CHAPTER

CHAPTER 3:
3:
COORDINATION
COORDINATION AND
AND
RESPONSE
RESPONSE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. UNDERSTANDING COORDINATION AND RESPONSE.
2. ANALYSING THE ROLE OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
3. ANALYSING THE ROLE OF HORMONES IN HUMANS
4. SYNTHESISING THE CONCEPT OF HOMEOSTASIS IN HUMANS
5. PRACTISING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
6. UNDERSTANDING PLANT HORMONES
 3.1 Coordination &
Response
• Organisms experiences changes in its
internal and external environment all
the time.
• Have ability (sensitivity) to detect the
changes and respond to it.
• Stimulus (pl: stimuli) the changes will
cause response.
• The main purpose for all living organisms
to respond to certain stimuli is to ensure
the continuity of life.
• Why respond to stimuli are necessary?
Animal and human
– To adapt to the environment
– Protection from danger
– Safety (to move to a safer place)
– Regulate internal environment by homeostasis
Plant
– Receive more sunlight for photosynthesis
– Obtain better support
– Obtain enough water
• Two types of stimuli:
– External stimuli (from external envrnmt
org)
– Internal stimuli (from internal envrnmt org)
• Receptor: specialised sensory cells.
• Response is an action of the body, either
consciously or unconsciously towards a
certain stimulus.
• A specific stimulus can only produce a
specific response.
• Effector: the part of the body that
makes response.
• receptors detect a stimuli (light or
sound), the stimulus converted into
nerve impulses.
• Nerve impulses then sent to brain
through nerve cell (neuron).
• Brain will interpret nerve impulses and
coordinates an appropriate response.
• Receptor and effector work together.
 Detecting and Responding to
The Change in The
Environment
• Humans and animals can detect and
respond to the changes in both internal
and external environment.
• Organisms have sensory organs which have
specialised cells that detect a particular
stimulus and initiate transmission of
impulses in afferent neurone.
• Receptor (specialised cells) will
generate nerve impulses which are
transmitted to the central nervous
system via the afferent neuron.
• Response to a stimulus is produce by the
effector.
• Effector such as skeletal muscle will
contract and relax to produce movement
as a response to the stimulus.
• Effector can also be secretory glands
(endocrine glands) to secrete hormones
when stimulated.
• The nervous system is the integrating
center which interpret the nerve
impulses and then transmits the new
nerve impulses to the effector to
produce response.
• The nerve impulses are sent to effector
via the efferent neurone.
 Nervous
system
Transmitted (integrating Transmitted
by afferent by efferent
center)
neurone neurone
Nerve Nerve
impulses impulses

Receptor Effector

(Sensory receptors in
(Muscles
sensory organs) Response
or glands)
Detected by

Stimulus Response
• The regulation of changes in the internal
environment is called homeostasis and
involve –ve feedback mechanisms.
• Coordination: process involved in the
detection of stimuli by receptors and
also integration of the information
received and the subsequent actions of
the effector to produce responses.
• Coordination involve two main systems:
– Nervous system: involve the transmission of
nerve impulses.
– Endocrine system: involve the secretion of
hormones.
 3.2 The Role of the Human
Nervous System
• Control and coordinate function
throughout the body and helps to
maintain homeostasis.
• Nervous system is made up of the
central nervous system (CNS) and
peripheral nervous system (PNS).
 Nervous system

Central nervous Peripheral nervous

system (CNS) system (PNS)

Cranial nerve Spinal nerve

•12 pairs of cranial •31 pairs of spinal
nerves nerves
•Branch from the brain •Branch from the
spinal cord
•Connect the brain to
the sensory organs (eye, •Connect the spinal
ears, nose) and effectors cord to the sensory
Brain Spinal (muscles and glands) at organs and effectors
cord the head) at the thorax,
abdomen and limbs.
•Take impulses to and
from the brain •Take impulses to
and from the spinal
cord
• Nervous system performs three functions:
– Sensory
– Integrative
– Motor
• Sensory receptors detect stimuli both from the
internal and external environment and initiate
nerve impulses that carry information to CNS.
• The CNS process and integrates the
information by analysing and storing some of it
and by making decisions for appropriate
response.
• Then, the motor command from the CNS are
transmitted to an effector (muscle or gland)
 The brain
• The brain is made up of nerve cells
called neurons.
• Outer part of brain consist of grey
matter (contain cell body of neurone)
and inner part consist of white matter
(contain fibres of neurone)
• Brain consist of three main parts:
– Cerebrum
– Cerebellum
– Medulla oblongata
• Below the cerebrum is the thalamus
and hypothalamus.
(1) Cerebrum:
• Largest part of the brain.
• Surface folded to increase surface area;
increasing the number of nerve cells.
• Divided into two hemispheres right and
left hemispheres.
• Right hemisphere control all the activities
on the left side of the body and vice versa
• On each cerebral hemisphere are the
motor area: control the coordination of
the skeletal muscles and the sensory area
• Function of cerebrum: control mental
activities (thinking, intelligence,
memory, learning, reasoning and
problem solving.

2) Cerebellum:
• On the posterior end of the cerebrum
• Its surface is folded
• Cerebellum has two hemisphere
• Function:
a) coordinates the contraction of muscle
b) Controls the equilibrium of the body
3) Medulla oblongata:
• Locate in front of the cerebellum.
• Links the brain to the spinal cord
• Function:
a) Controls and regulates involuntary
actions (rate of heartbeat, peristalsis,
blood pressure, breathing and the
variation in the size of blood vessel
[vasodilation and vasoconstriction])
b) Centre for certain reflex actions
(vomiting, coughing, sneezing and
swallowing).
Hypothalamus:
• Located on the ventral region of the
cerebrum.
• Pituitary gland is located at the end of the
hypothalamus.
• Pituitary gland secrete hormones that
influence other glands and body functions.
• Has the richest blood supply in the brain.
• Hypothalamus maintain homeostasis and
contains centers for regulating sleep,
hunger, thirst, body temperature, water
balance and blood pressure.
Thalamus:
• Located on the region of cerebrum,
above hypothalamus.
• Responsible for storing information
which goes and comes out of the
cerebral cortex.
• Integration center for sensory impulses
such as sight and hearing, which then
transmits the information to the various
sensory areas of the cerebrum.
 Spinal cord
• Spinal cord is the continuation of the
medulla oblongata and located within
vertebral column.
• Surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid:
cushion the cord and provide nutrient to
cord.
• Consist of a grey matter in H shape in
the middle and white matter around it.
• Grey matter consist mainly of cell
bodies of nerve cells.
• White matter consist of myelin-coated
axons of neurones that extended up and
down the spinal cord.
• Spinal nerves emerge from the spinal
cord by two short branches or roots.
• The dorsal root contains the axons of
afferent neurones that conduct
impulses to the spinal cord from sensory
receptors.
• The dorsal root ganglion is composed
of cell bodies of afferent neurones.
• The ventral root contains the axons
of efferent neurones that conduct
impulses away from the spinal cord to
effector.
• Dorsal and ventral roots join to form
a spinal nerve.
• Function of spinal cord is to process
certain types of sensory information
and send responses via efferent
neurones.
• Link the brain to the peripheral nervous
system.
• Spinal cord contains neurones that
convey signals to and from the brain.
• Also contains the neural pathway for
reflex.
 The neurone
• Nervous system is consist of nerve cell
called neurone.
• Neurone carry information in the form
of electrical signals called nerve
impulses.
• Three types of neurones:
– Afferent/sensory neurone: carry sensory
information from receptor cells into brain
and spinal cord .
– Efferent/motor neurone: carry information
from the brain or spinal cord to effector
(muscle or gland)
 – Interneurones: convey impulses between
various parts of the brain and spinal cord.
Some transmit impulses between afferent
and efferent neurones while some others
transmit impulses from one side of the
spinal cord to the other side or from the
brain to the spinal cord and vice versa.
• Each neurone consist of:
a)Dendrite: receive information or signals
from other neurones or from the external
environment and conduct them toward cell
body. Dendrite of afferent neuron have
special adaptation that allow them to
produce signals in response to specific
stimuli.
b) One cell body that contain a nucleus and
cytoplasm. Cell body integrate signal and
coordinate metabolic activities.

c) Axon- the thin long fiber extend

outward from the cell body. Conduct
nerve impulses away from the cell body.
Some axon insulated by thick coat called
myelin sheath. The sheath protect and
insulates the axon and helps speed up
the conduction of nerve impulses.
• Nerve impulses conduct along the axon
and reach synaptic terminals that
located at the end of axon.

d)Synaptic terminal are swelling at the

branched end of axon. Transmit signal to
muscle, gland cells or the dendrites to
another neurone.