NCERT Solutions
Class 11 Biology
Neural Control and Coordination

Q.1
Briefly describe the structure of the following:
(a) Brain (b) Eye (c) Ear
(a) BRAIN
Human brain is protected by skull. Inside the skull, there are three layers covering brain: dura mater (outer layer), arachnoid (middle layer) and pia mater (inner layer). Brain is divided into three major parts:
- Forebrain: consists of cerebrum, thalamus and hypothalamus.
- Midbrain: is located between forebrain and hindbrain.
- Hindbrain: consists of pons, cerebellum and medulla.
(b) EYE
Eye is a spherical structure consisting of three layers: outer, middle and inner.
Outer layer is composed of sclera and cornea. Sclera is opaque tissue composed of dense connective tissue. Cornea is transparent anterior portion of the eye which lack blood vessels and are nourished by lymph from the nearby area. It is slightly bulged forward and helps in focusing light rays with the help of lens.
Middle layer is composed of choroid, ciliary body and iris. Choroid lies next to sclera and contains numerous blood vessels that provide nutrients and oxygen to the retina and other tissues. Ciliary body is thick anterior portion which contains blood vessels, ciliary muscles and ciliary processes. Iris is the visible colored portion of the eye.
Inner layer of eye is retina, which is also called as screen of eye on which image is formed. It contains three layers of cells: inner ganglion cells, middle bipolar cells and outermost photoreceptor cells. There are two types of receptor cells in the retina: rod cells and cone cells.
(c) EAR
Ear is a sense organ for hearing and equilibrium. It is divided into three sections: outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.
Outer ear consists of pinna, auditory meatus and tympanic membrane. Pinna collects all the vibrations in the air which produce sound. Auditory meatus is a tube-like structure supported by cartilage. Tympanic membrane is a thin membrane lies close to the auditory canal.
Middle ear is air-filled tympanic cavity connected with pharynx through Eustachian tube. This tube helps to equalize air pressure in both sides of tympanic membrane. It contains three ear ossicles namely malleus, incus and stapes attached to each other.
Inner ear is also known as labyrinth which is divided into bony and membranous labyrinth. Membranous labyrinth is divided into two: vestibular apparatus and cochlea.