nervous system anatomy & physiology

1. Posterior portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord; includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
4. Thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord. Latin for “hard mother.”
6. Part of a nerve cell that contains the nucleus.
7. Connective and supporting tissue of an organ. Glial cells make up the stromal tissue of the brain.
8. Organ that receives and transmits a stimulus to sensory nerves. The skin, ears, eyes, and taste buds are receptors.
13. Neurotransmitter chemical released at the ends of nerve cells.
15. Autonomic nerves that influence bodily functions involuntarily in times of stress.
16. Type of glial (neuroglial) cell that transports water and salts from capillaries in the nervous system.

2. Chemical messenger released at the end of a nerve cell. It stimulates or inhibits another cell, which can be a nerve cell, muscle cell, or gland cell. Examples of neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.
3. Protective separation between the blood and brain cells. This makes it difficult for substances (such as anticancer drugs) to penetrate capillary walls and enter the brain.
5. Uppermost portion of the brainstem.
9. Microscopic branching fiber of a nerve cell (neuron) that is the first part to receive the nervous impulse.
10. Covering of white fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates the axon of a nerve cell. Myelin speeds impulse conduction along axons.
11. Collection of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system.
12. Collection of spinal nerves below the end of the spinal cord.
14. Depression or groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex; fissure.