Coordination is a characteristic feature of living organisms. It is the process through which two or more organs interact and complement the functions of one another.
Coordination is achieved by two ways in humans and other higher order animals—neural coordination and chemical coordination.
Neural coordination is carried out by highly specialised cells called neurons.
The neural system is a network of point-to-point connections between the neurons and the organs and it operates through nerve impulses.
Neural coordination is always between the stimulus and the response—receptors and effectors.
All body functions are carried out and controlled by neural coordination.
The stimulus is received from organs such as the skin and a response is generated which is sent to the muscles or glands.
The previous stimulus is always stored in memory by the neural system.
Neural coordination helps in controlling and harmonising voluntary actions such as running, walking, writing and talking.
It helps us to remember, analyse, think and reason because the brain, a part of the neural system, is the site of intelligence.
All vital functions such as breathing, working of the heart and digestion are controlled by neural coordination.
It helps maintain homeostasis by coordinating between various metabolic activities of the body.