Video Transcript
Besides the nervous system, which
of the following systems has a role in controlling body functions and homeostasis by
using chemical messengers? (A) The digestive system, (B) the
circulatory system, (C) the endocrine system, or (D) the reproductive system.
The body is made of 11 organ
systems that manage all the essential body functions, such as digestion or
respiration, just to name a few. All these systems are
interdependent. They try to work in harmony to
create a healthy state of balance within the body. This state is called
homeostasis.
The nervous system is involved in
maintaining homeostasis. It receives information about the
external and internal environments. Then, it generates appropriate
responses to keep the body healthy. For example, if we are cold, our
sensory system informs our central nervous system and then our brain instructs our
muscles to contract. This requires energy and produces
heat that helps maintain our body temperature around 37 degrees Celsius. This is why we shiver when we’re
cold. The nervous system uses
electrochemical messengers that travel in our nerve cells. This provides a fast response, and
it has a short-term effect.
There is another important system
that controls homeostasis, the endocrine system. This system is made of different
endocrine glands that produce chemical messengers called hormones. Hormones travel in the blood. When they reach their target, they
can change the activity of their target cells. For example, if we are cold, our
endocrine system is activated too. The pituitary gland is stimulated
to release thyroid-stimulating hormones that activate the thyroid. The thyroid gland releases hormones
that cause our body cells to use more energy. This generates heat and contributes
to maintaining our body at around 37 degrees Celsius. With this example, you can see that
the responses generated by the endocrine system are slower to take place and last
longer.
Now we are able to answer our
question. Besides the nervous system, the
system that has a role in controlling body functions and homeostasis using chemical
messengers is the endocrine system.
