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T.L.O.M CH10
The Language of Medicine Chapter 10 Nervous System
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acetylcholine | Neurotransmitter chemical released at the ends of nerve cells. |
| Afferent Nerve | Carries messages toward the brain and spinal cord (sensory nerve). Afferent comes from af- (a form of ad-, meaning toward) and -ferent (meaning carrying). |
| Arachnoid Membrane | Middle layer of the three membranes (meninges) that surrround the brain and spinal cord. (The Greek arachne means spider.) |
| Astrocyte | Type of glial (neuroglial) cell that transports water and salts from capillaries in the nervous system. |
| Autonomic Nervous System | Nerves that control involuntary body functions of muscles, glands, and internal organs. |
| Axon | Microscopic fiber that is part of a neuron and carries nervous impulse along a nerve cell. |
| Blood-Brain Barrier | Protective separation between the blood and brain cells. This makes it difficult for substances (such as anticancer drugs) to penetrate capillary walls and enter the brain. |
| Brainstem | Posterior portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord; includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. |
| Cauda Equina | Collection of spinal nerves below the end of the spinal cord. |
| Cell Body | Part of a nerve cell that contains the nucleus. |
| Central Nervous System (CNS) | Brain and spinal cord. |
| Cerebellum | Posterior part of the brain that coordinates muscle movements and maintains balance. |
| Cerebral Cortex | Outer region of the cerebrum, containing sheets of nerve cells; gray matter of the brain. |
| Cerebrospinal Fluid | Circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord. |
| Cerebrum | Largest part of the brain; responsible for voluntary muscular activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, and memory |
| Cranial Nerves | Nerves carry messages to and from the brain to all parts of head and neck and also (in the case of the vagus nerve) to other parts of the body. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves. |
| Dendrite | Microscopic branching fiber of a nerve cell (neuron) that is the first part to receive the nervous impulse. |
| Dura Mater | Thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord. Latin for "hard mother" |
| Efferent Nerve | Carries messages away from the brain and spinal cord; motor nerve. Efferent comes from ef- (meaning away from) and -ferent (meaning to carry.) |
| Ependymal Cell | Glial cell that lines membranes within the brain and spinal cord and helps form cerebrospinal fluid. |
| Ganglion | Collection of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system. |
| Glial Cell | Supportive and connective nerve cell that does not carry nervous impulses. Examples are astrocytes, microglial cells, ependymal cells, and oligodendrocytes. Glial cells and reproduce themselves. |
| Gyrus | Sheet of nerve cells that produces a rounded ridge on the surface of the cerebral cortex; convolution |
| Hypothalamus | Portion of the brain beneath the thalamus; controls sleep, appetite, body temperature, and secretions from the pituitary gland. |
| Medulla Oblong | Part of the brain just above the spinal cord; controls breathing, heartbeat, and the size of blood vessels; nerve fibers cross over here. |
| Meninges | Three protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. |
| Microglial Cell | Phagocytic glial cell that remove waste products from the central nervous system. |
| Midbrain | Uppermost portion of the brainstem. |
| Motor Nerve | Carries messages away from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and organs; efferent nerve. |
| Myelin Sheath | Covering of white fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates the axon of a nerve cell. Myelin speeds impulse conduction along axons. |
| Nerve | Macroscopic cord-like collection of fibers (axons) that carry electrical impulses. |
| Neuron | Nerve cell that is necessary for impulses to be carried throughout the nervous system; parenchyma of the nervous system. |
| Neurotransmitter | Chemical messenger released at the end of a nerve cell. It stimulates or inhibits another cell, which can be a nerve cell, muscle cell, or gland cell. Examples of neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. |
| Oligodendroglial Cell | Glial cell that forms the myelin sheath covering axons. Also called oligodendrocyte. |
| Parasympathetic Nerves | Involuntary autonomic nerves that regulate normal body functions such as heart rate, breathing, and muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. |
| Parenchyma | Essential, distinguishing tissue of any organ or system. |
| Peripheral Nervous System | Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord: cranial, spinal, and autonomic nerves. |
| Pia Mater | Thin, delicate inner membrane of the meninges. |
| Plexus | Large, interlacing network of nerves. Examples are lumbosacral, cervical, and brachial (brachi/o means arm) plexuses. The term originated from the Indo-European plek, meaning to weave together. |
| Pons | Part of the brain anterior to the cerebellum and between the medulla and the rest of the midbrain. It is a bridge connecting various parts of the brain. In Latin, pons means bridge. |
| Receptor | Organ that receives and transmits a stimulus to sensory nerves. The skin, ears, eyes, and taste buds are receptors. |
| Sciatic Nerve | Nerve extending from the base of the spine down the thigh, lower leg, and foot. Sciatica is pain or inflammation along the course of the nerve. |
| Sensory Nerve | Carries messages toward the brain and spinal cord from a receptor; afferent nerve. |
| Spinal Nerves | Pairs of nerves, arising one on each side of the spinal column. They transmit messages to and from the spinal cord. |
| Stimulus | Agent of change in the internal or external environment that evokes a response. It may be light, sound, touch, pressure, or pain. |
| Stroma | Connective and supporting tissue of an organ. Glial cells make up the stromal tissue of the brain. |
| Sulcus | Depression or groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex; fissure. |
| Sympathetic Nerves | Autonomic nerves that influence bodily functions involuntarily in times of stress. |
| Synapse | Space through which a nervous impulse travels between nerve cells or between nerve and muscle or glandular cells. From the Greek synapsis, a point of contact. |
| Thalamus | Main relay center of the brain. It conducts impulses between the spinal cord and the cerebrum; incoming sensory messages are relayed through the thalamus to appropriate centers in the cerebrum. |
| Vagus Nerve | Tenth cranial nerve (cranial nerve X). Its branches reach to the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, aorta, esophagus, and stomach. Latin vagus means wandering. |
| Ventricles of the Brain | Canals in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid. Ventricles are also found in the heart—they are the two lower chambers of the heart. |
| Cerebell/o | cerebellum |
| Cerebr/o | Cerebrum |
| Dur/o | Dura Mater |
| Encephal/o | Brain |
| Gli/o | Glial cells |
| Lept/o | Thin, slander |
| Mening/o, Meningi/o | Membranes, meninges |
| My/o | Muscle |
| Myel/o | Spinal Cord |
| Neur/o | Nerve |
| Pont/o | Pons |
| Radicul/o | Nerve root (of spinal nerves) |
| Thalam/o | Thalamus |
| Vag/o | Vagus Nerve |
| Alges/o, -algesia | Sensitivity to pain |
| -Algia | Pain |
| Caus/o | burning |
| Comat/o | Deep Sleep |
| Esthesi/o, -Esthesia | feeling, nervous sensation |
| Kines/o, kinesi/o-, kinesia, -kinesis, -kinetic | movement |
| -Lepsy | seizure |
| Lexo/o | word, phrase |
| -paresis | weakness |
| -phasia | speech |
| -plegia | paralysis |
| -Praxia | action |
| -Sthenia | strength |
| syncop/o | to cut off, cut short |
| Tax/o | order, coordination |
| Hydrocephalus | Abnormal accumulation of fluid (CSF) in the brain. |
| Congenital Hydrocephalus | buildup of excessive CSF in the brain at birth |
| Spina Bifida | Congenital defects in the lumbar spinal column caused by imperfect union of vertebral parts (neural tube defect). |
| Spina Bifida Occulta | vertebral defect is covered over with skin and evident only on x-ray or other imaging examination |
| Spina Bifida Cystica | a more severe form, with cyst-like protrusions |
| Meningocele | meninges protrude to the outside of the body |
| Myelomeningocele | both the spinal cord and meninges protrude |
| Alzheimer Disease (AD) (Alzheimer’s) | Brain disorder marked by gradual and progressive mental deterioration (dementia), personality changes, and impairment of daily functioning. |
| Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) | Degenerative disorder of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. |
| Epilepsy | Chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizure activity. |
| Huntington Disease (Huntington’s) | Hereditary disorder marked by degenerative changes in the cerebrum, leading to abrupt involuntary movements and mental deterioration. |
| Tonic-Clonic Seizures | a sudden loss of consciousness, falling down, and then tonic contractions (stiffening of muscles) followed by clonic contractions (twitching and jerking movements of the limbs). |
| Absence Seizures | a form of seizure consisting of momentary clouding of consciousness and loss of awareness of the person’s surroundings. |
| Multiple Sclerosis (MS) | Destruction of the myelin sheath on neurons in the CNS and its replacement by plaques of sclerotic (hard) tissue. |
| Myasthenia Gravis (MG) | Autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by weakness of voluntary muscles. |
| Palsy | Paralysis (partial or complete loss of motor function). |
| Parkinson Disease (Parkinson’s) | Degeneration of neurons in the basal ganglia, occurring in later life and leading to tremors, weakness of muscles, and slowness of movement. |
| Tourette Syndrome (Tourette’s) | Involuntary spasmodic, twitching movements; uncontrollable vocal sounds; and inappropriate words. Caused by a deficiency of dopamine, a neurotransmitter made by cells in the basal ganglia. Include stooped posture, shuffling gait, and muscle stiffness. |
| Herpes Zoster (shingles) | Viral infection affecting peripheral nerves. Blisters and pain spread along peripheral nerves and are caused by inflammation due to a herpesvirus (herpes zoster), the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella). |
| Meningitis | Inflammation of the meninges; Leptomeningitis. |
| Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Encephalopathy | Brain disease and dementia occurring with AIDS. |
| Brain Tumor | Abnormal growth of brain tissue and meninges. |
| Cerebral Concussion | Type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head. |
| Cerebral Contusion | Bruising of brain tissue resulting from direct trauma to the head. |
| Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) | Disruption in the normal blood supply to the brain; stroke. Also known as a cerebral infarction, is the result of impaired oxygen supply to the brain. |
| Thrombotic Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) | Blood clot (thrombus) in the arteries leading to the brain, resulting in occlusion (blocking) of the vessel. |
| Embolic Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) | An embolus (a dislodged thrombus) travels to cerebral arteries and occludes a vessel. |
| Hemorrhagic Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) | A cerebral artery breaks and bleeding occurs. |
| Aneurysm | Weakened area in the vessel wall that balloons and may eventually burst. |
| Migraine | Severe, recurring, unilateral, vascular headache. Associated with an aura (peculiar sensations that precede the onset of illness). |
| Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis | Samples of CSF are examined. |
| Cerebral Angiography | X-ray imaging of the arterial blood vessels in the brain after injection of contrast material. Contrast is injected into the femoral artery (in the thigh), and x-ray motion pictures are taken. |
| Computed Tomography (CT) of the Brain | Computerized x-ray technique that generates multiple images of the brain and spinal cord. |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Magnetic field and pulses of radiowave energy create images of the brain and spinal cord. |
| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan | Radioactive glucose is injected and then detected in the brain to image the metabolic activity of cells. |
| Doppler Ultrasound Studies | Sound waves detect blood flow in the carotid and intracranial arteries. |
| Electroencephalography (EEG) | Recording of the electrical activity of the brain. |
| Lumbar Puncture (LP) | CSF is withdrawn from between two lumbar vertebrae for analysis. |
| Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) | Use of a specialized instrument to locate and treat targets in the brain. |
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