulate a few muscle of these patients.
fibres. Therefore, in order to lift a book, the brain

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