Control and Coordination

Control and coordination is the life process that helps organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environment. This chapter explores how living organisms — both animals and plants — sense stimuli and produce coordinated responses. In animals, the nervous system (with neurons, brain, and spinal cord) provides rapid electrical signals, while the endocrine system (with hormones) provides slower, longer-lasting chemical signals. In plants, coordination happens through plant hormones (auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, ethylene) and tropic movements (phototropism, geotropism, etc.). Topics include neuron structure, reflex action, the human brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, plant tropisms, plant hormones, animal hormones, major endocrine glands (pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas), and disorders like diabetes, goitre, and dwarfism. This is a high-yield chapter for both Board exams and competitive exams like NEET — typically contributing 8-10 marks to the Class 10 Science paper.