Biopsych Chapter 14

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tumor

Back 1

a mass of cells whose growth is uncontrolled and that serves no useful function

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malignant tumor

Back 2

a cancerous tumor; lacks a distinct border and may metastasize

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benign tumor

Back 3

a non-cancerous tumor; has a distinct border and cannot metastasize

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metastais

Back 4

the process by which cells break off of a tumor, travel throught the vascular system, and grow elsewhere in the body

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glioma

Back 5

a cancerous brain tumor composed of one of several types of glial cells

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meningioma

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a benign brain tumor composed of the cells that constitute the meninges

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seizure disorder

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the preferred term for epilepsy

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convulsion

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a violent sequences of uncontrollable muscular movements caused by a seizure

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partial seizure

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a seizure that begins at a focus and remains localized, not generalizing to the rest of the brain

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generalized seizure

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a seizure that involves most of the brain, as contrasted with a partial seizure, which remains localized

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simple partial seizure

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a partial seizure, starting fro a focus and remaing localized, that does not produce loss of consciousness

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complex partial seizure

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a partial seizure, starting from a focus and remaining localized, but produces loss of consciousness

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tonic-clonic seizure

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a generalized, tonic-clonic seizure, which results in convulsion

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aura

Back 14

a sensation that precedes a seizure; its exact nature depends on the location of the seizure focus

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tonic phase

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the first phase of a tonic-clonic seizure, in which all of the patient's skeletal muscles are contracted

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clonic phase

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the phase of a tonic-clonic seizure in which the atient shows rhythmic jerking movements

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absense

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a type of seizure disorder often seen in children; characterized by periods of inattention, whicch are not subsequently remembered; also called petit mal seizure

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status epilepticus

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a condition in which a patient undrgoes a series of seizures without regaining consciousness

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hemorrhagic stroke

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a cerebrovascular accident caused by the rupture of a cerebral blood vessel

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obstructive stroke

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a cerebrovascular accident caused by occlusion of a blood vessel

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ischemia

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the interuption of the blood suply to a region of the body

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thrombus

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a blood clot that forms within a blood vessel, which may occlude it

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embolus

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a piece of matter (such as a blood clot, fat, or bacterial debris) that dislodges from its site of origin and occludes an artery; in the brain an embolus can lead to a stroke

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fetal alcohol syndrom

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a birth defect caused by ingestion of alcohol by a pregnant woman; includes characteristic facial anomalies an faulty brain development

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phenylketonuria (PKU)

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a hereditary disorder caused by the absence of an enzyme that converts the amino acid phenylalanine to tyrosine; the accumulation of phenylalanine causes brain damage unless a special diet is implemented soon after birth

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Tay-Sachs disease

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a heritable, fatal, metabolic storage disorder; lack of enzymes in lysosomes cuases accumulation of waste produces and swelling of cells of the brain

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down syndrome

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a disorder caused by the presence of an extra twenty-first chromosome, characterized by moderate to sever mental retardation and often by physical abnormalities

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transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)

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a contagious brain disease whose degenerative process gives the brain a sponge-like appearance; caused by accumulation of misfolded prion protein

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prion

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a protein that can exist in two forms that differ only in their three-dimensional shape; accumulation of misfolded prion protein is responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

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sporadic disease

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a disease that occurs rarely and is not obviously caused by heredity or an infectious agent

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caspase

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a "killer enzyme" that plays a role in apoptosis, or programmed cell death

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Lewy body

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abnormal circular structures with a dense core consisting of alpha-synuclein protein; found in the cytoplasm of nigrostriatal neurons in people with Parkinson's disease

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alpha-synuclein

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a protein normally found in the presynaptic membrane, where it is apparently involved in synaptic plasticity. Abnormal accumulations are apparently the cause of neural degeneration in Parkinson's disease

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toxic gain of function

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said of a genetic disorder caused by a dominant mutation that involves a faulty gene that produces a protein with toxic effects

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parkin

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a protein that plays a role in ferrying defective or misfolded proteings to the proteasomes; mutated parkin is a cuase of familial Parkinson's disease

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loss of function

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said of a genetic disoder caused by a recessive gene that fails to produce a protein that is necessary for good health

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proteasome

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an organelle responsible for destroying defective or degraded proteins within the cell

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ubiquitin

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a protein that attaches itself to faulty or misfolded proteins and thus targets them for destruction by proteasomes

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internal division of the globus pallidus (GPi)

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a division of the globus pallidus that provides inhibitory input to the motor cortex via the thalamus; sometimes stereotaxically lesioned to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease

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Huntington's disease

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an inherited disoder that causes degeneraton of the basal ganglia; characterized by progressively more sever untontrollable jerking movements, writhing movements, dementia, and finally death

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huntingtin

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a protein that may serve to failitate the production and transport the brain-derived neurotrophic fator. Abnormal huntingtin is the cause of Huntington's disease

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dementia

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a loss of cognitive abilites such as memory, perception, verbal ability, and judgment; common cuases are multiple strokes and Alzheimer's disease

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Alzheimer's disease

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a degenerative brain disorder of unknown origin; causes progressive memory loss, motor deficits, and eventual death

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amyloid plaque

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an extracellular deposit containing a dense core of beta-amyloid protein surrounded by degenerating axons and dendrites and activated microglia and reactive astrocytes

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beta-amyloid

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a protein found in excessive amounts in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease

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neurofibrillary tangle

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a dying neuron containing intracellular accumulations of twisted filaments of tau protein that formerly serves as the cell's internal skeleton

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tau protein

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a protein that nromally serves as a component of micro-tubules, which provide the cell's transport mechanism

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beta-amyloid precursor protein(APP)

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a protein produced and secreted by cells that serves as the precursor for B-amyloid protein

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secretase

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a class of enzymes that cut the beta-amyloid precursor protein into small fragments, including beta-amyloid

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presenilin

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a protein produced by a faulty gene that causes beta-amyloid precursor protein to be converted to the abnormal short form; may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease

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apolipoprotein E (ApoE)

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a glycoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood and plays a role in cellular repair; presence of the E4 allele of the apoE gene increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's diesease.

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amyotrophic laeral sclerosis (ALS)

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a degeneraive disorder that attacks the spinal cord and cranial nerve motor neurons

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encephalitis

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an inflammation of the brain; caused by bacteria, viruses, or toxic chemicals

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herpes simplex virus

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a virus that normally causes cold sores near the lips but can also cause brain damage

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acute anterior poliomyelitis

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a viral disease that destroys motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord

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rabies

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a fatal viral disease that causes brain damage; usually transmitted through the bite of an infected animal

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meningitis

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an inflamation of the meninges; can be cuased by viruses or bacteria