TOPIC 3: COORDINATION | BIOLOGY FORM 3
In this topic you will learn about concept of coordination, nervous coordination inhumans, sense organs, drugs and drug abuse in relation to nervous coordination, andcoordination in plants.
Concept of Coordination.
The Concept of Coordination in Organisms
Explain the concept of coordination in organisms
Without coordination the body becomes disorderly and it may fail to function properly.
coordination in simple multicellular animals takes place through
nervous systemonly. The control and coordination in higher animals
called vertebrates (including humanbeings) takes place through nervous
system as well as hormonal system called endocrinesystem. Coordination
in plants is under the control of hormones.
the living organisms (plants and animals) respond and react to changes
in the environment around them. The changes in the environment to which
the organisms respond and react are called stimuli (singular: stimulus).
The living organisms show response to stimuli such as light, heat,
cold, sound, smell, taste, touch, pressure, pain,water, and force of
gravity, etc. The ability to perceive, interpret and respond to stimuli
is called irritability or sensitivity.
are two types of stimuli: external and internal. External stimuli are
associated with the surrounding environment such as wind temperature,
light, pressure, touch, water and gravity. Internal stimuli occur within
the organism, for example, a decrease or an increase in the amount of
water and glucose in the blood.
an organism detects a stimulus, it initiates a response. A response is a
behavioural,physiological or muscular activity initiated by a stimulus.
For example, if a man touches a very hot utensil accidentally, he
quickly pulls his hand away from the hot utensil. Here,heat is the
stimulus and the man reacts (responds) by moving his hand away from the
hot utensil. Similarly, when the sun is bright, we close our eyes. In
this case, light is the stimulus and we react by closing our eyes.
Likewise, when the amount of water in the blood drops, the pituitary
gland secretes an anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) which stimulates the
reabsorption of water in the kidneys.
Multicellular
organisms detect stimuli through sense organs called receptors. A
receptor is a sense organ (e.g. eye) or sensory nerve ending (e.g. in
the skin or internal organ) which receives stimuli and sets nervous
impulses. Impulses are electrical transmissions or chemical stimuli that
are sent from the receptor to the coordinating system in the organism.
The organs that respond to the stimuli are called effectors. A
coordinator is an organ (e.g. the brain and spinal cord) that receives
messages from the receptors,translates them and sends the information
back to an effector for action. An effector is a muscle or gland which
receives impulses from nerves, brain or spinal cord and responds to
them. Response is the end-action, such as a muscle contracting to cause
the movement of the arm. The diagram below illustrates the five
components of coordination in mammals.
are nerve cells. They carry information as tiny electrical signals. A
neuroneconsists of a cell body (with a nucleus and cytoplasm), dendrites
that carry electricalimpulses to the cell, and a long axon that carries
the impulses away from the cell. Theaxon of one neurone and the
dendrites of the next neurone do not actually touch eachother. The gap
between neurones is called the synapse
diagram below shows a typical neurone: in this case, a motor neurone.
It has tinybranches at each end (dendrites) and a long fibre (axon) that
carries the signals or nervousimpulses. The axon is surrounded by a
fatty layer known as the myelin sheath. Thishelps to protect the neurone
and allow impulses to travel faster. The sheath is produces bySchawnn
cells. The myelin sheath has nodes (Nodes of Ranvier) that speed
uptransmission of nervous impulses. The cell body consists of cytoplasm
enclosing thenucleus. There are also other organelles in the cytoplasm
such as mitochondria thatsupply energy to for metabolic functions.
two neurones meet, there is a tiny gap called a synapse. Signals cross
this gapusing chemicals (neurotransmitters) released by a neurone. When
the chemical diffusesacross the gap it makes the next neurone transmit
an electrical signal. The transmission ofnervous impulses across
synapses occurs thus:
- An electrical impulse travels along an axon.
- This triggers the nerve-ending of a neuron to release chemical messengers calledneurotransmitters.
- These chemicals diffuse across the synapse (the gap) and bind with receptormolecules on the membrane of the next neuron.
- The
receptor molecules on the second neuron bind only to the specific
chemicalsreleased from the first neuron. This stimulates the second
neuron to transmit theelectrical impulse.

are three types of neurones namely motor neurone, sensory neurone and
relay(or intermediate) neurone. Each of these neurones has a different
structure and performsdifferent functions.
motor neurone is a nerve cell that transmits impulses from the central
nervous system(CNS) to the effector organs such as muscles or glands
where response is made. The cellbody of a motor neurone is at one end of
the neurone and lies entirely within the centralnervous system (see the
diagram above).
sensory neurone is a nerve cell that transmits impulses from the
receptors to the CNS.Sensory neurones have their cell bodies off the
axon and outside the central nervoussystem.
relay neurone conveys messages between neurones in the CNS. Relay
neurones arelocated in the CNS between the sensory and the motor
neurones.

CNS is the part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and
spinal cord. Itcoordinates all the neural functions. The chart below
shows subdivisions of the nervoussystem.

The
human brain is a specialized organ that is ultimately responsible for
all thought andmovement that the body produces. This allows humans to
successfully interact with theirenvironment, by communicating with
others and interacting with inanimate objects neartheir surroundings. If
the brain is not functioning properly, the ability to move,
generateaccurate sensory information or speak and understand language
can be damaged as well.
brain has many different parts. Each part has a unique function that
allows humansobserve and interact with their environment effectively.
The following are parts of thehuman brain and their functions:
cerebrum is the largest portion of the brain, and contains tools which
are responsiblefor most of the brain’s function. It is divided into four
sections: the temporal lobe, theoccipital lobe, parietal lobe and
frontal lobe.
Lobe: Located in the cerebral hemisphere, this lobe focuses on
comprehension.Visual functions, language, reading, internal stimuli,
tactile sensation and sensorycomprehension are monitored here.
Lobe: The temporal lobe controls visual and auditory memories. It
includesareas that help manage some speech and hearing capabilities,
behavioural elements, andlanguage. It is located in the cerebral
hemisphere.
is commonly referred to as “the little brain‖. The cerebellum controls
essential bodyfunctions such as balance, posture and coordination,
allowing humans to move properlyand maintain their posture.
limbic system contains glands which help relay emotions. Many hormonal
responsesthat the body generates are initiated in this area. The limbic
system includes theamygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus and thalamus.
This portion of the brain is used for learning memory,
specificallyconverting temporary memories into permanent memories which
can be stored within thebrain.
The hypothalamus region of the brain controls mood, thirst, hunger
andtemperature. It also contains glands which control the hormonal
processes throughout thebody.
The thalamus is located in the centre of the brain. It helps to control
theattention span, sensing pain and monitors input that moves in and
out of the brain to keeptrack of the sensations the body is feeling.
basic life functions originate in the brain stem, including heartbeat,
blood pressureand breathing. In humans, this area contains the medulla,
midbrain and pons.
The pons interprets information that is used in sensory analysis or
motor control.The pons also creates the level of consciousness necessary
for sleep.
The medulla or medulla oblongata is an essential portion of the brain
stemwhich maintains vital body functions such as the heart rate and
breathing.
The diagram below shows and summarizes the basic functions of different parts of thebrain.





spinal cord functions primarily in the transmission of neural signals
between thebrain and the rest of the body but also contains neural
circuits that can independentlycontrol numerous reflexes and central
pattern generators. It carries out two mainfunctions:
- It
connects a large part of the peripheral nervous system to the brain.
Information(nerve impulses) reaching the spinal cord through sensory
neurons is transmitted upinto the brain. Signals arising in the motor
areas of the brain travel back down thecord and leave in the motor
neurones. - The spinal cord also acts as a minor coordinating centre responsible for some simplereflexes like the withdrawal reflex.
peripheral nervous system is made up of a network of nerves linking
various parts ofthe body to the brain and spinal cord. It includes the
cranial nerves, spinal nerves andtheir roots and branches, peripheral
nerves, and neuromuscular junctions.
peripheral nervous system (PNS) has two components: the somatic nervous
systemand the autonomic nervous system. The PNS consists of all of the
nerves that lie outsidethe brain and spinal cord.
somatic nervous system is made up of nerves that connect to voluntary
skeletalmuscles and to sensory receptors. It is composed of afferent
nerves that carryinformation to the central nervous system (spinal cord)
and efferent nerves that carryneural impulses away from the central
nervous system. This system is responsible for theinvoluntary control of
the skeletal muscles, bones and sense organs.
- The
sympathetic nervous system activates the ‗fight or flight’ response
under suddenor stressful circumstances, for instances by raising the
heart rate and dilating thepupils. - The parasympathetic nervous
system helps the body return to normal activity afteran emergency, which
conserve energy and replenishes the system.
these two systems regulate homeostasis within the body – one preparing
thebody for action, and the other repairing the body afterward.
a receptor is stimulated, it sends a signal to the central nervous
system, where thebrain co-ordinates the response. But sometimes a very
quick response is needed, one thatdoes not need the involvement of the
brain. This is a reflex action.
reflex action is a rapid, involuntary response to a certain stimulus.
The route that isfollowed by impulses during a reflex action is called a
reflex arc.
actions are rapid and happen without us thinking. For example, you
would pullyour hand away from a hot flame without thinking about it. The
diagram below shows asimplified reflex arc.

- receptor detects a stimulus – change in the environment
- sensory neurone sends signal to relay neurone
- motor neurone sends signal to effector
- effector produces a response
The above process appears to be a long one but, in reality, the process takes a very shorttime. It happens within seconds.
way the iris in our eye adjusts the size of the pupil in response to
bright or dim lightis also a reflex action. It happens without our
thinking and beyond our control.
example of a simple reflex found in humans is the pupil reflex, where
the pupil of theeye gets larger in dim light and smaller in bright
light.The eye needs to control the amount of light entering it in
different light conditions. Indim conditions, more light is allowed to
enter so that a clear image can be formed on theretina. In bright
conditions, less light is allowed to enter so that the retina is not
damaged.
Russian scientist called Pavlov trained dogs to expect food whenever he
rang a bell.The dogs eventually produced saliva when they heard the
bell ring. The dog salivatesnaturally when given food. Pavlov rung a
bell every time the dogs were to be given food.After much repetition the
dogs salivated when they heard the bell ringing, even whenthere was no
food. This is an example of a conditioned reflex.
dogs were conditioned to salivate when the bell rang. A ringing bell
does notnormally cause salivation in dogs. However, when the ringing
bell becomes a secondarystimulus, it does cause salivation, even though
the dog will not be able to eat the bell asfood.
is now called a conditioned reflex. In a conditioned reflex the final
response(salivation) has no direct connection with the stimulus (ringing
bell).
example of a conditioned (learned) reflex is when the driver comes
across ahurdle on the road such as a ditch or a pedestrian. In such
circumstances, the first thingthe driver will do is to move his leg
towards the brake pedal to apply the brakes. He haslearned to do this
action for so long that he finds himself applying the brake in any
ofsuch circumstances.
Differences between conditioned reflex action and simple reflex action
Conditioned reflex | Simple reflex | |
1 | It involves more than one stimuli | Requires only one stimulus |
2 | Involves the brain | Mostly involve the spinal cord |
3 | It is an immediate action (no time to learn) | It is an immediate action (no time to learn) |
4 | It is acquired in one‘s life | It is inborn |
In
some circumstances the brain can modify a reflex response. It does this
by sending animpulse along a motor neuron of the reflex arc. This
enables us, for example, to hold ahot dinner plate when normally we
would drop it.
The Meaning of a Sense Organ
Explain the meaning of a sense organ
are five sense organs in our body: eyes,ears, nose, tongue and skin. We
receive a variety of information from the environmentaround us through
the sense organs. The sense organs contain receptors. A receptor is
acell (or a group of cells) in a sense organ which is sensitive to a
particular type ofstimulus (or a particular type of change in the
environment) such as light, sound, smell,taste, heat, pressure, etc. The
different sense organs contain receptors for detectingdifferent
stimuli.
eyes have light receptors (which can detect light), ears have sound
receptors (whichcan detect sound), nose has smell receptors (which can
detect smell), tongue has tastereceptors (which can detect taste)
whereas skin has receptors for detecting touch,pressure, heat (or cold)
and pain, etc.
The
eye is the organ for vision. The eye is one of the most complex parts
of the body.The different parts of the eye allow the eye to take in
light and perceive objects around usin the proper colour, detail and
depth. This allows people to make more informeddecisions about their
environment. If a portion of the eye becomes damaged, you may notbe able
to see effectively. You may even lose your vision completely.Parts of
the eye and their functionsThere are several physical and chemical
elements that make up the eye. The table belowshows different parts of
the human eye and their functions.Eye part Description and
function(s)Cornea The cornea is the outer, transparent covering of the
eye. This layerprotects the eye from elements that could cause damage to
the innerparts of the eye. The cornea also helps to focus light on the
retina at theback of the eye.Sclera The sclera is commonly referred to
as the “white” of the eye. It protectsthe eye and maintains the shape of
the eye ball.Pupil The pupil appears as a black dot in the middle of
the eye. This blackarea is actually a hole that takes in light to enable
the eye focus on theobjects in front of it. The pupil, thus, controls
the amount of light thatenters the eye.Iris The iris contains the
pigment which gives the eye its colour. It has radialInternal structure

are several physical and chemical elements that make up the eye. The
table belowshows different parts of the human eye and their functions.
Eye part | Description and function(s) |
Cornea | The cornea is the outer, transparent covering of the eye. This layer protects the eye from elements that could cause damage to the inner parts of the eye. The cornea also helps to focus light on the retina at the back of the eye. |
Sclera | The sclera is commonly referred to as the “white” of the eye. It protects the eye and maintains the shape of the eye ball. |
Pupil | The pupil appears as a black dot in the middle of the eye. This black area is actually a hole that takes in light to enable the eye focus on the objects in front of it. The pupil, thus, controls the amount of light that enters the eye. |
Iris | The iris contains the pigment which gives the eye its colour. It has radial and circular muscles that control the size of the pupil by dilation and contraction. This allows the eye to take in more or less light depending on how bright it is around. The iris allows more light into the eye when the environment is dark and allows less light into the eye when the environment is bright. |
Conjunctiva | This is a membrane that covers the cornea. It is thin and transparent so as to allow light to enter the eye. It is tough and protects the eye from mechanical damage. |
Lacrimal glands | These glands are located on the outer corner of each eye. They produce tears which help moisten the eye when it becomes dry, and flush out particles which irritate the eye. As tears flush out potentially dangerous irritants, it becomes easier to focus properly. |
Lens | This is a transparent structure filled with a jelly-like substance. The lens focuses light into the retina. It is held in place by the suspensory ligaments attached to the ciliary muscles, which allow the lens to change shape depending on the amount of light entering the eye. Through the ciliary muscles, the lens becomes thicker to focus on nearby objects and thinner to focus on distant objects. |
Retina | Retina is the sensory tissue that lines the inner layer of the eye. It is the layer of the eye where images are formed, and it is connected to the optic nerve that transmits the images to the brain to be interpreted. The retina is made up millions of photoreceptors known as rods and cones. |
Ciliary body | Ciliary body, also called ciliary muscles, is a ring-shaped tissue which holds and controls the movement of the eye lens, and thus, it helps to control the shape of the lens. The ciliary body contains glandular cells which secrete the aqueous humour. |
Suspensory ligaments | The suspensory ligaments attach the lens to the ciliary muscles. When the ciliary muscles contract, they pull the suspensory ligaments and the lens gets long and thin to accommodate rays of light from distant objects. When the ciliary muscles relax, there is less tension on the suspensory ligaments and the lens becomes more spherical in shape. This enables the accommodation of light rays from near objects. |
Choroid | The choroid lies between the retina and the sclera, which provides blood supply to the eye. Just like any other portion of the body, the blood supply gives nutrition to the various parts of the eye. |
Vitreous humour | The vitreous humour is the gel located in the back of the eye which helps it hold its shape. This gel takes in nutrients from the ciliary body, aqueous humour and the retinal vessels so the eye can remain healthy. The gel in the vitreous humour is transparent to allow light to get to the retina and also helps maintain the shape of the eyeball. |
Aqueous Humor | The aqueous humour is a watery substance that fills the eye. The aqueous humour gives the front of the eye its shape as well as nourishes the cornea and lens. This liquid is drained through the Schlemm canal so that any build-up in the eye can be removed. If the person’s aqueous humour is not draining properly, s/he can develop glaucoma. |
Optic nerve | Optic nerve is a cranial nerve which contains sensory neurones. The neurones transmit impulses from the rods and cones of the retina to the brain for interpretation. The optic nerve exits the eye at the blind spot. |
Blind spot | It is located at the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye. The blind spot is not sensitive to light because it has no rods or cones. |
Fovea | The fovea is the centremost part of the macula*. This tiny area is responsible for our central, sharpest vision. A healthy fovea is important for reading, watching television, driving, and other activities that require the ability to see detail.*Small and highly sensitive part of the retina responsible for detailed central vision. The retina is the very centre of the macula. |
- Conjunctiva, cornea and lens are transparent to allow light to pass through them.
- Sclerotic layer is made up of (collagen) fibres; it maintains shape of eyeball/protectsthe eye from mechanical damage.
- Cornea is transparent and curved thus refracts light rays and allows light to passthrough.
- Choroid (a layer of a tissue) has black or dark pigments that prevent internalreflections of light in the eye.
- The
eye contains blood vessels in the choroids layer that supply oxygen and
nutrientsto the eye, giving the eye energy to perform its function, and
removes the metabolicwastes from the eye. - Retina is made of photoreceptors known as rods and cones, which trap light rays toenable the eye to do its function of vision.
- Yellow spot (fovea) has the highest concentration of cones for accurate and sharp,central vision.
- Optic nerve has sensory neurones for transmission of nerve impulses to the brain (forinterpretation).
- Lens
is biconvex and made up of elastic, transparent material which adjusts
to focusfar or near objects and allows light rays to pass through. - Suspensory ligaments are fibrous to hold the lens in place.
- .
The ciliary body contains ciliary muscles which are contractile to for
controlling thecurvature and hence focal length of the lens. It also
contains glands that secrete theaqueous and vitreous humours. - The iris is opaque and contractile for controlling the amount of light entering the eye(by adjusting the size of the pupil).
- Ocular muscles coordinate eye movement so that both eyes can follow a movingobject together.
- The eyelid covers an eye and prevents it from mechanical damage and invasion byforeign bodies.
- Eye lashes help to prevent dust and small insects or particles from entering the eyeby trapping them on their hairs.
- The
presence of aqueous and vitreous humours helps the eye to bend light
raystoward retina to process the signal and send impulse to the brain.
- Conjunctiva, cornea and lens are transparent to allow light to pass through them.
- Sclerotic layer is made up of (collagen) fibres; it maintains shape of eyeball/protectsthe eye from mechanical damage.
- Cornea is transparent and curved thus refracts light rays and allows light to passthrough.
- Choroid (a layer of a tissue) has black or dark pigments that prevent internalreflections of light in the eye.
- The
eye contains blood vessels in the choroids layer that supply oxygen and
nutrientsto the eye, giving the eye energy to perform its function, and
removes the metabolicwastes from the eye. - Retina is made of photoreceptors known as rods and cones, which trap light rays toenable the eye to do its function of vision.
- Yellow spot (fovea) has the highest concentration of cones for accurate and sharp,central vision.
- Optic nerve has sensory neurones for transmission of nerve impulses to the brain (forinterpretation).
- Lens
is biconvex and made up of elastic, transparent material which adjusts
to focusfar or near objects and allows light rays to pass through. - Suspensory ligaments are fibrous to hold the lens in place.
- .
The ciliary body contains ciliary muscles which are contractile to for
controlling thecurvature and hence focal length of the lens. It also
contains glands that secrete theaqueous and vitreous humours. - The iris is opaque and contractile for controlling the amount of light entering the eye(by adjusting the size of the pupil).
- Ocular muscles coordinate eye movement so that both eyes can follow a movingobject together.
- The eyelid covers an eye and prevents it from mechanical damage and invasion byforeign bodies.
- Eye lashes help to prevent dust and small insects or particles from entering the eyeby trapping them on their hairs.
- The
presence of aqueous and vitreous humours helps the eye to bend light
raystoward retina to process the signal and send impulse to the brain.
The
ear is the organ of hearing and maintaining balance and posture. The
outer earprotrudes away from the head and is shaped like a cup to direct
sound waves toward thetympanic membrane, which transmits vibrations to
the inner ear through a series of smallbones (ossicles) in the middle
ear called the malleus, incus and stapes. The inner ear, orcochlea, is a
spiral-shaped chamber covered internally by nerve fibres that react to
thevibrations and transmit impulses to the brain via the auditory nerve.
The brain combinesthe input of our two ears to determine the direction
and distance of sounds.
The
inner ear has a vestibular system formed by three semicircular canals
that areapproximately at right angles to each other and which are
responsible for the sense ofbalance and spatial orientation. The inner
ear has chambers filled with a viscous fluid andsmall particles
(otoliths) containing calcium carbonate. The movement of these
particlesover small hair cells in the inner ear sends signals to the
brain that are interpreted asmotion and acceleration. The figure below
shows the internal structure of themammalian ear.

- The outer ear (pinna) is a flap of tissue which collects sound waves and directs theminto the inner ear via the auditory canal.
- The
lining of auditory canal contains wax-secreting cells which produce
wax. Thewax in the canal traps dust particles and other foreign bodies
and hence protects theinner delicate parts of an ear from mechanical
damage or microbial infections. - The ear drum is thin and
membranous, a fact that enables it to vibrate when soundwaves hit it
before converting the waves into vibrations and passing them on to
theear ossicles in the middle ear. - The ear ossicles (malleus,
incus and stapes) act as a lever system which can moveforward and
backward to amplify and transmit vibrations to the oval window. - The
Eustachian tube is hollow, a fact which allows air in and out of the
middle ear toequalize the pressure between the inside and outside of the
ear drum—whichimproves the drum‘s ability to vibrate - The
cochlea is coiled to increase the surface area for sound reception. It
also cariesauditory nerves which transmit sound impulses to the brain
for interpretation.pinnaear drumskull bonesemi-circular canalsauditory
canaleustachian tuberound windowcochleaauditory nerveInternal structure
of the human earoval window - The presence of fluid-filled
vestibular apparatus (semi-circular canals, sacculus, andutriculus) in
the inner ear facilitates balancing of sound when the fluid is
displaced.
The
tongue is an organ responsible for taste. It is the primary organ of
taste (gustation), asmuch of its upper surface is covered in taste buds.
The tongue’s upper surface is alsocovered with numerous lingual
papillae. The tongue is sensitive and kept moist by saliva,and is richly
supplied with nerves and blood vessels.
receptors for taste, called taste buds, are situated chiefly in the
tongue, but they arealso located in the roof of the mouth near the
pharynx. They are able to detect four basictastes: salty, sweet, bitter,
and sour.
the taste buds close to the tip of the tongue are sensitive to sweet
and saltytastes, whereas those in the back of the tongue are sensitive
to bitter tastes. The taste budsin the sides of the tongue are sensitive
to sour tastes. At the base of each taste bud there isa nerve that
sends the sensations to the brain. The sense of taste functions in
coordinationwith the sense of smell.
The
number of taste buds varies substantially from individual to
individual, but greaternumbers increase sensitivity. Women, in general,
have a greater number of taste budsthan men. As in the case of colour
blindness, some people are insensitive to some tastes.

- The tongue has taste buds which help it to respond the stimuli such as sweet, bitter,sour and salty.
- At the base of each taste bud there is a nerve that sends the sensations to the brain.
The
nose is the organ responsible for the sense of smell. The cavity of the
nose is linedwith mucous membranes that have smell receptors connected
to the olfactory nerve. Thesmells themselves consist of vapours of
various substances. The smell receptors interactwith the molecules of
these vapours and transmit the sensations to the brain. The
smellreceptors are sensitive to seven types of sensations that can be
characterized as camphor,musk, flower, mint, ether, acrid, or putrid.
The sense of smell is sometimes temporarilylost when a person has a
cold. Dogs have a sense of smell that is many times moresensitive than
man’s.

When
we want to ―smell‖ food we draw air high up into the nasal cavity where
thechemicals come into contact with hairs on the sensory cells.
Different chemicalsstimulate different sensory cells and nervous
impulses are set up which pass along theverves to the brain to be
interpreted.
When our nose is blocked with cold, our food may become ―tasteless‖ because we nolonger smell it.
- There
are olfactory nerves, which carry impulse from the nose to the
olfactory lobesof the brain for interpretation.The human nose - Presence of mucus-secreting cells, which produce mucus that keep the surface of thenose moist.
- Presence
of hairs in the nose helps the nose to trap dust particles and other
foreignbodies. When the mucus is blown out from the nose, it carries the
dust and otherforeign bodies with it, thus preventing the olfactory
organs from damage.
skin is the outer covering of the body. In humans, it is the largest
organ of theintegumentary system. The skin has multiple layers of
ectodermal tissue and guards theunderlying muscles, bones, ligaments and
internal organs. It protects us from microbesand the elements; helps
regulate body temperature; and permits the sensations of touch,heat, and
cold.
- The epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, provides a waterproof barrier andcreates our skin tone
- The dermis, beneath the epidermis, contains tough connective tissue, hairfollicles, and sweat glands
- The deeper subcutaneous layer (hypodermis) is made of fat and connectivetissue.
skin‘s colour is produced by special cells called melanocytes, which
produce thepigment melanin. Melanocytes are located in the epidermis.

skin contains sensory nerve endings which are receptors. They are
sensitive to pain,pressure, touch, heat and coldness. When the nerve
endings are stimulated they set upnervous impulses which are sent to the
spinal cord or brain to be interpreted.

- Regulation:
The skin plays an important role in regulation of body temperature inan
organism thus helping to keep the body temperature constant
(endothermic). - The skin manufactures vitamin D through exposure
to sunlight. Ergosterol in thefatty layer of the skin converts into
vitamin D under the influence of sunlight. - The skin produces melanin that protects the body from ultra violet radiationswhich can cause skin cancer.
- The skin acts as sensory organ due to the presence of various nerve endings.
- Protection: It prevents micro-organism and other foreign materials from enteringthe body.
- Excretion: Sweat glands produce sweat, which gets rid of excess heat, water, salts,some carbon dioxide and urea.
- Storage: Fat is a food store in the dermis.
- It
has the hair erector muscle which controls whether the hair stands
erect or liesdown depending on the temperature of the surrounding. - It is supplied with nerves which convey impulses to the CNS to be interpreted.
- Presence
of blood vessels (in the dermis) which dilate when the body temperature
ishigh to facilitate heat loss by radiation and constrict when the
temperature is low toreduce heat loss. The blood vessels also supply
nutrients and oxygen to the skin andremove excretory products. - The
skin has sweat glands which produce sweat to help cool the body. During
a hotday, the glands produce sweat (through sweat pores). Evaporation
of the sweat usesthe body heat and hence helps to cool down the body.
The Meaning of Drugs and Drug Abuse, in Relation to Nervous Coordination
Explain the meaning of drugs and drug abuse, in relation to nervous coordination
drug is any chemical substance, natural or synthetic, that has known
physiologicaleffects on humans or other animals. Foods are generally
excluded from this definition, inspite of their physiological effects on
animal species.
drugs, both useful and harmful, may affect the body (especially the
brain), byaltering the nerve cells’ natural reaction to these chemicals,
or by mimicking the body’snormal compounds.
drugs slow down the passage of stimuli by affecting nerve cell
membranes, andothers act like neurotransmitters, perhaps passing
stronger or longer-lasting impulses. Assuch they may alter the way
sensory information is processed, or affect the thinkingprocess.
are drugs which speed up the action of the brain e.g. caffeine, found
in tea andcoffee. Sedatives are drugs which slow down the action of the
brain e.g. alcohol. Evenone alcoholic drink will have some effect on the
brain.
Proper use and handling of drugs
- Avoid taking any drug without diagnosing the disease and prescription by the doctor.
- Always stay away from peer pressures and drug addicts to avoid copying their badhabits.
- Keep
yourself busy with a number of activities such as sports and games,
readingbooks, etc. Remember ‗an idle mind is the devil‘s workshop‘! - Report any case of drug abuse or trafficking to concerned authorities.
- Form a counselling club to advise people especially youths on how to keep off fromdrugs.
- If one feels addicted, s/he should seek advice from health officials.
- Never take a dose more or less that what has been prescribed by the doctor.
- Complete
the prescribed dose even after you start feeling well or after the
symptomsof the disease has disappeared.9. Keep all drugs out of reach of
children and drug addicts.
Drug
addiction refers to the compulsive and repeated use of increasing
amounts of drugswith the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when drug use
ceases. While drug use oftenbegins as a way to seek recreation, the
addictive properties of the drug make an addictcrave for it permanently.
This compulsion is uncontrollable and may interfere with aperson‘s
everyday life. Even when the effects of drugs are damaging to a person‘s
bodyand relationships with friends, family members and co-workers, the
constant need for adrug often overcomes any rational thinking.
human body has its own ability to produce some chemicals for its
properfunctioning. The continued use of the drug suppresses the body‘s
ability to produce thesechemicals or diminishes its production because
these chemical are replaced by the drug.The body thus uses the drug as a
substitute for its own natural chemicals. Since thesechemicals are no
longer produced, the body perceives that it needs the drug for
itsfunctioning. Therefore, a person craves for the drug so much that
s/he feels cannot livewithout taking it. At this level the drug abuser
becomes addicted to the drug. This iscalled drug addiction.
Like
many mental health disorders, several causes may contribute to
development of drugaddiction and dependence. Some of the causes of drug
abuse and addiction include thefollowing:
- Some people take drugs to avoid physical or emotional pain, discomfort, stress,boredom, anxiety and depression.
- Some people also take drugs as a way to forget problems and life hardships theyexperience in life.
- Recreation: Drug users believe that taking drugs make them ‗feel better‘ and lively.
- Peer
pressure leads people to drug so as to create a sense of belonging and
fitting inthe peer group. It‘s often said that teens use drugs when
their friends do. Using drugsallows these young people to fit in with
their peers and blend in with the crowd - . Desire for a new
experience and arousal: Some people just take drugs as an‗experiment‘ to
find out the experience the drug users feel, but badly end upbecoming
drug addicts. - Lack of life and social skills, for example drug
resistance skills that would help aperson learn how to say no or avoid
bad influence. People who are easy to copyhabits from others,
irrespective of the outcome of the given habit, can easily get intodrug
use.
Effects of drug abuse and addiction
illegal chemicals have extreme effects on the function of the brain,
e.g. some drugscause hallucinations – objects around you may change
colour, shape and size, or you maysee and experience things that are not
there at all. Such experiences may cause fear,depression, and mental
disorders. Mostly, these substances alter one’s perception ofreality.
Drugs
produce a variety of short-term effects, but the most common ones
includeincreased heart rate, high blood pressure, dizziness, tremors,
mood changes and paranoia.In high dosages, the risk for more dangerous
effects increases, and the potential for heartattack, stroke,
respiratory failure and coma increases. The various effects of drug
abuseinclude the following:
- Drugs
confuse the mental faculties so that many drug users die in accidents,
oroverdose on the chemicals. Drugs can also induce them do dangerous
activities suchas unsafe sex or reckless driving. - Many drugs induce a feeling of dependency (addiction) and are linked with criminalactivity.
- Solvent abuse (sniffing glue, lighter fuel, etc.) – on which one can easily overdose -can cause death by heart failure.
- Other
substances can incidentally affect the body’s “thermostat” – located in
thehypothalamus (refer to a topic on homeostasis and osmoregulation)
and cause death,following disruption of the body’s temperature control
and regulation of the body’swater content. Even “legal” chemicals, such
as alcohol (a “social” drug!), haveadverse effects on the body. - They can lead to aggressiveness, crime, violence and divorce.
- Sharing
of needles used to inject drugs into the bloodstream cause HIV
infections andhepatitis among the addicts. Likewise, because drugs
impair one‘s judgement, it canlead to unprotected sex and hence become
the cause of contracting other sexuallytransmitted diseases like
syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and herpes. - Drugs are very
expensive to purchase. Therefore, the addicts spend much of theirmoney
on drugs at the expense of other family needs. - Many drug addicts
are weak and so they cannot participate in in-come
generatingactivities. This leads to poverty, a fact which can lead to
failure to meet one‘s basicneeds. - Drug addiction among women can
lead to birth defects which include giving birth tosmall or premature
babies or cause the baby to have withdrawal symptoms, birthdefects or
learning and behavioural problems. Additionally, illicit drugs may
containimpurities that may be harmful to unborn baby - Medical
concerns like depression and anxiety can severely interrupt the
addict‘ssocial and professional life, leading to mood swings, chronic
fatigue and a diminishedinterest in former hobbies and important life
events.
Suggest preventive and control measures of drug abuse
Drug
abuse is a serious psycho-sociological problem often difficult to be
cured. The bestway to avoid these tragedies is to never start taking
drugs. However, nowadays specifictreatments are available for different
types of mental illness. A regular, prolonged andsincere treatment is
required .Social therapy or rehabilitation has got a very
significantrole. The following activities can be done for the control of
drug addiction:
- Early detection, treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts can help minimize theproblem.
- Parents should set a warm and friendly atmosphere at home so that the drug users canfeel easy to cooperate with.
- Motivation of the addicts to make up for detoxification.
- The youth should be motivated to get involved in the fight against drug abuse.
- Educating the community about the problems of drug addiction.
- Enforcement of laws, rules and regulation for the control and supply of drugs.
- The
school curricula should contain courses about the drug addiction and
drug abusein detail (like the topic you are reading now). - Various
effects of drug addiction must be advertised through newspapers,
radio,television, magazine, social media, and many other media so as to
make the problemknown to as many people as possible. - The
experience of drug users can be advertised to the people through media
to makethe general public aware of the effects of drugs so as to
discourage those who mightthink of starting taking drugs.
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
The
endocrine system is a collection of glands that produce hormones which
regulatemetabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual
function, reproduction,sleep, and mood, among other functions. The
glands are located in various parts of thehuman body. The function of
these glands is to release various hormones, and as a whole,they are
most commonly referred to as the endocrine system. These glands are
pituitarygland, hypothalamus, thymus, pineal gland, testes, ovaries,
thyroid, adrenal glands,parathyroid and pancreas. The location of these
glands in the human body is as shown inthe diagrams below.

hormones released by glands of the endocrine system regulate the
functions of manycells and organs as indicated in the following table.
- Endocrine disease that results when a gland produces too much or too little of anendocrine hormone, called a hormone imbalance.
- Endocrine
disease due to the development of lesions (such as nodules or tumours)
inthe endocrine system, which may or may not affect hormone levels.
endocrine’s feedback system helps control the balance of hormones in
thebloodstream. If your body has too much or too little of a certain
hormone, the feedbacksystem signals the proper gland or glands to
correct the problem. A hormone imbalancemay occur if this feedback
system has trouble keeping the right level of hormones in
thebloodstream, or if your body doesn’t clear them out of the
bloodstream properly.
- A problem with the endocrine feedback system.
- Disease.
- Failure
of a gland to stimulate another gland to release hormones (for example,
aproblem with the hypothalamus can disrupt hormone production in the
pituitarygland). - A genetic disorder, such as multiple endocrine meoplasia or congenitalhypothyroidism.
- Infection.
- Injury to an endocrine gland.
- Tumour
of an endocrine gland.Most endocrine tumors and nodules (lumps) are
non-cancerous. They usually do notspread to other parts of the body.
However, a tumor or nodule on the gland may interferewith the gland’s
hormone production.
There
are many different types of endocrine disorders. Majority of endocrine
disorderscause the endocrine glands to produce too much (hypersecretion)
or too low(hyposecretion) of a given hormone from a particular gland.
Common problems thatresult from oversecretion (hypersecretion) or
undersecretion (hyposecretion) of givenhormones from given endocrine
glands are explained below.
of growth hormone: Gigantism in children and acromegaly in adults.If
the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone, a child’s bones
and body partsmay grow abnormally fast.
Causes increased reabsorption of water in the kidney tubulesleading to
production of a little urine but which is more concentrated.
Hyposecretion
of ADH: Less water is absorbed from the glomeruli filtrate back to
thebody, leading to production of large volumes of dilute urine. This is
called diuresis and isa symptom of diabetes inspidus.
- Grave’s
disease: The most common cause for an overactive thyroid is an
autoimmunedisorder called Grave’s disease. Grave’s disease, considered
an autoimmune disease,shows elevated weight loss, nervousness, excessive
perspiration, nervousness, highmetabolic rate and rapid, irregular
heartbeat. - Exophthalmos: protrusion of the eyeballs caused by oedematous tissue behind theeyes.
- Cretinism
(infantile hypothyroidism) – shows stunted growth, thickened
facialfeatures, abnormal bone development and mental retardation. - Myxedema
– low metabolic rate, lethargy (a condition characterized by
extremefatigue or drowsiness, or prolonged sleep patterns.), weight
gain, increase in bodyfluids. - Goitre – abnormal growth of the thyroid gland.
Hyperparathyroidism: demineralization of bone resulting in possible bone deformityand fracture, and stones in the urinary tract
decreased plasma calcium levels which can lead to severe muscletetany
(a condition characterized by or resulting from uncontrolled muscle
spasms).
The liver is overstimulated to convert excess glucose to glycogen
andfats for storage. This leads to low glucose concentration in the
blood, a condition calledhypoglycemia. This condition results in lack of
glucose delivery to the brain causingdisorientation, unconsciousness
and even death (usually the result of an overdose ofinsulin).
Under-secretion of isulin causes very little glucose to be converted
toglycogen and fats. This results in elevated glucose levels in the
blood and urine. Thecondition is called hyperglycaemia, and is a symptom
of diabetes mellitus. Over time,diabetics experience vascular and
neural problems. Secondarily, poor circulation maylead to gangrene,
blindness, kidney damage and impotence.
of corticosteroids: Cushing’s syndrome – changes in carbohydrate
andprotein metabolism resulting in a puffy appearance.
of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids: Addison‘s disease -symptoms
of the disease include fatigue, stomach upset, hypoglycaemia, sodium
andpotassium imbalance, dehydration, hypotension, and rapid weight loss.
Death occurs withlack of treatment.
of adrenaline: hypertension, obesity, headache, increased
heartbeat,weak bones, hyperglycaemia, nervousness, sweating and early
onset of sexualdevelopment.
of adrenaline: low blood pressure, fatigue, muscular weakness,
musclewasting, inability to withstand stress, and increased dark
pigmentation of the skin.
of oestrogen: Causes failure of females to develop some secondarysexual
characteristics, poor development of the reproductive organs, liver,
kidney andlungs.
of testosterone: Causes failure of males to develop some
secondarysexual characteristics, poor development of the reproductive
organs and weak bones andmuscles.
PINEAL
Coordination in Plant, Concept of Tropic and Nastic Responses
plants and animals react (or respond) to various stimuli around them.
But themethod of reacting to stimuli is not similar in plants and
animals. They react to stimuli indifferent ways. For example, plants
bend towards light but animals do not bend towardslight. The animal
amoeba reacts to the presence of food by moving towards the
foodparticle.
plants do not have a nervous system and sense organs like eyes, ears,
or nose, etc.,like the animals, but they can still sense things. The
plants can sense the presence ofstimuli like light, gravity, chemicals,
water, and touch, etc., and respond to them. Theysense these stimuli by
using hormones in them.
stimuli like light, gravity, chemicals, water, and touch, etc., are
called environmentalchanges. So, we can also say that the plants
coordinate their behaviour againstenvironmental changes by using
hormones. The hormones in plants do not act the sameway as in animals.
hormones in plants coordinate their behaviour by affecting the growth
of a plant.And the effect on growth of the plant can result in the
movement of a part of the plantlike shoot (stem) or root, etc towards a
certain stimulus.
receive and respond to a variety of stimuli that are important to their
survival in theenvironment. These responses allow the plants to
survive, grow, develop and reproduce.The movement of plants in the
direction of stimulus is known as ‘tropism’. Tropisms aregrowth
responses of plants that result in curvatures of plant organs toward or
away fromcertain stimuli. Tropisms can be positive, in which case the
plant will bend toward astimulus, or negative, in which case the plant
will bend away from a stimulus.
other movements shown by the plants are associated with the growth of
the plants.For example, the shoot system moves towards sunlight and the
root system towards earth.Thus, the plants also respond to their
environment.
is the tendency for plant organs to bend in response to a directional
lightsource. For example, light streaming in a window from one direction
will often cause thestems of plants placed nearby to bend toward the
window, a positive phototropism.
Most
plant shoots are positively phototropic because they tend to grow
towards light.Most roots are negatively phototropic because they away
from light.

Explain the importance of tropic and nastic responses
is important to plants because of it enables the plant leaves to be
placedunder direct sunlight to absorb maximum light so as to carry out
photosynthesiseffectively.
is the movement of a part of the plant towards gravity. In most plants,
rootsgrow downward with gravity while shoots grow upward against
gravity. Within hours,the shoot of a plant placed on its side will
usually bend upward and the roots will benddownward as the plant
reorients its direction of growth in response to gravity.
Most
plant roots grow towards gravity and are said to be positively
geotropic. Mostshoots grow away from gravity and are said be negatively
geotropic.

- It enables the plants to send roots into the ground hence anchoring the plant firmlyinto the soil.
- It enables plant roots to absorb water and mineral salts from the soil.
- Negative
geotropism exhibited by the shoot enables the shoot to grow upwards,
andin so doing, exposes the plant leaves to maximum sunlight for
effectivephotosynthesis
is the movement of a plant or part of a plant towards water. Plant
rootsnormally grow towards moisture. They are therefore positively
hydrotropic. If you plant aplant near a water source such as porous pot
or river, the roots will always grow towardswater.

- Photosynthesis
- Numerous physiological reactions that take place within plant cells.
- Turgor pressure, which aids in plant support.
- Dissolution of mineral salts.

example of positive and negative chemo-tropism is shown by a plant‘s
roots; the rootsgrow towards useful minerals displaying positive
chemo-tropism, and grow away fromharmful acids displaying negative
chemo-tropism.
is the movement or growth of an organism or part of an organism
inresponse to a chemical stimulus. During the process of fertilization
the movement ofpollen tube towards ovule due to secretion of a sugary
chemical in the ovary is anexample of chemotropism
- It enables the plant to absorb mineral salts from the soil when the roots grow towardsbeneficial chemicals such as fertilizers.
- Negative
geotropism, such as when plant roots grow away from the toxins,
enablesthe plant to survive by avoiding contact with such harmful
chemicals. - . It facilitates the fertilization process in flowering plants.
Thigmotropsim
refers to non-directional movements which take place neither towards
noraway from the stimulus. The best example of nastic movement is
folding and drooping ofleaves of Mimosa pudica plant when its leaves are
touched with fingers or any object.The leaves fold even when swayed
about by wind. Also the specialized touch-sensitivetendrils of many
vining plants, such as pea, will bend toward the side receiving a
touchstimulus. Continual stimulation can lead to the coiling of the
tendril around an object,which enables vining plants to grasp objects on
which they can climb


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