The Nervous System from A to Z

By

Eric H. Chudler C 2003

A B is for is for axon. brain.

C D is for is for cortex. dendrite. 1 E F is for is for EEG. frontal lobe.

G H is for is for glia. hemisphere. 2 + I K J + is for Na - is for Cl ion. jet lag.

K L is for knee is for jerk reflex. limbic system. 3 Dura

Arachnoid M Pia N Brain is for is for meninges. neuron.

O P is for is for occipital lobe. parietal lobe. 4 Q R is for is for quadriplegia. receptor.

S T is for is for synapse. temporal lobe. 5 U V is for is for unipolar. vision.

W X is for is for white matter. X-rays. 6 Y Z is for is for Zn yawn. zinc.

7 INDEX

Axon - part of a neuron that takes Glia - support cells of the nervous system.

information away from the cell body.

Hemisphere - one half of the brain Brain - organ composed of billions of neurons and glial cells that coordinate all Ion - charged molecule. behavior.

Jet lag - symptoms that occur after Cortex - outermost layer of the cerebral traveling through many time zones. hemisphere.

Knee jerk reflex - kicking response seen Dendrite – part of a neuron that takes after a tap just below the knee. information to the cell body.

Limbic system - interconnected areas of EEG – the electroencephalogram; a record the brain important for emotions. of electrical activity of the brain obtained from scalp electrodes. Meninges - series of three membranes

(dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater) that Frontal lobe - area of the cerebral cortex cover the brain and spinal cord. involved with reasoning, planning, speech,

movement and emotions. Neuron - a nerve cell. 8 Occipital lobe - area of the cerebral Vision - the sense of sight.

cortex important for vision.

White matter - nerve fiber pathways. Parietal lobe - area of the cerebral cortex involved with the perception of X-rays - short wave length radiation used

touch, pressure, temperature, and pain. to image the body.

Quadraplegia - paralysis of all four limbs. Yawn - involuntary inspiration of air with

the mouth wide open. Receptor - membrane protein that can bind neurotransmitters; used in chemical Zinc - a chemical element found in trace communication between neurons. concentrations within the brain.

Synapse - functional connection between one neuron and another neuron.

Neuroscience for Kids emporal lobe - area of the cerebral T http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html cortex involved with memory and the perception and recognition of sounds.

Unipolar - a neuron with a single branch extending from the cell body. 9