Nervous System, Mental Health, and Special Senses Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering nervous system structures, anatomical terminology, medical roots, neurological/mental health disorders, and special senses (ear and eye).

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The physical system of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

All nervous tissue located outside the brain and spinal cord.

Somatic Nervous System

The functional division of the nervous system that controls skeletal (voluntary) muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

The functional division of the nervous system that regulates involuntary activities, controlling smooth muscles, cardiac muscle, and glands; also called the visceral nervous system.

Neuron

The basic functional unit of the nervous system; a nerve cell.

Dendrite

A fiber of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses toward the cell body.

Axon

The fiber of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Sensory Neuron

A neuron that carries electrical impulses toward the central nervous system; an afferent neuron.

Motor Neuron

A neuron that carries electrical impulses away from the central nervous system to produce movement; an efferent neuron.

Interneuron

Any neuron located between a sensory and a motor neuron in a neural pathway, transmitting impulses within the central nervous system.

Myelin

A whitish, fatty substance that surrounds certain axons of the nervous system.

Neuroglia

Supportive cells of the nervous system; also called glial cells.

Synapse

The junction between two neurons, or between a motor neuron and a muscle or gland.

Neurotransmitter

A chemical that transmits energy across a synapse, such as norepinephrine, acetylcholine, serotonin, or dopamine.

Cerebrum

The large upper portion of the brain, divided into two hemispheres by the longitudinal fissure.

Cerebral Cortex

The cerebrum's thin surface layer of gray matter.

Diencephalon

The part of the brain located between the cerebrum and brainstem that contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland.

Brainstem

The part of the brain consisting of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

Cerebellum

The posterior portion of the brain dorsal to the pons and medulla that helps coordinate movement, balance, and posture.

Meninges

The three protective membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater) that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Dura Mater

The strong, fibrous outermost layer of the meninges.

Arachnoid Mater

The web-like middle layer of the meninges.

Pia Mater

The thin, vascular innermost layer of the meninges.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

The watery fluid produced in brain ventricles that circulates in and around the brain and spinal cord for protection.

Spinal Cord

The nervous tissue contained within the spinal column extending from the medulla oblongata to between the first and second lumbar vertebrae.

Spinal Nerves

The 31 pairs of nerves that connect with the spinal cord, categorized into 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes a response to stress ('fight or flight'), increasing heart rate and respiration rate.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that restores homeostasis ('rest and digest'), slowing heart rate and stimulating digestion.

neur/o, neur/i

Medical root meaning nervous system, nervous tissue, or nerve.

gli/o

Medical root meaning neuroglia.

mening/o, meninge/o

Medical root meaning meninges.

myel/o

Medical root meaning spinal cord or bone marrow.

radicul/o

Medical root meaning spinal nerve root.

-phasia

Suffix meaning speech.

-lalia

Suffix meaning speech or babble.

-lexia

Suffix meaning reading.

-plegia

Suffix meaning paralysis.

-paresis

Suffix meaning partial paralysis.

encephal/o

Medical root meaning brain.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

Sudden damage to the brain resulting from reduction of cerebral blood flow and oxygen deprivation; commonly called a stroke.

Thrombosis

The formation or development of a blood clot within a blood vessel.

Embolism

Sudden blockage of a blood vessel caused by a traveling obstruction, such as a blood clot.

Aneurysm

A localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel that results from weakness of the vessel wall and can rupture.

Cerebral Contusion

A bruise to the surface of the brain following a blow to the head.

Epidural Hematoma

Bleeding or accumulation of blood in the space between the dura mater and the skull.

Subdural Hematoma

Bleeding or accumulation of blood beneath the dura mater, between the dura mater and the arachnoid mater.

Concussion

Brain injury resulting from a violent blow or shock to the head, often causing loss of consciousness.

Contrecoup Injury

Damage to the brain on the side opposite the point of a blow as a result of the brain hitting the skull.

Coma

A state of deep unconsciousness from which one cannot be aroused.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges, commonly presenting with a stiff neck and diagnosed using a lumbar puncture.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

A chronic, progressive disease involving loss of the myelin sheath in the central nervous system.

Parkinson Disease

A progressive neurological disorder caused by failure of midbrain neurons to secrete dopamine, leading to tremors, rigidity, and akinesia.

Alzheimer Disease (AD)

A form of dementia caused by unexplained degeneration of neurons with atrophy of the cerebral cortex.

Epilepsy

A chronic disease involving periodic sudden bursts of electrical activity from the brain, resulting in seizures.

Hydrocephalus

Increased accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in or around the brain as a result of obstruction to flow.

Narcolepsy

A condition marked by brief, uncontrolled episodes of sleep during the day.

Sleep Apnea

Brief periods of breathing cessation or failure to breathe during sleep.

Dysthymia

A mild form of depression that typically develops in response to a serious life event.

Bipolar Disorder

A form of depression characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania.

Psychosis

A mental state with gross misperception of reality, accompanied by delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations.

Schizophrenia

A chronic form of severe psychosis marked by delusions, hallucinations, and withdrawn or bizarre behavior.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A range of neurodevelopmental impairments appearing early in life that affect social interactions and communication skills.

Delusion

A false belief inconsistent with knowledge and experience.

Hallucination

A false sensory perception unrelated to reality or external stimuli.

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Amplification, recording, and interpretation of the electrical activity of the brain.

Lumbar Puncture

Puncture of the subarachnoid space in the lumbar region of the spinal cord to remove spinal fluid for diagnosis or anesthesia.

Carotid Endarterectomy

Surgical removal of the lining of the carotid artery to reduce stroke risk.

Blood-Brain Barrier

A special membrane between circulating blood and the brain that prevents certain damaging substances from reaching brain tissue.

Broca Area

An area in the left frontal lobe of the cerebrum that controls speech production.

Wernicke Area

An area in the temporal lobe concerned with speech comprehension.

General Senses

Sensory functions distributed throughout the body, including pain, touch, pressure, temperature, and proprioception.

Special Senses

Sensory faculties located within complex sense organs in the head, including gustation, olfaction, hearing, equilibrium, and vision.

Proprioception

The awareness of posture, movement, and changes in equilibrium, with receptors located in muscles, tendons, and joints.

-esthesia

Suffix meaning sensation.

Ear

The organ containing receptors for both hearing and equilibrium, divided into outer, middle, and inner sections.

Pinna

The projecting outer part of the ear; also called the auricle.

Cerumen

The brownish, wax-like secretion formed in the external ear canal to protect the ear and prevent infection.

Tympanic Membrane

The membrane separating the external auditory canal from the middle ear that transmits sound waves to the ossicles; the eardrum.

Ossicles

The three small bones of the middle ear: the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup).

Auditory Tube

The tube connecting the middle ear with the nasopharynx that equalizes air pressure; eustachian tube.

Cochlea

The coiled portion of the inner ear containing receptors for hearing.

Vestibular Apparatus

The portion of the inner ear concerned with equilibrium, consisting of the vestibule and semicircular canals.

Otitis Media

Inflammation or infection of the middle ear with accumulation of fluid.

Otosclerosis

Formation of abnormal, hardened bony tissue around the oval window and stapes, causing stapes immobilization and conductive hearing loss.

Ménière Disease

An inner ear condition involving fluid accumulation, characterized by vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and pressure.

Tinnitus

A sensation of noises, such as ringing or tinkling, in the ear.

Vertigo

An illusion of movement or spinning of the body or environment, usually caused by disturbances in the vestibular apparatus.

Presbycusis

Loss of hearing caused by aging.

Myringotomy

Surgical incision of the tympanic membrane performed to drain the middle ear cavity or insert a tube.

Eye

The organ of vision, protected by the orbit, eyelids, eyelashes, lacrimal glands, and conjunctiva, consisting of the sclera, uvea, and retina.

Sclera

The tough, white, fibrous outermost layer of the eye.

Uvea

The middle vascular layer of the eye, consisting of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris.

Retina

The innermost, light-sensitive layer of the eye containing photoreceptor rods and cones.

Cornea

The clear, transparent anterior portion of the sclera.

Iris

The muscular colored ring between the lens and cornea that regulates light entry by altering pupil size.

Lens

The transparent, biconvex structure behind the pupil that refracts light and functions in accommodation.

Rod

A specialized photoreceptor cell in the retina that responds to light in dim conditions, has low visual acuity, and does not discriminate color.

Cone

A specialized photoreceptor cell in the retina that responds to bright light, provides high visual acuity, and detects colors.

Fovea

The tiny depression in the retina that serves as the point of sharpest vision.