Class 10 Science

Control and Coordination Nervous System

These notes are based on the chapter Control and Coordination class 10 science of NCERT book and CBSE syllabus

  • Central Nervous System
  • Peripheral Nervous System

The nervous system is composed of specialized tissues, called nervous tissue. The nerve cell or neuron is the functional unit of the nervous system. It is the nervous system which is mainly responsible for control and coordination in complex animals.

Human Nervous System

The nervous system in humans can be divided into two main parts, viz. the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system can be further divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomous nervous system.

  1. Central Nervous System
  2. Peripheral Nervous System
    1. Somatic nervous system
    2. Autonomous nervous system
      1. Sympathetic nervous system
      2. Parasympathetic nervous system

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain controls all the functions in the human body. The spinal cord works as the relay channel for signals between the brain and the peripheral nervous system.

Peripheral Nervous System

The peripheral nervous system is composed of the cranial nerves and spinal nerves.

  • There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves. The cranial nerves come out of the brain and go to the organs in the head region.
  • There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves. The spinal nerves come out of the spinal cord and go to the organs which are below the head region.

Peripheral nervous system is composed of two parts. They are: somatic nervous system and autonomous nervous system.

Somatic Nervous System

This is the part of the peripheral nervous system. Somatic nervous system is associated with volunatry control of organs.

Autonomous Nervous System

The autonomous nervous system is composed of a chain of nerve ganglion which runs along the spinal cord. It controls all the involuntary actions in the human body. The autonomous nervous system can be divided into two parts:

  1. Sympathetic Nervous System: This part of the autonomous nervous system heightens the activity of an organ as per the need. For example, during running, there is an increased demand for oxygen by the body. This is fulfilled by an increased breathing rate and increased heart rate. In this case, the sympathetic nervous system works to increase the breathing rate and the heart rate.
  2. Parasympathetic Nervous System: This part of the autonomous nervous system slows down the activity of an organ and thus has a calming effect. During sleep, the breathing rate slows down and so does the heart rate. This is facilitated by the parasympathetic nervous system. It can be said that the parasympathetic nervous system helps in conservation of energy.

Test Your Knowledge

  1. What is the functional unit of the nervous system?
    Answer: Neuron
  2. The nervous system is composed of which type of tissues?
    Answer: Nervous tissue
  3. Which part of the nervous system prepares the body during increased physical activities?
    Answer: Sympathetic Nervous System

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