CBSE · Class 10 · Science · Chapter 6
Control and Coordination — Class 10 Science (CBSE) explained
- Board exam 2026-27
- 4 lessons
- 28 scenes
- About 21 min
- Updated
Quick answer
Control and Coordination is Chapter 6 of CBSE Class 10 Science. It covers receptors and nervous tissue, structure and function of a neuron, central and peripheral nervous systems, protection of nervous tissues, limits of electrical communication and functions of plant hormones. AI Lessons teaches it in 4 narrated lessons (about 21 minutes) with an AI tutor and board-pattern practice.
What you’ll learn
Lesson 1: Detecting Changes and Responding Quickly
5 min- Why Does Movement Need Control?
- Where Does Information Enter?
- Follow Information Through a Neuron
- How Does Information Cross a Synapse?
- Activity 6.1: Compare Taste with the Nose Blocked
- Why Are Reflex Responses Useful?
- Trace the Reflex Arc
Lesson 2: Coordinating Actions in Animals and Plants
5 min- How Does the Brain Communicate with the Body?
- The Fore-Brain: Interpret, Decide and Respond
- Automatic Actions and Balanced Movement
- Protecting the Brain and Spinal Cord
- How Does a Nervous Signal Cause Movement?
- The Sensitive Plant Moves Without Muscles
- Why Does a Tendril Circle a Support?
Lesson 3: Directional Growth and Chemical Communication
5 min- Activity 6.2: Follow the Direction of Light
- Tropic Movements: Direction Matters
- Why Are Electrical Impulses Not Enough?
- Chemical Signals Can Reach More Widely
- Auxin Explains Bending Towards Light
- Plant Hormones Do Different Jobs
- Adrenaline Prepares the Body for Action
Lesson 4: Animal Hormones, Feedback and Practice
6 min- Activity 6.3: Locate the Endocrine Glands
- Why Is Iodised Salt Advisable?
- Growth Hormone and Its Release
- Hormones and Changes at Puberty
- Insulin and Feedback Regulation
- Activity 6.4: Connect Hormones, Glands and Functions
- Recap: Trace, Compare and Explain
Key concepts
- Receptors and nervous tissue
- Detecting a change is the beginning of coordination, not the final action. The information must still travel through nervous tissue.
- Structure and function of a neuron
- The end of the axon is important because information must pass onward to another cell.
- Central and peripheral nervous systems
- The brain is the body's main coordinating centre. Together, the brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system.
- Protection of nervous tissues
- The brain is a delicate organ with many important coordinating functions.
- Limits of electrical communication
- Electrical impulses are excellent for this, but they have two limitations.
- Functions of plant hormones
- Abscisic acid is a hormone that inhibits growth, and its effects include wilting of leaves. Organise these hormones by their stated functions rather than treating them as interchangeable names.
- Growth hormone and coordinated release
- Growth and development are coordinated processes, not simply increases in size.
- Insulin and feedback
- Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Exam focus
- Board exam
- CBSE assesses this chapter in the 2026-27 year-end board examination.
- Syllabus
- Control and co-ordination in animals and plants: Tropic movements in plants; Introduction of plant hormones; Control and co-ordination in animals: Nervous system; Voluntary, involuntary and reflex action; Chemical co-ordination: animal hormones.
- Paper pattern
- 80 marks, 3 hours, 39 questions in three sections (A Biology, B Chemistry, C Physics); internal assessment 20. Units: I Chemical Substances 25, II World of Living 25, III Natural Phenomena 12, IV Effects of Current 13, V Natural Resources 5.
- Question style
- About 50% of board questions are competency-focused: case-based, source-based, integrated, data interpretation, situational and application-oriented.
- Practice in the app
- 88 board-pattern questions with marking schemes: 28 multiple choice (1 mark), 12 assertion–reason (1 mark), 21 very short answer (2 marks), 13 short answer (3 marks), 4 long answer (5 marks) and 10 case-based (4 marks).
Sample questions with marking points
Board-pattern questions from the AI Lessons practice set for this chapter. The marking points show what an examiner looks for; full model answers are in the app.
Very short answer2 marks
A student hears a familiar voice and decides to talk to the speaker. Explain how the association areas and motor areas of the fore-brain contribute to this response.
Marking points
- Association areas interpret sensory information by combining it with other inputs and stored information to support recognition and a decision.1
- Information about the response passes to motor areas that control the voluntary muscles involved in talking.1
Short answer3 marks
A person detects the smell of an incense stick. Explain how this information enters the nervous system and travels within a neuron. Include the receptor type, the formation of the signal and its route.
Marking points
- Identifies olfactory receptors, specialised nerve-cell tips, as detecting smell.1
- Information at the dendritic tip triggers a chemical reaction that creates an electrical impulse.1
- Gives the correct route: dendrite → cell body → axon ending.1
Long answer5 marks
A squirrel facing danger must prepare many tissues for either fighting or running away. Explain why a hormonal signal is useful in addition to electrical impulses. Name the gland and hormone involved, state the transport route, and describe the coordinated changes in heart activity, blood distribution and breathing.
Marking points
- Electrical impulses reach only nervously connected cells; a hormonal signal provides a wider potential reach for coordinating many tissues.1
- Adrenal glands secrete adrenaline.0.5
- Adrenaline is secreted directly into blood and carried to different body parts.0.5
- The heart beats faster, increasing oxygen supply to muscles.1
- Contraction of muscles around small arteries reduces blood flow to the digestive system and skin, diverting blood towards skeletal muscles.1
- Breathing rate increases through contractions of the diaphragm and rib muscles.1
Frequently asked questions
What does Control and Coordination cover in Class 10 Science?
It covers receptors and nervous tissue, structure and function of a neuron, central and peripheral nervous systems, protection of nervous tissues, limits of electrical communication and functions of plant hormones. AI Lessons teaches it in 4 lessons: Detecting Changes and Responding Quickly, Coordinating Actions in Animals and Plants, Directional Growth and Chemical Communication and Animal Hormones, Feedback and Practice.
Is Control and Coordination in the CBSE Class 10 board exam?
Yes. CBSE assesses Control and Coordination in the 2026-27 year-end board examination.
What is detecting a change?
Detecting a change is the beginning of coordination, not the final action. The information must still travel through nervous tissue.
What is thinking?
Thinking is a complex activity involving interactions among many impulses and neurons. A simpler connection between nerves that detect heat and nerves that move muscles can produce a quicker response.
What is the brain?
The brain is the body's main coordinating centre. Together, the brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system.
What is the role of the areas of association in the fore-brain?
Interpret sensory information using other sensory inputs and stored information. Association areas interpret sensory information by combining it with other inputs and information already stored in the brain; they do not merely receive impulses.
Which major brain region contains the centre associated with hunger that produces the sensation of feeling full?
Fore-brain. A centre associated with hunger in a separate part of the fore-brain produces the sensation of feeling full.
How does AI Lessons teach Control and Coordination?
As 4 narrated, animated lessons (28 scenes, about 21 minutes in all), with an AI tutor that knows the step you are on and board-pattern practice with marking schemes. The full lessons open after sign-in on an AI Lessons account.
Watch the full lesson
Control and Coordination, as a narrated, animated lesson
4 lessons · 28 animated scenes · about 21 minutes, with an AI tutor that knows the step you are on and 88 board-pattern questions with marking schemes.
Lessons open after sign-in. A parent or guardian holds the account and adds each child.