Electrical impulse is an excellent means to transmit information in the animal body, but there are some limitations to the use of electrical impulses. State any two limitations.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:48 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Two limitations of electrical impulses for transmitting information:
- Limited reach: Nerve impulses can only instruct tissues directly connected by nerve cells. They cannot reach every cell in the body, so the range of tissues that can be coordinated is limited.
- Wide-ranging changes not possible: If the body relied only on electrical impulses, it could not bring about the broad, body-wide changes (e.g., preparing muscles, heart, lungs simultaneously) needed in complex situations like fight-or-flight responses.
Source: Chapter 6, Section 6.3 — Hormones in Animals
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Explanation
The textbook explicitly states: "If the body design relied only on electrical impulses via nerve cells, the range of tissues instructed to prepare for the coming activity would be limited." Examiners expect both points — limited reach (only nerve-connected tissues) and inability to cause wide-ranging/body-wide changes. Avoid vague answers; use the context of the fight-or-flight example to support your points.