Across
- 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.
Down
- 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.