Component 3 Unit 9 Application Activities
Unit 9
The Nervous System
Suggested Student Application Activities
Instructor Guidelines for Application Activities
 Paper Activities
1. Medical Dictionary Exercise –Nervous System
2. Word Building Exercise – Nervous System

Interactive Activities
Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov), a service of the U.S. National
Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, offers access
to the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary for word searches and
correct pronunciation of medical terms.
1. Pronounce the Key Terms using the dictionary available at
MedlinePlus
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov), a service of the U.S. National
Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health presents
interactive health tutorials from the Patient Education Institute. Learn
about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for a variety of diseases
and conditions. Also learn about surgeries, prevention and wellness.
Each tutorial includes animated graphics, audio and easy-to-read
language.
2. Disease and Conditions of the Nervous System
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html
1. Bell's Palsy
2. Cerebral Palsy
3. Meningitis
4. Multiple Sclerosis
5. Parkinson's Disease
6. Seizures and Epilepsy
7. Spinal Cord Injury
8. Strokes
b. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
1. Alzheimer's Disease
Component # (3)
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Brain Aneurysm
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Hydrocephalus
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
3. Tests and Diagnostic Procedures of the Nervous System:
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html
1. Myelogram
4. Surgical and Treatment Procedures of the Nervous System:
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html
1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
2. Neurosurgery – What Is It?
b. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
1. Craniofacial Procedure to Treat Encephalocele and an
Arachnoid Cyst
Instructions to Instructors:
1. Medical Dictionary Exercise
Instructions: This activity enables the student to gain experience with using
a medical dictionary to correctly define the various word parts that will enable
them to appropriately build medical terms.
Distribute the Medical Dictionary Exercise to the students either as an in-class
or homework assignment.
Component # (3)
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Unit 9 – Medical Dictionary Exercise
Using the PowerPoint presentation, a medical dictionary, the tables provided
in Unit 1 (Understanding Medical Words) and Appendix A: Word Parts and
What They Mean from Medline Plus
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/appendixa.html), define the following
word parts.
WORD PART
DEFINITION
algesia
algia
asthenia
cerebello/o
cerebr/o
crani/o
encephal/o
esthesia
gangli/o
kinesia
lepsy
medull/o
mening/o
myel/o
neuro/o
paresis
phasia
plegia
thalam/o
ton/o
ventricul/o
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Unit 9 – Medical Dictionary Exercise - Key
Using the PowerPoint presentation, a medical dictionary, the tables
provided in Unit 1 (Understanding Medical Words) and/or Appendix A:
Word Parts and What They Mean from Medline Plus
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/appendixa.html), define the
following word parts.
word part
algesia
algia
asthenia
cerebello/o
cerebr/o
crani/o
encephal/o
esthesia
gangli/o
kinesia
lepsy
medull/o
mening/o
myel/o
neuro/o
paresis
phasia
plegia
thalam/o
ton/o
ventricul/o
Component # (3)
definition
sensitivity to pain
pain
lack or loss of strength
cerebellum
cerebrum
cranium; skull
brain
capacity for sensation and feeling
ganglion
movement; motion
seizure
inner or deep part of an organ
meninges
marrow
nerve; neural
slight or partial paralysis
speech disorder
paralysis
thalamus
tone; tension, pressure
a cavity of a bodily part of organ
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2. Word Building Exercise
Instructions: This activity enables the student to identify various word
parts and complete the medical term that best fits each definition given.
Distribute the Word Building Exercise to the students either as an in-class
or homework assignment.
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Unit 9 Endocrine System: Word Building Exercise
Using the following word parts, complete the word that best fits each definition
given below. Word parts may be used more than once. NOTE: Some terms use
more than one combining form. Some may have more than one correct answer.
-algesia
crani/o
mening/o
-phasia
-algia
encephal/o
meningi/o
-plegia
-asthenia
gangli/o
myel/o
thalam/o
-esthesia
-kinesia
neur/o
ton/o
cerebr/o
-lepsy
-paresis
ventricul/o
1. Herniation of meninges through spinal defect: _________________cele
2. Destruction of portion of the thalamus: _________________tomy
3. Pertaining to blood vessels of the brain: _______________vascular
4. Suture of spinal cord wound: _______________rrhaphy
5. Nerve pain: neur/o____________ (o or no o?)
6. Chemistry of the nervous system: _______________chemistry
7. Inflammation of brain and spinal cord: ____________________itis
8. Paralysis of all four extremities: quadri__________________
9. Absence of pain: an____________________
10. Measurement of intraocular tension: ______________metry
11. Excision of a ganglion: _________________ectomy
12. Speech impairment due to brain lesion: dys__________________
13. Radiography of cerebral ventricles: __________________gram
14. Chronic fatigue, weakness: neur/o____________________ (o or no o?)
15. Temporary attack of mental inertia: para__________________
16. Tumor arising from meninges: _________________oma
17. Increased muscular movement: hyper__________________
18. Loss of sensation: an____________________
19. Paralysis of one side of the body: hemi__________________
20. Tool to crush a fetal skull during delivery: ______________clast
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Unit 9 Nervous System: Word Building Exercise Key
Using the following word parts, complete the word that best fits each definition
given below. Word parts may be used more than once. NOTE: Some terms use
more than one combining form. Some may have more than one correct answer.
-algesia
crani/o
mening/o
-phasia
-algia
encephal/o
meningi/o
-plegia
-asthenia
gangli/o
myel/o
thalam/o
-esthesia
-kinesia
neur/o
ton/o
cerebr/o
-lepsy
-paresis
ventricul/o
1. Herniation of meninges through spinal defect: meningocele
2. Destruction of portion of the thalamus: thalamotomy
3. Pertaining to blood vessels of the brain: cerebrovascular
4. Suture of spinal cord wound: myelorrhaphy
5. Nerve pain: neuralgia
6. Chemistry of the nervous system: neurochemistry
7. Inflammation of brain and spinal cord: encephalomyelitis;
myeloencephalitis
8. Paralysis of all four extremities: quadriplegia
9. Absence of pain: analgesia
10.Measurement of intraocular tension: tonometry
11.Excision of a ganglion: ganglionectomy
12.Speech impairment due to brain lesion: dysphasis
13.Radiography of cerebral ventricles: ventriculogram
14.Chronic fatigue, weakness: neurasthenia
15.Temporary attack of mental inertia: paralepsy
16.Tumor arising from meninges: meningioma
17.Increased muscular movement: hyperkinesia
18.Loss of sensation: anesthesia
19.Paralysis of one side of the body: hemiparesis
20.Tool to crush a fetal skull during delivery: cranioclast
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Interactive Activities
Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov), a service of the U.S. National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, offers access to the MerriamWebster Medical Dictionary for word searches and correct pronunciation of
medical terms.
1. Pronounce the Key Terms using the dictionary available at MedlinePlus
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
1. Click on the medical dictionary link under "Health Topics"
2. Enter the key term and click “search”
3. Click on the red “speaker icon” and listen to the pronunciation
4. Pronounce the key term and repeat if needed
Analgesia
Cerebellar
Cerebral
Cranioclasis
Dysphasia
Encephalitis
Ganglionectomy
Hyperkinesia
Medullary
Meningocele
Meningioma
Myelitis
Neuralgia
Neurasthenia
Neuropathy
Paraplegia
Quadriplegia
Thalamotomy
Tonometry
Ventriculogram
Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov), a service of the U.S. National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health presents interactive health
tutorials from the Patient Education Institute. Learn about the symptoms,
diagnosis and treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. Also learn
about surgeries, prevention and wellness. Each tutorial includes animated
graphics, audio and easy-to-read language.
2. Disease and Conditions of the Nervous System
Component # (3)
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Instructions: This activity enables the student gather additional information
regarding the various diseases and conditions of the Nervous System.
Have the students either as an in-class or homework assignment go to the
Medline Plus website and complete 1 or more of these interactive tutorials.
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html
1. Bell's Palsy
2. Cerebral Palsy
3. Meningitis
4. Multiple Sclerosis
5. Parkinson's Disease
6. Seizures and Epilepsy
7. Spinal Cord Injury
8. Strokes
Have the students either as an in-class or homework assignment go to the
MedlinePlus Health Topics page and under Body Location/Systems, select 2
or more of these Nervous System Topics.
b. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
1. Alzheimer's Disease
2. Brain Aneurysm
3. Guillain-Barre Syndrome
4. Hydrocephalus
5. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
3. Tests and Diagnostic Procedures of the Nervous System:
Instructions: This activity enables the student to gather additional
information regarding diagnostic procedures of the Nervous System.
Have the students either as an in-class or homework assignment complete at
least this interactive tutorial.
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html
1. Myelogram
4. Surgical and Treatment Procedures of the Nervous System:
Instructions: This activity enables the student to gather additional
information regarding surgical procedures of the Nervous System.
Have the students either as an in-class or homework assignment complete at
least 1 of these interactive tutorials.
Component # (3)
Health IT Workforce Curriculum
Version 1.0/Fall 2010
10
a. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html
1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
2. Neurosurgery – What Is It?
Have the students either as an in-class or homework assignment go to the
MedlinePlus Health Topics page and under Body Location/Systems,
select 1 or more of these Nervous System Topics.
b. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
1 . Craniofacial Procedure to Treat Encephalocele and an
Arachnoid Cyst
Expected Outcomes for Student Activities
1. Medical Dictionary Exercise
This activity demonstrates the ability of the student to utilize a medical
dictionary and other resources to research and define word roots, prefixes
and suffixes that are common to the Nervous system.
2. Word Building Exercise
This activity demonstrates the ability of the student to combine word roots,
prefixes, and suffixes to create proper medical terms.
3. Pronounce Key Terms
This activity permits the students to correctly hear and pronounce key
terms related to this unit’s body system.
4. Diseases and Conditions of the Nervous System Interactive Tutorials
This activity reinforces information provided in the unit as well as allows
the student to obtain additional information regarding common diseases
and conditions of the Nervous system.
5. Tests and Diagnostic Procedures of the Nervous Interactive Tutorial
This activity reinforces information provided in the unit as well as allows
the student to obtain additional information regarding common diagnostic
procedures of the Nervous system.
6. Surgical and Treatment Procedures of the Nervous System
This activity reinforces information provided in the unit as well as allows
Component # (3)
Health IT Workforce Curriculum
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the student to obtain additional information regarding common diseases
and conditions of the Nervous system.
Component # (3)
Health IT Workforce Curriculum
Version 1.0/Fall 2010
12