Module 2 Lesson 7 - 2
Lesson 7 — Endocrine System vs Nervous System
Regulating the Internal Environment
Read page 436
You and your friends are at a rock concert. Coloured lights are flashing, and the music is loud. You are dancing with your friends and having a great time. You see the changing lights; you hear and feel the music; you sense the temperature of the
room. Heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature, and sweating all increase. Your body is able to detect and respond to environmental change and your internal environment is regulated by the two control systems you have studied in this unit: the
nervous system and the endocrine system. Structurally different in many ways, the two systems must interact constantly to control physiological processes such as heart rate.
Read page 436 in your textbook to explore how the nervous and endocrine systems are different.
The two systems are very different in respect to the following features: method of communication, speed of communication, duration of response, target pathway, and the actions brought about by the effectors. Consider the following table that contrasts
(identifying differences) the nervous system and endocrine system.
Contrasting the Nervous and Endocrine Systems
|
Feature to be Contrasted |
Nervous System |
Endocrine System |
|
Method of Communication |
Neural pathways or electrochemical impulse transmission |
Hormones in bloodstream |
|
Speed |
Very rapid (milliseconds) |
Relatively slow (minutes/hours/days) |
|
Duration |
Short-term effects |
Longer-lasting effects |
|
Target Pathway |
Specific through nerves to glands or muscles |
Hormones to a broad range of target cells |
|
Action |
Causes glands to secrete or muscles to contract |
Causes changes in metabolic activity |
