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Neural Control and Coordination

Biology · Class 11NCERT pp. 230–2362 sets × 25 questions

Key facts and formulas for Neural Control and Coordination, three worked sample questions, and two full practice sets. Every question has a hint, a reason for every option and a step-by-step solution, with a calculator or animation where one helps. English and Hinglish.

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Key facts for this chapter

IdeaRule or fact
IdeaRule or fact
DivisionsCNS = brain + spinal cord. PNS = all nerves joined to the CNS. Afferent Arrives, efferent Exits.
Neuron typesMultipolar = cerebral cortex, bipolar = retina, unipolar = embryonic stage.
Resting potentialInside: K+ and negative proteins, little Na+. Outside: Na+ rich. About −70 mV, inside negative.
Na+/K+ pump3 Na+ out and 2 K+ in per cycle using 1 ATP. Net 1 positive charge removed per cycle.
Action potentialStimulus, Na+ entry, depolarisation, K+ exit, resting potential restored. All-or-none.
MyelinSchwann cells in PNS, oligodendrocytes in CNS. Saltatory conduction jumps node to node.
SynapseElectrical: close membranes, fast, rare in humans. Chemical: fluid cleft, neurotransmitters; EPSP or IPSP.
Meninges and brainDura, arachnoid, pia (outside to in). Brain stem = midbrain, pons, medulla.
ForebrainCorpus callosum joins hemispheres; thalamus coordinates; hypothalamus regulates; limbic system = emotions, hippocampus = memory.
SensesRods: dim light, rhodopsin (vitamin A). Cones: colour. Fovea sharpest. Ossicles: malleus, incus, stapes.

Three sample questions

Q1. Consider these statements.
I. The neural system coordinates through point-to-point connections and is fast.
II. The endocrine system gives chemical integration through hormones.
III. Hormonal control is the main subject of this chapter on neural control.
Which are correct?
  1. II and III only
  2. I and II only
  3. I and III only
  4. I, II and III
Hint and solution

Hint: Check each statement separately. Ask which system this chapter is actually about, and which system works by point-to-point wiring.

  1. I: neural = point-to-point, fast — Neurons are joined point to point, so the neural system gives quick and precise coordination. Statement I is true.
  2. II: endocrine = hormones — The endocrine system integrates functions chemically through hormones. Statement II is true.
  3. III: hormones are next chapter — This chapter is about the neural system. Hormonal control is dealt with in the next chapter, so statement III is false.
  4. Correct = I and II — Only statements I and II are correct. Option B.
Answer: B. This chapter deals with the neural system; hormonal control comes in the next chapter.
Q2. Which animal has a brain along with several ganglia and neural tissues?
  1. Hydra
  2. A sponge
  3. An amoeba
  4. An insect
Hint and solution

Hint: Think of the animal with the most organised nervous system. Hydra has only a loose network, and sponges and amoeba have no nerve cells.

  1. Simple network → organised system — Neural organisation increases from a simple network in lower animals to a brain with ganglia in higher ones.
  2. Hydra = network of neurons only — Hydra has just a network of neurons. Sponge and amoeba have no nerve cells, so none of these three has a brain.
  3. Insects have brain + ganglia — Insects have a brain together with several ganglia and neural tissues. So the answer is the insect. Option D.
Answer: D. Hydra has only a network of neurons; vertebrates have the most developed system.
Q3. The peripheral neural system includes
  1. all the nerves connected to the brain and spinal cord
  2. the brain and the spinal cord
  3. only the cranial nerves
  4. only the autonomic nerves
Hint and solution

Hint: Peripheral means outside the centre. Recall what makes up the centre (CNS) and what is left over.

  1. Neural system = CNS + PNS — The neural system of humans has two divisions, the central (CNS) and the peripheral (PNS).
  2. CNS = brain + spinal cord — The brain and spinal cord form the CNS, so they cannot be the answer.
  3. PNS = all nerves joined to CNS — The PNS is made of all the nerves connected to the CNS. Cranial or autonomic nerves alone are only parts of it. Option A.
Answer: A. The brain and spinal cord form the CNS.

How to use this chapter

Read the NCERT pages first, then attempt Set 1 without the hints. Note every wrong answer in a mistake list, read the reason for each option, and retry Set 2 two days later. A topic is solid when you can say why each wrong option is wrong.

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