Henry Mullo

CO-ORDINATION

Describe the functions of the nervous and endocrine systems

including the transmission of nerve impulses and hormone action.

Three functions of the nervous system with reference to:

Brain: The main function of the brain when it comes to

the nervous system, it’s to keep the body away ‘’from
danger’’

Example: When a message comes into the brain from

anywhere in the body, the brain tells the body how to
react. For example, if you accidentally touch a hot
stove, the nerves in your skin shoot a message of pain
to your brain. The brain then sends a message back
telling the muscles in your hand to pull away. Luckily,
this neurological relay race last only a few micro-
seconds.

Spinal cord: The spinal cord is part of the central

nervous system. It is a bundle of nerves that passes
through the bones of the vertebrae down the back. It
sends sensations to the brain from the body, and
returns motor commands to the various parts of the
body. The spinal cord has a primary role in reflexes and
in the autonomic nervous system.

Muscles: Muscles are controlled directly by the nervous

system and are involuntary, it means that these muscles
are not able to be moved by conscious thought.
Functions such as heart beat and lungs (which are
capable of being willingly controlled, be it to a limited
extent) are involuntary muscles but are not smooth
muscles.
Henry Mullo

NERVOUS SYSTEM
The nervous system acts via nerve impulses and
neurotransmitters (hormone-like chemicals),
directing nervous tissues, smooth muscles, and
other organs of the body to move, mix, and
propel foodstuffs that enter the digestive
system.
While some appetite control originates from
nervous and hormonal connections between the
digestive system and the brain, the digestive
system possesses its own, localized nervous
system, referred to as the enteric nervous
system. There’s a mini brain located in your gut.
In this mini-nervous system, neurotransmitters
are released, which can relay, amplify and
modulate different signals between cells of the
body.

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
The endocrine system produces and processes all
kinds of hormones ranging from
neurotransmitters to anabolic storage hormones
to sex hormones.
The organs of the endocrine system are sensitive
to changes in the body, and, in response to these
Henry Mullo

changes, send out messengers (called hormones)

to tell the body how to respond. These energy
regulating hormones are classified into either
short term or long term. The vagus nerve is the
key connection between the gut and the brain.