Co-ordinating Response (Edexcel IGCSE Science (Double Award)) : Revision Note

Co-ordinating a Response

  • Homeostasis (maintaining controlled conditions within the body) is under involuntary (automatic) control

  • This means that the brain stem (or non-conscious part of the brain) and the spinal cord are involved in maintaining homeostasis – you don’t consciously maintain your body temperature or blood glucose level

  • These automatic control systems may involve nervous responses or chemical responses (e.g. via hormones)

  • All control systems that carry out co-ordinated responses require the following:

    • A stimulus (a change in the environment e.g. a change in glucose levels in the blood, a change in body temperature etc.)

    • A receptor (receptor cells that detect stimuli)

    • A coordination centre (such as the brain, spinal cord and pancreas), which receives and processes information from receptors

    • An effector (a muscle or gland), which brings about responses to restore optimum levels

Coordinating a response, downloadable IGCSE & GCSE Biology revision notes

A co-ordinated response (such as that required when there is not enough water in the blood) requires a stimulus, a receptor and an effector

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Lára Marie McIvor

Author: Lára Marie McIvor

Expertise: Biology, Psychology & Sociology Lead

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.

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