16.1 – Introduction to the Nervous System
Learning Objectives
- Identify the anatomy of the nervous system and describe the main functions of the nervous system
- Analyse, translate, and define medical terms and common abbreviations of the nervous system and use correct abbreviations
- Practice the spelling and pronunciation of nervous system terminology
- Identify the medical specialties associated with the nervous system and explore common diseases, disorders, and procedures related to the nervous system
Nervous System Word Parts
Click on prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes to reveal a list of word parts to memorize for the nervous system.
Prefix
- poly- (many, much)
- a- (absence of, without, no, not)
- an- (absence of, without, no, not)
- pan- (all, total)
- post- (after)
- para- (beside, beyond, around, abnormal)
- pre- (before)
- sub- (below, under)
- dys- (painful, abnormal, difficult, laboured)
- intra- (within
- hemi- (half)
- hyper- (above, excessive)
- inter- (between)
Combining Form
- cephal/o (head)
- cerebell/o (cerebellum)
- cerebr/o (cerebrum)
- dur/o (dura mater, hard)
- encephal/o (brain)
- esthesi/o (sensation, sensitivity, feeling)
- gangli/o (ganglion)
- ganglion/o (ganglion)
- gli/o (glia, gluey substance)
- mening/o (meninges)
- meningi/o (meninges)
- ment/o (mind)
- mon/o (one, single)
- myel/o (spinal cord)
- neur/o (nerve)
- phas/o (speech)
- poli/o (gray matter)
- psych/o (mind)
- quadr/i (four)
- radic/o (nerve root)
- radicul/o (nerve root)
- rhiz/o (nerve root)
Suffix
- -al (pertaining to)
- -algia (pain)
- -cele (hernia, protrusion)
- -cyte (cell)
- -ectomy (excision, surgical removal, cutting out)
- -genic (producing, originating, causing)
- -gram (the record, radiographic image)
- -graph (instrument used to record)
- -graphy (process of recording, radiographic imaging)
- -ia (condition of, diseased state or abnormal state)
- -ic (pertaining to)
- -iatrist (specialist, physician)
- -atry (specialty, treatment)
- -ictal (seizure, attack)
- -itis (inflammation)
- -logist (specialist, physician)
- -logy (study of)
- -lysis (loosening, dissolution, separating)
- -malacia (softening)
- -oid (resembling)
- -oma (tumour)
- -osis (abnormal condition)
- -paresis (slight paralysis)
- -pathy (disease)
- -plasty (surgical repair)
- -plegia (paralysis)
- -sclerosis (hardening)
- -rrhaphy (suturing, repairing)
- -tomy (incision, cut into)
Activity source: Nervous System Word Parts by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY- 4.0. /Text version added.
Introduction to the Nervous System
The picture you have in your mind of the nervous system probably includes the brain, the nervous tissue contained within the cranium, and the spinal cord, the extension of nervous tissue within the vertebral column. That suggests it is made of two organs—and you may not even think of the spinal cord as an organ—but the nervous system is a very complex structure. Within the brain, many different and separate regions are responsible for many different and separate functions. It is as if the nervous system is composed of many organs that all look similar and can only be differentiated using tools such as the microscope or electrophysiology.
Watch The Nervous System, Part 1: Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology #8 (11 min) on YouTube
Media 16.1: CrashCourse. (2015, February 23). The Nervous System, Part 1: Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology #8 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qPix_X-9t7E
Nervous System Medical Terms
Nervous System Medical Terms (Text Version)
Practice the following nervous system words by breaking into word parts and pronouncing.
- quadriplegia
- quadr/i/plegia
- paralysis of four (limbs)
- neurectomy
- neur/ectomy
- excision of nerves
- poliomyelitis
- poli/o/myel/itis
- inflammation of gray matter of the spinal cord
- intracerebral
- intra/cerebr/al
- pertaining to within the cerebrum
- encephalosclerosis
- encephal/o/sclerosis
- hardening of the brain
- interictal
- inter/ictal
- occurs between seizures or attacks
- rhizotomy
- rhiz/o/tomy
- incision into a nerve root
- hyperesthesia
- hyper/esthesi/a
- excessive sensitivity to stimuli
- mental
- ment/al
- pertaining to the brain
- neuralgia
- neur/algia
- pain of the nerves
- radiculopathy
- radicul/o/pathy
- disease of the nerve roots
- panplegia
- pan/plegia
- total paralysis
- monoparesis
- mon/o/paresis
- slight paralysis of one (limb)
- duritis
- dur/itis
- inflammation of the dura mater
- anesthesia
- an/esthesi/a
- without (loss of) feeling or sensation
- cerebellitis
- cerebell/itis
- inflammation of the cerebellum
- encephalomalacia
- encephal/o/malacia
- softening of the brain
- cerebral thrombosis
- cerebr/al thromb/osis
- Abnormal condition of blood clot pertaining to the cerebrum (blood clot in a blood vessel in the brain)
- craniocerebral
- crani/o/cerebr/al
- pertaining to the cranium and cerebrum
- glioma
- gli/oma
- tumour composed of the glial tissue
- psychiatrist
- psych/iatrist
- physician who studies and treats disorders of the mind
- cephalgia
- ceph/algia
- *rebel does not follow the rules*
- Pain in the head (headache)
- neuroma
- neur/oma
- tumour made up of nerve (cells)
- psychogenic
- psych/o/genic
- originating in the mind
- polyneuropathy
- poly/neur/o/pathy
- disease of many nerves
- psychosis
- psych/osis
- abnormal condition of the mind
- mononeuropathy
- mon/o/neur/o/pathy
- disease affecting a single nerve
- electroencephalograph
- electr/o/encephal/o/graph
- instrument used to record electrical activity of the brain
- radicotomy
- radic/o/tomy
- incision into a nerve root
- aphasia
- a/phas/ia
- condition of without speaking
- poliomyelitis
- poli/o/myel/itis
- inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord
- gangliitis
- gangli/itis
- inflammation of the ganglion
- hemiplegia
- hemi/plegia
- paralysis of half (right or left) side of the body
- subdural hematoma
- sub/dur/al hemat/oma
- tumour filled with blood pertaining to below the dura mater
- dysphasia
- dys/phas/ia
- condition of difficulty speaking
- encephalitis
- encephal/itis
- inflammation of the brain
- subdural
- sub/dur/al
- pertaining to below the dura mater
- neurology
- neur/o/logy
- study of nerves
- CT myelography
- CT myel/o/graphy
- process of recording the spinal cord with computed tomography
- glioblastoma
- gli/o/blast/oma
- tumour composed of developing glial tissue
- neuroid
- neur/oid
- resembling a nerve
- neuroarthropathy
- neur/o/arthr/o/pathy
- disease of the nerves and joints
- meningitis
- mening/itis
- inflammation of the meninges
- hemiparesis
- hemi/paresis
- slight paralysis of half (right or left) side of the body
- neurorrhaphy
- neur/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of a nerve
- psychology
- psych/o/logy
- study of the mind
- neurologist
- neur/o/logist
- specialist who studies and treats the nervous system
- neuroplasty
- neur/o/plasty
- surgical repair of a nerve
- psychopathy
- psych/o/pathy
- disease of the mind
- preictal
- pre/ictal
- occurs before a seizure or attack
- radiculitis
- radicul/itis
- inflammation of the nerve roots
- electroencephalography
- electr/o/encephal/o/graphy
- process of recording the electrical activity of the brain
- cerebral angiography
- cerebr/al angi/o/graphy
- process of recording (blood) vessel pertaining to the cerebrum
- psychiatry
- psych/iatry
- specialty of the mind
- psychosomatic
- psych/o/somat/ic
- pertaining to the mind and body
- neurotomy
- neur/o/tomy
- incision into a nerve
- cerebral
- cerebr/al
- pertaining to the brain
- neuropathy
- neur/o/pathy
- disease of (peripheral) nerves
- myelomalacia
- myel/o/malacia
- softening of the spinal cord
- encephalomyeloradiculitis
- encephal/o/myel/itis
- inflammation of brain, spinal cord and nerve roots
- monoplegia
- mon/o/plegia
- paralysis of one (limb)
- meningomyelocele
- mening/o/myel/o/cele
- protrusion of the meninges and spinal cord
- paresthesia
- par/esthesi/a
- * rebel does not follow the rules*
- abnormal sensation in the extremeties
- psychologist
- psych/o/logist
- specialist of the mind
- postictal
- post/ictal
- occurs after a seizure or attack
- meningioma
- meningi/oma
- tumour of the meninges
- neurolysis
- neur/o/lysis
- dissolution of nerve (for pain mangement)
- electroencephalogram
- electr/o/encephal/o/gram
- the record of electrical activity of the brain
- gliocyte
- gli/o/cyte
- glial cell
- polyneuritis
- poly/neur/itis
- inflammation of many nerves
- neuritis
- neur/itis
- inflammation of the nerves
- ganglionectomy
- ganglion/ectomy
- excision of a ganglion
- meningocele
- mening/o/cele
- protrusion of the meninges
- rhizomeningomyelitis
- rhiz/o/mening/o/myel/itis
- inflammation of the nerve root, meninges and spinal cord
Activity source: Nervous System Medical Terms by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY- 4.0. /Text version added.
Attribution
Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Nervous System” in Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY 4.0. / A derivative of Betts et al., which can be accessed for free from Anatomy and Physiology (OpenStax). Adaptations: dividing Nervous System chapter content into sub-chapters.
instrument to view small particles by enlarging the particles
The study of electrical properties of cells and tissues