Nervous and Endocrine Coordination Systems Explained

Coordination Systems

Nervous System

The nervous system consists of nervous tissue, develops rapid responses, and these responses are short-lived. It acts through nerve impulses.

Endocrine System

The endocrine system consists of endocrine glands. It produces responses that are very slow but durable. It acts through chemical messengers.

Elements of Coordination

Receiver (Receptor)

The structure able to perceive stimuli and transmit them to the nerve centers.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The body responsible for receiving information received by the receptors, processing and preparing it, and transmitting a series of responses to the effector organs.

Effector

The body responsible for carrying out the answer. There may be two types of effectors:

• Muscle: Produces a motor response, which involves a movement.
• Gland: Causes a secretory response, involving the secretion of some substance.

Nervous System Components

Neurons

Their function is to receive and transmit messages as nerve impulses.

Glial Cells

Protect, insulate, and nourish neurons.

Nervous System Organization

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The CNS consists of the brain (cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata) and the spinal cord. It is responsible for the control of the body and its activities.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The PNS transmits nerve impulses from receptors to the CNS, and from the CNS to the effectors.

PNS Divisions

• Somatic Nervous System (SN): Responsible for voluntary actions; it controls body motion.
• Autonomic Nervous System (Self SN): Responsible for activities carried out involuntarily and automatically.

Endocrine System Details

Major Endocrine Glands

The endocrine system consists of endocrine glands. Major endocrine glands are the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, the pancreas, ovaries, and testicles.

Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers that perform their function at a distance from where they are synthesized. The responses they cause are slower than those produced by the nervous system, but they are more durable. They act in very small quantities, and when they perform their function, they are degraded rapidly.

Nervous System Function Summary

The functioning of the nervous system is responsible for receiving the stimuli it receives from the external and internal environment, organizing this information, and producing an appropriate response. It produces rapid and short-lived responses in two ways:

• Voluntary Action: A voluntary and conscious response, controlled by the brain.
• Involuntary Acts: Instant and involuntary answers, which take place automatically, occurring through the reflex arc.