Foundation year
Nervous system
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
T. SANAA ABD ELHAMED
OBJECTIVES
Are to should be able to:
1. Label a diagram showing the structural organization of the nervous
system.
2. Label a diagram of neuron.
3. Label a diagram of spinal cord.
4. List some common symptoms of neurologic disorders.
5. Interpret case studies involving the nervous system.
6. Identify and use word parts pertaining to the nervous system.
7. Describe the major disorders of the nervous system.
8. Define abbreviations used in neurology.
STRUCTURE OF THE NERVOUS
SYSTEM
MEDICAL TERMS
RELATED TO THE N.S
1. Cranial (adj) means pertaining to the skull. The
combining form crani/o means skull.
2. Brain (n) means the cranial part of the central
nervous system, situated inside the skull, also
known
as
encephalon.
encephal/o means brain.
The
combining
form
3. Cerebrum (n) the largest and most highly developed
part of the brain, composed of two hemispheres. The
combining form cerebr/o means cerebrum or brain.
Cerebral – adj.
4. Cerebellar (adj) referring to the
cerebellum. The combining
form is cerebell/o.
5. Craniotomy (n) means incision
of the skull.
6. Nervous (adj) referring to the nervous system
(also can means worried or tense). The combining
form is nerv/o means nerve. And the suffix –ous is
an adjective marker.
7. Neural (adj) referring to the nerve or the nervous
system. The combining form is neur/o.
8. Neuralgia (n) pain which runs along a nerve. The
suffix –algia means pain.
9. Neurology (n) study of the nervous system and its
diseases.
Neurological – adj.
10. Neurosurgery (n) surgery on the nervous system
including the spinal cord and brain.
11. Neurosurgeon (n) a surgeon who operates on the
nervous system including the brain.
12. Meningitis (n) inflammation of the meninges. The
combining form is mening/o.
13. Myelogram (n) record of the spinal cord. Myelography
is an x-ray examination of the spinal cord after a radioopaque substance has been injected. The combining form
myel/o means spinal cord.
14. Hydrocephalus (n) an excessive quantity of cerebrospinal
fluid in the brain.
15. Concussion (n) [ kon-kush-on] means that the brain is not
working properly due to a violent shaking or jarring of the
brain caused by a direct blow or explosion. The combining
form is concuss/o
16. Coma (n) a state of unconsciousness from which a person
be awakened by eternal stimuli.
17. Amnesia (n) partial or total loss of memory.
18. Dura mater (n) means the thick outer membrane of the
meninges. The combining form is dur/o.
19. Epidural (adj) means located outside the Dura mater. The
prefix epi- means above or upon. The combining form
dur/o means Dura mater. The opposite is subdural.
20. Encephalitis (n) means inflammation of the brain.
21. Electroencephalography: EEG (n) the process of
recording brain wave activity. The resulting record is
called electroencephalogram.
22. Microcephaly (n) a condition where a person has an
abnormally small head. The opposite is macrocephally.
23. Spine (n) means a series of
bones (the vertebrae) linked
together to form a flexible
column running from the pelvis
to the skull. The combining
form is spin/o.
24. Poliomyelitis (n) a viral infection of the grey matter
of the spinal cord that may result in paralysis. Poli/o
means grey matter of the brain and the spinal cord.
25. Syncope (n) losing consciousness for a short time
because of reduced flow of blood to the brain, also
known as fainting.
26. Trephination means the process of cutting a hole in
the skull using a trephine.