Control And Coordination: Types & Example

What is Control and Coordination?

Control and coordination in living organisms help to maintain balance in the body or homeostasis and respond to changes occurring in the environment. Such systems enable animals to process information, make appropriate decisions, respond, survive and function properly.

Control and Coordination in Humans

Control and coordination in animals are majorly achieved through two systems, the nervous system and the endocrine system. The nervous system provides rapid and short term responses whereas the endocrine system provides slow and long-lasting responses.

What is the Nervous System?

The nervous system is one of the major complex networks responsible for receiving, processing, and transmitting information within the organism.

• Completes the transmission of information between the different parts of the body.

• Controls voluntary and involuntary movements.

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system includes:

Brain

The human brain is divided into the following important parts:

• Cerebrum: It performs higher cerebral functions, thinking processes, actions, and sensory perception.

• Cerebellum: Integrates muscle movements, thus, maintaining posture and balance.

• Medulla Oblongata: Conducts all processes of life, such as heartbeat, breathing, and digestion.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord transfers information from and to the brain about the rest of the body and controls reflex actions.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

• The Somatic Nervous System is in-charge of voluntary movements, comprising nerves transmitting signals to skeletal muscles

• The Autonomic Nervous System controls a lot of involuntary functions, such as heartbeat and digestion.

• The Sympathetic Nervous System prepares human systems to either 'fight' or 'flee.'

• The Parasympathetic Nervous System allows humans 'rest and digest' opportunities.

Neurons

• Sensory Neurons: These neurons take information from the sensory receptors to the CNS.

• Motor Neurons: They carry commands from the CNS to muscles and glands.

• Interneurons: They provide a connection between sensory and motor neurons within the CNS.

Conduction and Transmission of Nerve Impulse

Transmission of nerve impulses is the mode of neuronal communication that happens as changes in electrical potential across the neuron membrane.

• Resting Potential: Difference of electric charge existing across the membrane of a resting neuron.

• Action Potential: Sudden change in the membrane potential that travels along the length of the entire neuron.

Synapse and Synaptic Transmission

• Synapse is the point at which two neurons meet.

• Synaptic transmission: occurs when neurotransmitters are released from one neuron to the next to carry the signal.

Reflex Action

• The reflex actions are involuntary movements and almost instantaneous in response to stimuli.

• Rapid, automatic responses of a predetermined nature to specific stimuli.

• Safeguard the body and system against damage and maintain homeostasis.

Endocrine System (Chemical Control and Integration)

The endocrine system controls various physiological processes through the action of hormones for a more extended period.

• Production and release of hormones

• Development, metabolism, and homeostasis regulation

Major Endocrine Glands and Hormones

Interaction Between Nervous and Endocrine Systems

The hypothalamus in the brain links the nervous system to the endocrine system, controlling the pituitary gland and regulating hormone release.

Control and Coordination in Plants

Plants depend on hormones and environmental responses for control and coordination.

Plant Hormones

Plant hormones control growth and reactions to environmental stimuli.

Tropism

Tropisms are directional growth responses to environmental stimuli.

• Phototropism: Growth in response to light.

• Geotropism: Growth in response to gravity.

• Hydrotropism: Growth in response to water.

• Thigmotropism: Growth in response to touch.

Mechanism of Tropic Movements

It involves redistributing hormones like auxins which promote growth towards or away from the stimulus.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is a process that maintains a stable internal environment. Necessary for the survival and normal well-being of organisms.

Mechanisms of Homeostasis in Humans

• Temperature Regulation: Maintained through sweating and shivering with changes in blood flow rates.

• Blood Sugar Regulation: Blood glucose levels are brought down by insulin and raised by glucagon.

• Osmoregulation: The kidneys maintain the balance between water and electrolytes.

Control and Coordination NEET MCQs (With Answers & Explanations)

Important questions asked in NEET from this topic are:

• Nervous system and its components

• Endocrine system and its components

Practice Questions for NEET

Q1. Which one of the following statements is false?

1. Retinal is the light-absorbing portion of visual photopigments.

2. In the retina, the rods have the photopigment rhodopsin while cones have three different photopigments.

3. Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C.

4. Rhodopsin is the purplish red protein present in rods only

Correct answer: 3) Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C

Explanation:

Retinal is the portion of the photopigment first affected by light absorption and it is considered to be the active part, or chromophore, of the opsin-retinal complex. In human photopigments, opsin differs from one pigment to another, but the same retinal is used for all.

Rhodopsin is the purplish red protein present in rods only. In the retina, the rods have the photopigment rhodopsin while cones have three different photopigments. It functions as the primary photoreceptor molecule of vision and contains two parts: an opsin molecule linked to a chromophore, 11-cis-retinal

Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin A and is a light-absorbing portion of the visual photo pigment system. It also allows many microbes to convert light into metabolic energy. Rhodopsin is also a protein in the rods of eyes that help to see in dim light and cones are the ones to see in colored light.

Hence, the correct answer is option 3) Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C.

Q2. Which of the following is an example of a stimulus that involves multiple organ systems?

1. Seeing a butterfly

2. Tasting a sweet food

3. Running a marathon

4. Listening to music

Correct answer: 3) Running a marathon

Explanation:

Coordination is the adjustment of our body’s response towards any stimuli that involve multiple organ systems. Running a marathon involves multiple organ systems working together, such as the muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.

Hence, the correct answer is option 3) Running a marathon.

Q3. Assertion(A): Coordination is essential for the proper functioning of the human body.

Reason(R): It enables two or more organs to interact and complement each other's functions.

1. A and R both are correct and R explains the A

2. A and R both are correct and R does not explains the A

3. A is correct but R is incorrect

4. A and R both are incorrect.

Correct answer: 1) A and R both are correct and R explains the A

Explanation:

The assertion is true because coordination plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in the human body. The different organ systems need to work together seamlessly to ensure that the body functions properly. Without coordination, the body's response to a stimulus would be chaotic and unorganized.

Hence, the correct answer is option 1) A and R both are correct and R explains A.

Also Read:

• MCQs on Need for Control and Coordination

• Neural Control and Coordination

• Chemical Control and Coordination

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