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IMI Phys. Ch. 4

Nervous System Basics & the CNS - Key Terms

Question	Answer
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis	A progressive disease that begins in the central nervous system & involves the degeneration of motor neurons & the subsequent atrophy of voluntary muscle. (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease)
Ascending tracts	Tracts that carry sensory information to the brain.
Axon	A single elongated projection from a nerve cell body that transmits impulses away from a cell body.
Brain	The largest and most complex unit of the nervous system; the brain is responsible for perception, sensation, emotion, intellect, & action.
Brainstem	The primitive portion of the brain that contains centers for vital functions and reflex actions, such as vomiting, coughing, sneezing, posture, and basic movement patterns.
Central nervous system	The brain and spinal cord and their coverings.
Cerebellum	The second largest part of the brain; the cerebellum is involved with balance, posture, coordination, and movement.
Cerebrospinal fluid	A clear, colorless fluid that flows throughout the brain and around the spinal cord, cushioning and protecting these structures and maintaining proper pH balance.
Cerebrum	The largest of the brain divisions; the cerebrum consists of 2 hemispheres that occupy the uppermost region of the cranium. The cerebrum receives, interprets, & associates incoming information w/ past memories & transmits the appropriate motor response.
Dendrites	Branching projections from the nerve cell body that carry signals to the cell body.
Descending tracts	Tracts that carry motor information from the brain to the spinal cord.
Dorsal root	One of two roots that attach a spinal nerve to the spinal cord.
Epilepticus	A continuous seizure.
Essential tremor	A chronic tremor that does not proceed from any other pathologic condition.
Gray matter	Unmyelinated nervous tissue, particularly that found in the central nervous system.
Monoplegia	Paralysis of a single limb or a single group of muscles.
Myelin	A white, fatty, insulating substance formed by the Schwann cells that surrounds some axons. Also produced in the central nervous system by oligodendrocytes.
Neurilemma	The outer cell membrane of a Schwann cell that is essential in the regeneration of injured axons. The thin membrane spirally wraps the myelin layers of certain fibers, especially of peripheral nerves, or the axons of certain unmyelinated nerve fibers.
Neuroglia	Specialized connective tissue cells that support, protect and hold together neurons.
Neurons	Nerve cells that conduct impulses.
Neurotransmitters	Chemical compounds that generate action potentials when released into the synapses from presynaptic cells.
Paraplegia	Paralysis of the lower portion of the body and of both legs.
Quadriplegia	Paralysis or loss of movement of all four limbs.
Schwann cell	A specialized cell that forms myelin.
Spinal cord	The portion of the central nervous system that exits the skull & extends into the vertebral column. The two major functions of the spinal cord are to conduct nerve impulses and to be a center for spinal reflexes.
Synapse	A space between neurons or between a neuron and an effector organ.
Tracts	Collections of nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord that have a common function.
Ventral root	One of two roots that attach a spinal nerve to the spinal cord.
White matter	Myelinated nerve fibers, particularly those found in brain and spinal tissue.

Created by: KLCD on 2011-02-09

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IMI Phys. Ch. 4

Nervous System Basics & the CNS - Key Terms