1. Chapter 12: The Nervous System Professor Fowler
Medical Terminology
Chapter 12: The Nervous System
Professor Fowler

2. WORDS TO KNOW Cephal/o: head Encephal/o: brain Gli/o: glue
Myel/o: spinal cord
Neur/o: nerve
Phas/o: speech
-algesia: pain
-esthesia: feeling, sensation
-paresis: weakness
-phasia: speech
-plegia: paralysis

3. Vocabulary Anorexia Nervosa: characterized by periods of not eating
Coma: deep unconsciousness
Convulsion: seizure
Bulimia Nervosa: characterized by periods of binging and purging
Paralysis: inability to move
Syncope: fainting
Aura: sensation before an event
Dementia: loss of intelect
Alzheimer’s disease: abnormal connections in brain
Conscious: alert & awake
Unconscious: state of unaware

5. Abbreviations CNS: central nervous system CSF: cerebrospinal fluid
CVA: cerebrovascular accident
HA: headache
MS: multiple sclerosis
PNS: peripheral nervous system
TIA: transient ischemic attack

6. The Nervous System Purpose: coordinate all activities of the body
Receives sensory info to
adjust the activity to match
needs of the body
Subdivided into 2 parts
CNS
PNS

7. Two Divisions of Nervous System
Central Nervous System
Brain and spinal cord
Sensory info from PNS to CNS for processing
Peripheral Nervous System
Cranial and spinal nerves
Sensory info sent to CNS for processing and motor info sent from CNS to PNS

8. Central Nervous System
Tract: bundles of nerve fibers
Brain
Cerebrum
Gyri: elevated portions
Sulci: valley like areas
Lobes
Frontal: motor function
Parietal: sensory receptors
Occipital: vision
Temporal: hearing and smell
Cerebellum: voluntary body movements
Diencephalon
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Brain Stem
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata

9. Central Nervous System
Spinal Cord
Acsending tract: to brain
Descending tract: from brain
Meninges
Dura mater: hard mother
Arachnoid layer: spider
Pia mater: soft mother

10. Peripheral Nervous System
Cranial nerves (18)
Spinal nerves (19)
Tracts
Ascending
S – sensory
A – afferent
Descending
M – motor
E - efferent
Autonomic
Sympathetic: fight or flight
Parasympathetic: rest and digest
Somatic