Class 10 Science Chapter 6: Control and Coordination

Chapter 6 of the NCERT Class 10 Science textbook “Science”.

Chapter at a glance

Control and coordination explain how living beings keep their body parts working together. Animals mainly use the nervous system (fast, electrical signals) and hormones (slower, chemical messages). This part introduces the nervous system, its major divisions and the neuron — the basic cell that carries messages. You will learn how a simple signal moves and what a reflex action is.

What you will learn: Why organisms need coordination, how the nervous system is organised, what a neuron looks like and how nerve impulses pass from one place to another.

Why it matters: Understanding these basics helps explain behaviour, quick responses (like pulling your hand from a hot object), and how organs work together to keep you alive.

Key concepts

Control and coordination (one line) — Control and coordination are how different body parts work together in a planned way.
Nervous system: main divisions — The nervous system is the fast network that carries signals across the body.
Neuron: structure and types — A neuron is a nerve cell that transmits messages as electrical signals.
Synapse and direction of impulse — A synapse is a small gap between two neurons where messages jump across.
Reflex action (basic idea) — A reflex action is an automatic, quick response to a stimulus without conscious thought.

What the chapter covers

Try at Home — A safe, simple activity to see reflex-like response.
Why Questions — Short answers to common 'why' queries in this chapter.

Remember for the exam

Reflex actions are automatic and usually spinal cord-based.
Synapses use chemical messengers for one-way transmission.

Common mistakes

Mistake: Saying hormones and nerve impulses are equally fast. Better: Nerve impulses are fast; hormones act slower but often have longer-lasting effects.
Mistake: Claiming reflex actions always involve the brain. Better: Reflex arcs usually use the spinal cord; the brain may get a copy of the event later.
Mistake: Describing a synapse as an electrical gap where current flows directly. Better: Neurotransmitters cross the synapse to continue the signal in the next neuron.

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Neuron and Reflex Arc