Very Short Question and Answers - Introduction to Control and Coordination

Living organisms need control and coordination to respond to environmental changes, maintain internal balance, and carry out different functions efficiently for survival and proper functioning.

'Control' refers to regulating or managing activities and responses within an organism.

'Coordination' means the orderly working together of different organs and organ systems of an organism to produce appropriate responses to stimuli.

Withdrawing your hand quickly after touching a hot object is an example of control and coordination in animals.

The nervous system is mainly responsible for control and coordination in animals.

Animals achieve control and coordination through the nervous system and the endocrine (hormonal) system.

Neurons are specialized nerve cells that transmit electrical signals throughout the body.

Plants control and coordinate their activities using chemical substances called phytohormones (or plant hormones).

Auxin promotes cell elongation and growth, while abscisic acid promotes leaf fall and dormancy.

Phototropism is the growth of a plant towards light, such as a plant shoot bending towards sunlight.

The hormone auxin is mainly responsible for phototropism.

The endocrine system secretes hormones that regulate slow and long-term bodily functions, such as metabolism, growth, and reproduction.

When you see and smell food, your nervous system signals salivary glands to produce saliva and your endocrine system releases insulin to manage blood sugar.

A stimulus is any change in the environment to which an organism responds. Example: Light is a stimulus for plants.

Plants do not need a nervous system because they are generally stationary and respond slowly to stimuli, so chemical control through hormones is sufficient.

Thigmotropism is the growth response of a plant to touch, such as the closing of Venus flytrap leaves when touched.

When the body becomes hot, the brain detects this and signals sweat glands to produce sweat, cooling the body and maintaining temperature homeostasis.

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment, e.g., maintaining body temperature in humans.

Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels.

Closing of Mimosa pudica (touch-me-not) leaves on touch is an example of plant movement without growth.