Chapter 7 Nervous System Flashcards
neur/o
neur/i
nervous system, nervous tissue, nerve
gli/o
neuroglia
gangli/o
ganglion/o
ganglion
mening/o
meninge/o
meninges
myel/o
spinal cord (also bone marrow)
radicul/o
spinal nerve root
-phasia
speech
-lalia
speech, babble
-lexia
reading
-plegia
paralysis
-paresis*
partial paralysis
-lepsy
seizure
-phobia*
persistent, irrational fear
-mania*
excited state, obsession
encephal/o
brain
cerebr/o
cerebrum (loosely, brain)
cortic/o
cerebral cortex, outer portion
cerebell/o
cerebellum
thalam/o
thalamus
ventricul/o
cavity, ventricle
medull/o
medulla oblongata (also spinal cord)
psych/o
mind
narc/o
stupor, unconsciousness
somn/o
somn/i
sleep
afferent
carrying toward a given point, such as the sensory neurons and nerves that carry impulses toward the CNS (root fer means “to carry”)
arachnoid mater
the middle layer of the meninges (from the Greek word for spider, because this tissue resembles a spider web)
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
the division of the nervous system that regulates involuntary activities, controlling smooth muscles, cardiac muscle, and glands; the visceral nervous system
axon
the fiber of a neuron that conducts impulses away from the cell body
brainstem
the part of the brain that consists of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
central nervous system (CNS)
the brain and spinal cord
cerebellum
the posterior portion of the brain dorsal to the pons and medulla; helps to coordinate movement and to maintain balance and posture (cerebellum means “little brain”) (root: cerebell/o)
cerebral cortex
the cerebrum’s thin surface layer of gray matter (the cortex is the outer region of an organ) (root: cortic/o)
cerebrum
the large upper portion of the brain; it is divided into two hemispheres by the longitudinal fissure (root: cerebr/o)
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
the watery fluid that circulates in and around the brain and spinal cord as a protection
cranial nerves
the 12 pairs of nerves that are connected to the brain
dendrite
a fiber of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell body
dura mater
the strong, fibrous outermost layer of the meninges
efferent
carrying away from a given point, such as the motor neurons and nerves that carry impulses away from the CNS (root fer means “to carry”)
ganglion
a collection of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS (plural: ganglia) (root: gangli/o, ganglion/o)
gray matter
unmyelinated tissue of the nervous system
gyrus
a raised convolution of the surface of the cerebrum (plural: gyri)
hypothalamus
the part of the brain that controls the pituitary gland and maintains homeostasis
interneuron
any neuron located between a sensory and a motor neuron in a neural pathway, such as the neurons that transmit impulses within the CNS
medulla oblongata
the portion of the brain that connects with the spinal cord. It has vital centers for control of respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure (root: medull/o). Often called simply medulla
meninges
the three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord
midbrain
the part of the brainstem between the diencephalon and the pons; contains centers for coordination of reflexes for vision and hearing
motor
producing movement; describes neurons that carry impulses away from the CNS
myelin
a whitish, fatty substance that surrounds certain axons of the nervous system
neuroglia
the supportive cells of the nervous system; also called glial cells (from glia meaning “glue;” root: gli/o)
neuron
the basic unit of the nervous system; a nerve cell
neurotransmitter
a chemical that transmits energy across a synapse. Examples are norepinephrine (nor-ep-ih-NEF-rin), acetylcholine (ah-se-til-KO-lene), serotonin (ser-o-TO-nin), and dopamine (DO-pah-mene)
nerve
a bundle of nerve cell fibers outside the CNS (root: neur/o)
parasympathetic nervous system
the part of the automatic nervous system that reverses the response to stress and restores homeostasis. It slows heart rate and respiration rate and stimulates activity of the digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
the portion of the nervous system outside the CNS
pia mater
the innermost layer of the meninges
pons
a rounded area on the ventral surface of the brainstem; contains fibers that connect regions of the brain; adjective: pontine (PON-tene)
reflex
a simple, rapid, and automatic response to a stimulus
root
a branch of a spinal nerve that connects with the spinal cord; the dorsal (posterior) root joins the dorsal gray horn of the spinal cord; the ventral (anterior) root joins the ventral gray horn of the spinal cord (root: radicul/o)
sensory
describing neurons that carry impulses toward the CNS
somatic nervous system
the division of the nervous system that controls skeletal (voluntary) muscles
spinal cord
the nervous tissue contained within the spinal column; extends from the medulla oblongata to the second lumbar vertebra (root: myel/o)
spinal nerves
the 31 pairs of nerves that connect with the spinal cord
sulcus
a shallow furrow or groove, as on the surface of the cerebrum (plural: sulci)
sympathetic nervous system
the part of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes a response to stress; increases heart rate and respiration rate and delivers more blood to skeletal muscles
synapse
the junction between two neurons; also the junction between a motor neuron and a muscle or gland
thalamus
the part of the brain that receives all sensory impulses, except those for the sense of smell, and directs them to the proper portion of the cerebral cortex (root: thalam/o)
tract
a bundle of nerve cell fibers within the CNS
ventricle
a small cavity, such as one of the cavities in the brain in which CSF is produced (root: ventricul/o)
white matter
myelinated tissue of the nervous system
Alzheimer disease (AD)
a form of dementia caused by atrophy of the cerebral cortex; presenile dementia
aneurysm
a localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel that results from weakness of the vessel wall; an aneurysm may eventually burst
aphasia
specifically, loss or defect in speech communication (from Greek phasis, meaning “speech”). In practice, the term is applied more broadly to a range of language disorders, both spoken and written. May affect ability to understand speech (receptive aphasia) or the ability to produce speech (expressive aphasia). Both forms are combined in global aphasia
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
sudden damage to the brain resulting from reduction of cerebral blood flow; possible causes are atherosclerosis, thrombosis, or a ruptured aneurysm; commonly called stroke
coma
state of deep unconsciousness from which one cannot be roused
concussion
injury resulting from a violent blow or shock; a concussion of the brain usually results in loss of consciousness
confusion
a state of reduced comprehension, coherence, and reasoning ability resulting in inappropriate responses to environmental stimuli
convulsion
a series of violent, involuntary muscle contractions. A tonic convulsion involves prolonged contraction of the muscles; in a clonic convulsion there is alternation of contraction and relaxation. Both forms appear in grand mal epilepsy
dementia
a gradual and usually irreversible loss of intellectual function
embolism
obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot or other material carried in the circulation
encephalitis
inflammation of the brain
epidural hematoma
accumulation of blood in the epidural space (between the dura mater and the skull)
epilepsy
a chronic disease involving periodic sudden bursts of electric activity from the brain, resulting in seizures
hemiparesis
partial paralysis or weakness of one side of the body
hemiplegia
paralysis of one side of the body
hydrocephalus
increased accumulation of CSF in or around the brain as a result of obstruction to flow. May be caused by tumor, inflammation, hemorrhage, or congenital abnormality
insomnia
insufficient or nonrestorative sleep despite ample opportunity to sleep
meningitis
inflammation of the meninges
multiple sclerosis (MS)
a chronic, progressive disease involving loss of myelin in the CNS
narcolepsy
brief, uncontrollable episodes of sleep during the day
paralysis
temporary or permanent loss of function. Flaccid paralysis involves loss of muscle tone and reflexes and degeneration of muscles. Spastic paralysis involves excess muscle tone and reflexes but no degeneration
parkinsonism
a disorder originating in the basal ganglia and characterized by slow movements, tremor, rigidity, and mask-like face. Also called Parkinson disease
seizure
a sudden attack, as seen in epilepsy. The most common forms of seizure are tonic–clonic, or grand mal (gran mal) (from French, meaning “great illness”); absence seizure, or petit mal (pet-E mal), meaning “small illness;” and psychomotor seizure
shingles
an acute viral infection that follows nerve pathways causing small lesions on the skin. Caused by reactivation of the virus that also causes chickenpox (varicella–zoster virus). Also called herpes zoster (HER-peze ZOS-ter)
sleep apnea
brief periods of breathing cessation during sleep
subdural hematoma
accumulation of blood beneath the dura mater
thrombosis
development of a blood clot within a vessel
tremor
a shaking or involuntary movement
anxiety
a feeling of fear, worry, uneasiness, or dread
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
a condition that begins in childhood and is characterized by attention problems, easy boredom, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity
autism
a disorder of unknown cause consisting of self-absorption, lack of response to social contact and affection, preoccupations, stereotyped behavior, and resistance to change (from auto-, “self” and -ism, “condition of”)
autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
a disability that falls within a range of neurodevelopmental impairments that appears early in life and affects social interactions and communications skills
bipolar disorder
a form of depression with episodes of mania (a state of elation); manic depressive illness
delusion
a false belief inconsistent with knowledge and experience
CP
cerebral palsy
CVA
cerebrovascular accident
DTR
deep tendon reflexes
EEG
electroencephalogra (m) (ph(y))
GAD
generalized anxiety disorder
ICP
intracranial pressure
LMN
lower motor neuron
LOC
level of consciousness
LP
lumbar puncture
RAS
reticular activating system
REM
rapid eye movement (sleep)
TBI
traumatic brain injury
thrombotic brain injurt
TIA
transient ischemic attack
UMN
upper motor neuron
