BRAINCAKECoordinating Nervous and Hormonal Responses
Mammals have two communication systems that work together to coordinate responses: the nervous system and the endocrine (hormonal) system.
Comparing the two systems
• Signal: the nervous system uses electrical impulses (action potentials) along neurones, with neurotransmitters at synapses; the endocrine system uses chemical signals, hormones, carried in the blood.
• Speed: nervous responses are very rapid; hormonal responses are usually slower.
• Duration: nervous responses are short-lived; hormonal effects are often long-lasting.
• Target: impulses go to specific cells, giving a localised response; hormones travel all around the body but affect only target cells with complementary receptors, often giving a widespread response.
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Key terms in this lesson
- neurosecretory cell
- A specialised nerve cell that secretes a hormone directly into the blood, such as those linking the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary gland.
More in Hormonal Communication
- Glucagon
- Mechanism of Insulin Secretion
- Diabetes Mellitus
- The Fight or Flight Response
- Adrenaline and the Second Messenger Model
- The Cardiovascular Centre in the Medulla
- Control of Heart Rate
- Baroreceptors
All 19 lessons in Hormonal Communication · All OCR A-level Biology topics