BIOLOGY- CHAPTER 7 CONTROL AND

COORDINATION

1 .What is the need for a system of control and

coordination in an organism?
Organisms make movements as a response to
changes in the environment. Each kind of a change
in the environment evokes an appropriate movement
in response.
The movement to be made depends on the event
that is triggering it.
Hence such controlled movements must be
connected to the recognition of various events in the
environment followed by only the correct movement
in response.
So there is a need for a system that provides control
and coordination.
2. How are messages transmitted through neurons?
Refer text pg 115.
3. What is a reflex action?
Rapid, automatic response to a stimulus without
involving the thinking action of the brain is called
reflex action.
Eg. Knee-jerk reflex
Pulling of hand back on touching a hot object.
Closing the eyes when bright light is focused.
4. What is the difference between reflex action and
walking.

Reflex action

Walking

 It is a sudden,
automatic response to
a stimulus.
Thinking action of the
brain is not involved.
3 . It is a very quick
action.

It is a thought out
voluntary action.
2.Brain is involved in the
thinking process
It is a comparatively
slow action.

5. How do we detect the smell of an incense stick?

We can sense the smell of an incense stick by the
olfactory lobes of the forebrain.
The particles of fragrance from the incense stick
strike the olfactoreceptors in the nose and through
the sensory neurons, the impulses are sent to the
brain.
The olfactory lobes of the forebrain analyse the
impulse and produce the sensation of smell.
6. Define a reflex arc. Name the components of a
reflex arc and mention the function of each of them
with an example.
Reflex arc is defined as the pathway followed by a
nerve impulse in a reflex action.
For example, pulling the hand back on touching a hot
object.
Parts of the reflex arc.
1 .Receptor- It receives the stimulus. The heat and
pain receptors in the skin of hand receive the
stimulus and convert it into an electrical impulse.
2. Sensory neuron It conducts the impulse to the
central nervous system. i.e., the spinal cord in a
reflex action.
3. Relay neuron In the spinal cord, the sensory
neuron relays the impulse to a relay neuron, which
transmits it to the motor neuron.
4. Motor neuron It conducts the impulse to the

effector organ.
5. Effector It is the organ which functions according
to the message or impulse brought by the motor
neuron; the muscles of the forearm contracts to pull
the hand back.
7. What is the function of receptors? Think of
situations where receptors do not work properly.
What problems are likely to arise?
Receptors are specialized nerve cells located in our
sense organs. Their function is to detect and receive
all information from our environment. The
information acquired at the specialized tips of
dendrites sets off a chemical reaction that creates an
electrical impulse.
If the receptors do not function properly, no
information will be received from outside and we
may not be able to see, hear, or detect taste, smell
etc.
8. Describe the various parts of human brain.
Brain is the main coordinating centre in the human
body. It is protected by the skull and a fluid which
functions as a shock absorber.
Brain is divided into three regions Fore brain,
Midbrain and Hind brain.
Forebrain is the main thinking part of the brain. It
includes cerebrum.
It has separate sensory areas, motor areas, and
association areas.
Sensory areas : There are specialized areas to
receive sensory impulses from various receptors;
these areas are for hearing, sight, pain etc.
Association areas : These are the areas where
the sensory information is interpreted by putting
together with information from other receptors
and the information that is already stored in the
brain. Based on all these, a decision is made
about how to respond and the information is
passed on to the motor areas.

 Motor areas: These are the areas which control

the movement of voluntary muscles; they send
the impulse to the effector organs.
A centre associated with hunger, which is in a
separate part of the forebrain provides us the
sensation of feeling full on having eaten enough.
Mid brain controls reflex movements of eye
muscles, changes in pupil size and shape of
the eye lens.
It also controls reflex movements of head,
neck and trunk in response to visual and
auditory stimuli.
Hind brain: It has three parts: a) Pons b)
Cerebellum and c) Medulla.
Pons- regulates respiration.
Cerebellum is responsible for :- i) maintaining
posture and balance of the body.
ii) Precision of voluntary movements.
Medulla controls involuntary functions like
blood pressure, salivation and vomiting.
9. How are involuntary actions and reflex actions
different from each other?
Involuntary actions

actions

Reflex

 These are actions

controlled by the
midbrain and the
hindbrain.
These involve the
involuntary muscles.
They occur in a
rhythmic manner and
are not sudden
responses to stimuli.

These actions are controlled

by the spinal cord.
These involve the voluntary
muscles.
They are sudden or
spontaneous responses to
some stimuli.

10. How does chemical coordination occur in plants?

Chemical coordination occurs in plants with the help
of plant hormones.
Plant hormones are chemicals secreted by plants
in minute quantities at different locations like
shoot tip.
These chemicals are secreted at locations away
from the site of their action.
They simply diffuse to the site of action and
coordinate growth, development and responses
to changes in the internal and external
environment.
11. How do auxins promote the growth of a tendril
around a support?
Tendrils are sensitive to touch.
When they come in contact with any support,
variation in growth is exhibited at two points.
Part of the tendril in contact with the support does
not grow rapidly
Part of the tendril away from the support grows
rapidly, as auxin gets diffused in this area.
This causes cell elongation in this area and causes
the tendril to coil around the support.

12. How do the movements of a sensitive plant differ

from the movement of a shoot towards light?
Movement of leaves of
sensitive plant
Movement independent
of growth
Movement neither
towards nor away from
stimulus.
It is a quick movement.
Cells change shape by
changing the amount of
water in them.

Movement of shoot
towards light
Movement dependent on
growth.
Movement is towards
stimulus.
It is a slow movement.
Plant hormone auxin helps
in cell elongation and
growth of the stem.

13. Give two reasons why chemical coordination is

necessary along with nervous coordination?
1. The electrical impulses can reach only those cells
that are connected by nervous tissue. All cells are
not connected by nervous tissue.
2. Cells cannot continually create and transmit
electrical impulses; once an electrical impulse is
generated and transmitted, it takes some time for
the cell will take some time to reset its mechanisms.

14. What is the difference between the manner in

which movement takes place in a sensitive plant and
movement in our legs?
Movement in sensitive
Movement in
plant
human legs

 The plant uses

electrical and chemical
means to convey the
information, but does
not have any
specialized tissues for
conduction of
information.
Movement involves
change in the shape of
cells that is brought
about by changing the
amount of water in
them resulting in
swelling and shrinking.

Humans also employ

electrical and chemical
means to convey the
information, but has
specialized nervous tissue
for conduction of
information.
Movement involves change
in shape of muscle cells,
brought about by change in
the shape and arrangement
of special proteins in the
muscle cells.

15. Design an experiment to demonstrate

hydrotropism.
The movement of a plant part in response to water is
called hydrotropism. The roots of a plant always grow
towards water, so roots are positively hydrotropic.
Experiment to demonstrate hydrotropism.
Take two glass troughs A and B.
Fill each of them two thirds with soil.
In trough A plant a tiny seedling.
In trough B also plant a similar seedling and
place a small clay pot inside the soil.
Water the soil in trough A daily and uniformly.
Do not water the soil in trough B, but put some
water in the clay pot buried in the soil.
Leave both the troughs for few days.
Now, dig up the seedlings carefully from both
the troughs without damaging their roots.
We will find that the roots of the seedling in trough
A is straight; whereas roots of the seedling in
trough B is bent towards the clay pot.
In trough B, roots gets water oozing out from the
clay pot. Hence the roots bend towards the clay
pot which is the source of water.

16. Describe how the drooping movement of

leaves is brought about in a sensitive plant.
The drooping of leaves in a sensitive plant occurs
in response to touch.
Movement happens at a point different from the
point of touch.
The plant uses electrical chemical means to
convey this information from cell to cell, as there is
no specialized tissue for conduction of information.
Inorder to bring about the movement, the cells
change shape, which is carried out by changing
the amount of water in them, resulting in swelling
or shrinking.
In this case, cells at the base of the petiole lose
water, leading to the drooping movement.
17. Compare and contrast nervous and hormonal
mechanisms for control and coordination in
animals.
Nervous
Hormonal
mechanism
mechanism
It is performed by
It is performed by
nervous system
chemical substances
receiving information
called hormones secreted
from receptors and
by endocrine glands.
acts through effectors.
Messages are
Messages are transmitted
transmitted in the
in the form of chemicals
form of electrical
called hormones.
impulses.
The information is
The information is
transmitted slowly.
transmitted very
quickly.
The system is not directly
The system is directly connected to tissues and
connected to the
organs under its control.
tissues and organs
under its control.
Messages are transmitted
through blood stream.
Messages are
transmitted along
nerve fibers.

DIAGRAM OF NEPHRON