Copy of `Serendip - Glossary of neurology`

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Serendip - Glossary of neurology Category: Health and Medicine > Neuroscience Date & country: 22/01/2014, USA Words: 61

Visual cortex
located in the occipital lobe; involved in detection of simple visual stimuli

White matter
the shiny layer underneath the cortex that consists mostly of axons with white myelin sheaths (in contrast to gray matter)

Tegmentum
ventral part of the midbrain (mesencephalon)

Telencephalon
the frontal subdivision of the forebrain, includes the cerebral hemispheres and the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and amygdala

Temporal lobe
located below the frontal and parietal lobes; involved in perception and recognition of auditory stimuli and memory

Thalamus
a large mass of gray matter deeply situated in the forebrain at the topmost portion of the diencephalon. The structure has sensory and motor functions. Almost all sensory information enters this structure where neurons send that information to the overlying cortex. Axons from every sensory system (except olfaction) synapse here as the last relay site before the information reaches the cerebral cortex.

Sagittal
the plane that bisects the body or brain into right and left halves

Sulcus
a furrow of convuluted brain surface (opposite of gyrus)

Sympathetic nervous system
one of the two systems that compose the autonomic nervous system; a sympathetic response dilates pupils, inhibits salivation, relaxes airways, accelerates the heartbeat, inhibits digestion, etc.

Synapse
the area between one neuron and the next, through which neurotransmitters are passed which transmit neural messages

Tectum
the dorsal portion of the midbrain (mesencephalon)

Primary visual cortex
the regin of the occipital cortex where most visual information first arrives

Prosencephalon
the forebrain; lies rostral to the midbrain (mesencephalon); consists of the telencephalon (cerebral cortex & hippocampus) and diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus)

Putamen
another component of the limbic system. This part is responsible for familiar motor skills.

Rhombencephalon
the hindbrain; lies caudal to the midbrain (mesencephalon); made of the metencephalon and myelencephalon

Primary somatosensory cortex
region which receives tactile information from the body

Pons
part of the metencephalon in the hindbrain. It is involved in motor control and sensory analysis... for example, information from the ear first enters the brain in the pons. It has parts that are important for the level of consciousness and for sleep. Some structures within the pons are linked to the cerebellum, thus are involved in movement and posture.

Prefrontal cortex
the most anterior region of the frontal cortex; involved in problem solving, emotion, and complex thought

Presynaptic
the region of a synapse that releases the neurotransmitter (in contrast to postsynaptic)

Primary motor cortex
region for initiation of voluntary movement

Parietal lobe
located behind the frontal cortex (and central sulcus); involved in perception of stimuli related to touch, pressure, temperature, and pain

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
portion of the nervous system that incluces all the nerves and neurons OUTSIDE the brain and spinal cord

Pituitary gland
small gland which secretes hormones located at the base of the skull

Parasympathetic nervous system
one of the two systems that makes up the autonomic nervous system; a parasympathetic response constricts pupils, stimulates salivation, constricts airways, slows the heartbeat, stimulates digestion, etc

Olfactory bulb
structure at the rostral end of the telencephalon that is involved in smell

Neuroanatomy
the structure of the nervous system

Neuron
the basic building block of the brain; these cells receive input from other nerve cells and distribute information to other neurons; the information integration underlies the simplest and most complex of our thoughts and behaviors

Neuroscience
the science of the nervous system

Neurotransmitter
chemical substance which is released by the presynaptic neuron at synapses that transmits information to the next neuron

Myelencephalon
caudal part of the hindbrain, includes the medulla oblongata

Myelin
fatty insulation around an axon which improves the speed of conduction of nerve impulses

Nervous System
extends throughout the entire body and connects every organ to the brain; can be divided into the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS); the basic building blocks of the nervous system are nerve cells or neurons

Motor cortex
a region of the cerebral cortex that sends impulses to motor neurons; involved in coordination of movement; found in the frontal lobe

MRI
magnetic resonance imaging; noninvasive technique that uses magnetic energy to generate images that reveal some of the structural details in the living brain

Metencephalon
subdivision of the hindbrain, which includes the cerebellum and pons

Midbrain/ Mesencephalon
middle division of the brain, which includes the tectum and tegmentum; involved in functions such as vision, hearing, eye movement, and body movement

Lateral
anatomical term meaning toward the side (versus medial)

Limbic system
a group of structures including the amygdala and hippocampus (and others); important for controlling emotions and memory

Medulla Oblongata/ Myelencephalon
this structure is the caudal-most part of the brain stem, between the pons and spinal cord. It is responsible for maintaining vital body functions, such as breathing and heartrate. See overall NS organization.

Hippocampus
the portion of the cerebral hemisphers in basal medial part of the temporal lobe. This part of the brain is important for learning and memory . . . for converting short term memory to more permanent memory, and for recalling spatial relationships in the world about us

Hypothalamus
part of the diencephalon, ventral to the thalamus. The structure is involved in functions including homeostasis, emotion, thirst, hunger, circadian rhythms, and control of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, it controls the pituitary.

Hindbrain
the rear division of the brain, includes the cerebellum, ponds, and medulla (also called the rhombencephalon)

Gyrus
raised portion of convuluted brain surface

Glial cells
nonneuronal brain cells that provide structural, nutritional, and other supports to the brain

Gray matter
areas of the brain that are dominated by cell bodies and have no myelin covering (in contrast to white matter)

Gyrencephalic
when the cerebral cortex is highly folded and convuluted (due to gyri and sulci)

Frontal lobe
the most anterior portion of the cerebral cortex (in front of the central sulcus); it is involved in reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem-solving

Diencephalon
part of the midbrain; consists of the thalamus and hypothalamus

Dorsal
anatomical term referring to structures toward the back of the body or top of the brain

Encephalization factor
a measure of brain size relative to body size

Forebrain
the frontal division of the brain which contains cerebral hemispheres, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus

Dendrite
one of the extensions of the cell body that are reception surfaces of the neuron

Corpus callosum
the large bundle of axons which connect the two cerebral hemispheres. It disseminates information from the cerebral cortex on one side of the brain to the same region on the other side .

Cell Body
region of the neuron defined by the presence of a nucleus

Central nervous system (CNS)
portion of the nervous system that includes the brain and the spinal cord

Central sulcus
the major groove which divides the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe

Cerebral hemispheres
right and left halves of the forebrain

Axon
extension from the cell that carries nerve impulses from the cell body to other neurons

Brain
a multi-layered structure containing billions of neurons and countless numbers of neuronal connections, thousands of specialized regions

Brainstem
also known as the hindbrain; region of the brain that consists of the midbrain (tectum, tegmentum), ponds, and medulla; responsible for functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

Autonomic nervous system
part of the peripheral nervous system that supplies neural connection to glands and smooth muscles of internal organs; made of two divisions (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and sometimes is considered to have a third division called the enteric system