Reception, Response and Co-ordination in Plants and Animals

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the reception, response, and coordination in both plants and animals.

Reception

The art of receiving signals of changes through various organs.

Stimulus

A condition in the environment which produces a change in the activity of part or the whole organism.

External stimuli

Conditions in the external environment that produce a change in organism activity (e.g. temperature, light).

Internal stimuli

Conditions in the internal environment that produce a change in organism activity (e.g. accumulation of wastes, presence of internal parasites).

Response

A change in an activity of an organism.

Irritability

The ability of an organism to detect and respond to changes in the environment.

Receptors

Parts of the body that receive stimuli.

Effectors

Parts of the body that bring about response.

Co-ordination

The working together of different body parts to enhance performance of physiological actions.

Tropism

A growth curvature in response to a unidirectional external stimulus.

Phototropism

Growth curvature in response to unidirectional light.

Hydrotropism

Growth curvature in response to water/moisture.

Chemotropism

Growth curvature in response to chemical concentration.

Geotropism

Growth curvature in response to gravity.

Thigmotropism

Growth curvature in response to contact.

Taxis

Movement of the whole organism in response to a unidirectional external stimulus.

Phototaxis

Movement in response to light.

Chemotaxis

Movement in response to chemicals.

Aerotaxis

Movement in response to oxygen concentration.

Thermotaxis

Movement in response to temperature changes.

Nastism

Non-directional movements of parts of plants in response to diffuse stimuli.

Haptonasty

Movement in response to touch.

Nyctinasty

Movement in response to changes in light or temperature between day and night.

Accommodate

The ability of the eye to focus on both near and distant objects.

Retina

The innermost layer of the eye containing photoreceptors.

Cones

Photoreceptors in the retina responsible for color vision and detail.

Rods

Photoreceptors in the retina that detect light in low intensity.

Myelin sheath

An insulating layer that covers axons in the nervous system.

Endocrine system

A system of glands that release hormones to control and regulate body functions.

Pituitary gland

The master gland that controls other endocrine glands and regulates various bodily functions.

Nervous system

A system that consists of specialized cells called neurons for the transmission of electrical impulses.

Reflex action

A rapid, automatic response to a stimulus processed in the spinal cord.

Simple reflex action

An involuntary response that does not require prior experience.

Conditioned reflex action

A learned response that develops from past experiences.

Decline in vision

Refers to conditions like short-sightedness and long-sightedness that affect clarity of sight.

Cochlea

A coiled structure in the inner ear that is crucial for hearing.

Tinnitus

A condition characterized by ringing or hissing sounds in the ear.

Deafness

A hearing defect where an individual cannot perceive sound.

Vertigo

A condition causing dizziness and balance problems.