The Nervous System

A general term for a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to communicate with others; may be expressive (an inability to form words) or receptive (an inability to understand words); often occurs following a stroke

A long extension from the body of a neuron that sends information to other neurons

The brain and spinal cord; responsible for receiving information, processing it, and issuing instructions

A clear fluid that circulates around the brain and spinal cord and acts as a "shock absorber" to protect these structures

A state of unconsciouness from which a person cannot be aroused

Short extensions from the body of a neuron that receive information from other neurons

A disorder characterized by chronic seizure activity

The three layers of connective tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord

Nerves that carry commands from the brain down the spinal cord and out to the muscels and organs of the body

A disorder of the nervous system in which the myelin sheaths that cover the nerves are damaged, resulting in faulty transmission of nerve impulses

A fatty, white substance that protects the axon and helps to speed the conduction of nerve impulses along the axon

A cell that can send and receive information

A progressive neurologic disorder that is characterized by tremor and weakness in the muscles and a shuffling gait

The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord; receives information from the environment, and carries commands from the brain and spinal cord to other organs of the body, such as the muscles

A state of altered consciousness in which the person appears to be awake, but cannot respond in a deliberate or meaningful way to the environment

Nerves that carry information from the internal organs and the outside world to the spinal cord and up into the brain so that the brain can analyze the information

A disorder that occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is completely blocked, causing the tissue to die; also known as a "brain attack" or cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

The gap between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of the next

A temporary (transient) episode of dysfunction caused by decreased blood flow to the brain