Bio 200 @ Oit - Medical Terms Chapter 10

Front 1

acetylcholine

Back 1

Neurotransmitter chemical released at the ends of nerve cells.

Front 2

afferent nerves

Back 2

Carry messages toward the brain and spinal cord (sensory neves)

Front 3

arachnoid membrane

Back 3

Middle layer of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the brian and spinal cord.

Front 4

astrocyte

Back 4

A type of glial (neurologic) cell that transports water and salts from capillaries

Front 5

autonomic nervous system

Back 5

Nerves that control involuntary body functions of muscles, glands, and internal organs.

Front 6

axon

Back 6

Microscopic fiber that carries the nervous impulse along a nerve cell

Front 7

blood-brain barrier

Back 7

Blood vessels (capillaries) that selectively let certain substances enter the brain tissue and keep other substances out.

Front 8

brainstem

Back 8

Lower portion of the brian that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord.

Front 9

cauda equina

Back 9

Collection of spinal nerves below the end of the spinal cord

Front 10

cell body

Back 10

Part of a nerve cell that contains the nucleus

Front 11

central nervous system (CNS)

Back 11

Brain and the spinal cord

Front 12

cerebellum

Back 12

Posterior part of the brain that coordinates muscle movements and maintains balance

Front 13

cerebral cortex

Back 13

Outer region of the cerebrum; containing sheets of nerve cells; gray matter of the brain

Front 14

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Back 14

Fluid that circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord.

Front 15

cerebrum

Back 15

Largest part of the brain; responsible for voluntary muscular activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, and memory

Front 16

cranial nerves

Back 16

Twelve pairs of nerves that carry messages to and from the brain

Front 17

dendrite

Back 17

Microscopic branching fiber of a nerve cell that is the first part to receive the nervous impulse

Front 18

dura mater

Back 18

Thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord (Latin for hard mother)

Front 19

efferent nerves

Back 19

Carry messages away from the brain and spinal cord; motor nerves

Front 20

ependymal cell

Back 20

A glial cell that lines membranes within the brain and spinal cord and helps form cerebrospinal fluid.

Front 21

ganglion (plural: ganglia)

Back 21

Collection of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system

Front 22

glial cell (neuroglial cell)

Back 22

Cell in the nervous system that is supportive and connective in function.

Front 23

gyrus (plural: gyri)

Back 23

Sheet of nerve cells that products a rounded fold on the surface of the cerebellum; convolution.

Front 24

hypothalamus

Back 24

Portion of the brain beneath the thalamus; controls sleep, appetite, body temperature, and secretions from the pituitary gland

Front 25

medulla oblongata

Back 25

Part of the brain just above the spinal cord; controls breathing, heartbeat, and the size of blood vessels. Nerve fibers cross over here.

Front 26

meninges

Back 26

Three protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Front 27

microglial cell

Back 27

Phagocytic glial cell that removes waste products from the central nervous system

Front 28

motor nerves

Back 28

Carry messages away from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and organs; efferent nerves.

Front 29

myelin sheath

Back 29

White fatty tissue that surrounds, and insulates the axon of a nerve cell. Myelin speeds impulse conduction along axons.

Front 30

nerve

Back 30

Macroscopic cordlike collection of fibers (axons and dendrites) that carry electrical impulses

Front 31

neuron

Back 31

Nerve cell that carries impulses throughout the body.

Front 32

neurotransmitter

Back 32

Chemical messenger, released at the end of a nerve cell.

Front 33

oligodendroglial cell

Back 33

Glial cell that forms the myelin sheath covering axons. Also called oligodendrocyte

Front 34

parasympathetic nerves

Back 34

Involuntary, autonomic nerves that regulate normal body functions, such as heart rate, breathing, and muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.

Front 35

paraenchyma

Back 35

Essential, distinguishing tissue of the nervous system; includes the brain and spinal cord. This is to distinguish it from surrounding tissues, such as the meninges.

Front 36

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Back 36

Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord; cranial, spinal, and autonomic nerves.

Front 37

pia mater

Back 37

Thin, delicate inner membrane of the meninges.

Front 38

plexus

Back 38

Large, interlacing network of nerves. Examples are lumbosacral, cervical, and brachial plexuses.

Front 39

pons

Back 39

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.

Front 40

receptor

Back 40

Organ that receives a nervous stimulation and passes it on to nerves within the body.

Front 41

sciatic nerve

Back 41

Nerve extending form the base of the spine down the thigh, lower leg, and foot.

Front 42

sensory nerves

Back 42

Carry messages to the brain and spinal cord from a receptor; afferent nerves.

Front 43

spinal nerves

Back 43

31 pairs of nerves arising form the spinal cord.

Front 44

stimulus

Back 44

Agent of change (light, sound, touch) in the internal or external environment that evokes a response.

Front 45

stroma

Back 45

Connective and supporting tissue of an organ. Glial cells are the stromal tissue of the brain.

Front 46

sulcus

Back 46

Depression or groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex; fissure.

Front 47

sympathetic nerves

Back 47

Autonomic nerves that influence bodily functions involuntarily in times of stress

Front 48

synapse

Back 48

Space through which a nervous impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another or from a neuron to another cell.

Front 49

thalamus

Back 49

Main relay center of the brain. It conducts impulses between the spinal cord and the cerebrum.

Front 50

vagus nerve

Back 50

Tenth cranial nerve; its branches reach to the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, aorta, esophagus, and stomach.

Front 51

ventricles of the brain

Back 51

Canals in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid.

Front 52

cerebell/o

Back 52

cerebellum - cerebellar

Front 53

cerebr/o

Back 53

cerebrum - cerebral cortex

Front 54

dur/o

Back 54

dura mater - subdural hematoma

Front 55

encephal/o

Back 55

brain - encephalitis

Front 56

gli/o

Back 56

glial cells - glioblastoma

Front 57

lept/o

Back 57

thin, slender - leptomeningeal

Front 58

menig/o, meningi/o

Back 58

membranes, meninges - meningeal

Front 59

my/o

Back 59

muscle - myoneural

Front 60

myel/o

Back 60

spinal cord (means bone marrow in other contexts) - poliomyelitis

Front 61

neur/o

Back 61

nerve - neuropathy

Front 62

pont/o

Back 62

pons - cerebellopontine

Front 63

radicul/o

Back 63

nerve root (of spinal nerves) - radiculopathy

Front 64

thalm/o

Back 64

thalamus - thalamic

Front 65

thec/o

Back 65

sheath (refers to the meninges) - intrathecal injection

Front 66

vag/o

Back 66

vagus nerve (10th cranial nerve) - vagal

Front 67

alges/o, -algesia

Back 67

excessive sensitivity to pain - analgesia

Front 68

-algia

Back 68

pain - neuralgia

Front 69

caus/o

Back 69

burning - causalgia

Front 70

comat/o

Back 70

deep sleep (coma) - comatose

Front 71

esthesi/o, -esthesia

Back 71

feeling, nervous sensation - anasthesia

Front 72

kines/o, kinesi/o, -kinesia, -kinesis, -kinetic

Back 72

movement - bradykinesia

Front 73

-lepsy

Back 73

seizure - epilepsy

Front 74

lex/o

Back 74

word, phrase - dyslexia

Front 75

-paresis

Back 75

weakness - hemiparesis

Front 76

-phasia

Back 76

speech - aphasia

Front 77

-plegia

Back 77

paralysis (loss or impairment of the ability to move parts of the body) - paraplegia

Front 78

-praxia

Back 78

action - apraxia

Front 79

-asthenia

Back 79

strength - neurasthenia

Front 80

syncop/o

Back 80

to cut off, cut chort - syncopal

Front 81

tax/o

Back 81

order, coordination - ataxia