Chapter 11: The Nervous System

neur/o

nerve

nervous system

dendr/o

tree

dendrite

gli/o

glue

glial cells

olig/o

little

few

small

astr/o

star

en-

em-

in

into

inward

cerebr/o

encephal/o

brain

mening/o

meninges

the three membranes that enclose the brain and the spinal cord

corp/o

body

myel/o

spinal cord

bone marrow

poli/o

gray

arachn/o

spider

spider web

lept/o

thin

fine

slender

small

tax/o

order

coordinated movement

aberrant

abnormal

deviating from the usual or ordinary

afferent

to carry or bring toward a place

anomaly

a deviation from the average or norm

axon

the long branch off a nerve cell (neuron) that carries impulses away from the cell

blood-brain barrier

the separation of brain nervous tissue (which is bathed in a clear cerebrospinal fluid) from capillaries within the brain tissue

cerebellum

“little brain”

the second largest portion of the brain

cerebrum

the largest portion of the brain

corpus callosum

“tough body”

the bundle of nerve fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres of the cerebrum

cortex

“outer shell”

the outer layer of the nervous tissue of the brain

dura mater

“tough mother”

the thick, fibrous outer membrane covering the brain

efferent

to carry out or take away from a place

ganglia

ganglion (singular)

cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system that cluster together in groups

geriatric

pertaining to old age or the aging process

gyrus

gyri (plural)

a convolution or raised area between grooves

hypothalamus

the part of the brain that links the endocrine system to the nervous system

impulse

an electrical signal that travels along an axon

kyphosis

abnormal convex curvature of the spine

myelin

a fatty, white, substance that surrounds some axons and is produced by special cells in the central nervous system

pia mater

“delicate, soft mother”

the thin, innermost membrane covering the brain

pituitary

the master endocrine gland that affects nearly all hormonal activity in the body

potential space

the space or cavity that can exist between two adjacent body parts that are not tightly adjoined'; does not appear during normal functioning

sulcus

plural (sulci)

a groove

synapse

the junction across which a nerve impulse passes from an axon to another neuron, a muscle cell, or a gland cell

syrinx

a pathological tube-shaped lesion in the brain or spinal cord

thalamus

the part of the brain that relays sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex

CNS

central nervous system

CSF

cerebrospinal fluid