Chap 10, Nervous System, Spelling Practice Quiz

Question 1

analgesia

Answer 1

Absence of sensitivity to pain.

an-: no, not, without
-algesia: excessive sensitivity to pain.

Question 2

ataxic gate

Answer 2

Uncoordinated walk.

-ic: pertaining to
a-: no, not, without
tax/o: order, coordination

Question 3

aneurysm

Answer 3

Weakening of an arterial wall, which may lead to hemorrhage and cerebrovascular accident (stroke).

Question 4

acetylcholine

Answer 4

Neurotransmitter chemical released at the ends of nerve cells.

Question 5

brainstem

Answer 5

Lower portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord.

Question 6

cerebral gyrus

Answer 6

Sheet of nerve cells that produces a rounded fold on the surface of the cerebrum or cerebral cortex; convolution.

cerebr/o: cerebrum
-al: pertaining to

Question 7

cerebral sulci

Answer 7

Depression or groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex; fissure.

cerebr/o: cerebrum
-al: pertaining to

Question 8

dopamine

Answer 8

Neurotransmitter in the central nervous system; deficient in patients with Parkinson disease.

Question 9

dyskinesia

Answer 9

Impairment of the ability to perform voluntary movements.

dys-: bad, painful, difficult, abnormal
kinesi/o: movement

Question 10

dysphasia

Answer 10

loss or deficiency in the power to use or understand language as a result of injury to or disease of the brain.

dys-: bad, painful, difficult, abnormal
-phasia: speech

Question 11

demyelination

Answer 11

The state resulting from the loss or destruction of myelin; also: the process of such loss or destruction.

de-: lack of; down; less; removal of
myel/o: spinal cord or bone marrow
-ion: process

Question 12

efferent nerve

Answer 12

Transmits information rather than receives information (motor nerve).

Question 13

hemiparesis

Answer 13

Slight paralysis of the right or left half of the body.

-paresis: weakness
hemi-: half

Question 14

embolus

Answer 14

Blood clot that is carried by the bloodstream from one area of the body to another where it blocks a blood vessel (travelling clot or thrombus that causes occlusion).

em-: in
-us: structure; thing

Question 15

epilepsy

Answer 15

Brain disorder marked by recurrent attacks (seizures) of abnormal nervous impulses.

epi-: above, upon, on
-lepsy: seizue

Question 16

hypothalamus

Answer 16

Region of the brain lying below the thalamus, but above the pituitary gland. It stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete and release hormones.

-us: structure; thing
hypo-: deficient, below, under, less than normal
thalam/o: thalamus

Question 17

leptomeninges, pia-arachnoid, or leptomeninx

Answer 17

The pia mater and the arachnoid as distinct from the dura mater because of their thinner and more delicate structure.

lept/o-: thin, slender
mening/o: membranes, meninges

Question 18

myelin sheath (verb form: myelin sheathe)

Answer 18

Covering of white fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates the axon of a nerve cell. Myelin speeds impulse conduction along axons.

myel/o: spinal cord or bone marrow

Question 19

meningitis

Answer 19

Inflammation of the meninges.

mening/o: meninges, membranes
-itis: inflammation

Question 20

meningomyelocele or myelomeningocele

Answer 20

Congenital hernia (protrusion) of the spinal cord and meninges through a defect (gap) in the vertebral column. This defect is often associated with spina bifida.

-cele: hernia
mening/o: meninges, membranes
myel/o: spinal cord or bone marrow

Question 21

medulla oblongata

Answer 21

Lower part of the brain, closest to the spinal cord; controls breathing, heartbeat, and size of blood vessels.

medull/o: medulla (inner section); middle; soft, marrow

Question 22

neuralgia

Answer 22

Nerve pain.

-algia: pain
neur/o: nerve

Question 23

olfactory

Answer 23

of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell; cranial nerve I, or 1st cranial nerve.

Question 24

paresthesia (plural: paresthesias)

Answer 24

An abnormal nervous sensation occurring without apparent cause. Examples are numbness, tingling, or pricking sensations. [often used in the plural (paresthesias)]

-esthesia: feeling; nervous sensation
para-: along the side of

Question 25

Parkinson disease

Answer 25

1) Degeneration of nerves in the basal ganglia occurring in later life, leading to tremors, shuffling gait, and muscle stiffness; dopamine (neurotransmitter) is deficient in the brain. 2) Degeneration of nerve cells that produce the neurotransmitter, dopamine in the brain; leads to tremors, weakness of muscles, and slowness of movement.

Question 26

paraplegia

Answer 26

Paralysis of the lower part of the body and both legs.

plegia-: paralysis; loss or impairment of the ability to move parts of the body
para-: along the side of

Question 27

cerebral palsy

Answer 27

1) Partial paralysis and muscular coordination caused by loss of oxygen or blood flow to the cerebrum during pregnancy or in the perinatal period.
2) A nonprogressive paralysis resulting from developmental defects in brain or trauma at birth.

palsy: paralysis; temporary or permanent loss of sensation or loss of ability to move or to control movement.
cerebr/o: cerebrum

Question 28

pial membrane

Answer 28

pertaining to the pia mater

-al: pertaining to
pi/o

Question 29

quadriplegia

Answer 29

Paralysis of all four limbs; both arms and both legs.

quadri-: four
-plegia: paralysis; loss or impairment of the ability to move parts of the body

Question 30

subdural hematoma

Answer 30

Collection of blood in the space below the dura mater surrounding the brain.

-al: pertaining to
dur/o: dura mater
sub-: under; below

• oma: tumor; mass; fluid collection
• hema: blood

Question 31

syncope

Answer 31

Fainting; temporary loss of consciousness.

syn-: together; with

Question 32

trigeminal neuralgia

Answer 32

Burning pain in cheek, forehead, scalp. Flashes of stab like pain along the course of a branch of the trigeminal nerve (5th cranial nerve). The trigeminal nerve has branches to the eye, upper jaw and lower jaw.

tri-: three
-al: pertaining to
neur/o: nerve
-algia: pain

Question 33

vagal nerve

Answer 33

Pertaining to the 10th cranial nerve (cranial nerve X); its branches reach to the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, aorta, esophagus, and stomach (chest and abdomen).

-al: pertaining to
vag/o: vagus nerve

Question 34

TIA

Answer 34

transient ischemic attack

trans-: across; through
-ic: pert. to
isch/o: hold back; back

Question 35

MS

Answer 35

Multiple sclerosis. Destruction of the myelin sheath (demyelination) and its replacement by hard plaques.

multi-: many
-sclerosis: hardening

Question 36

AD

Answer 36

Alzheimer disease. Deterioration of mental capacity (dementia); autopsy shows cerebral cortex atrophy, widening of the cerebral sulci, and microscopic neurofibrillary tangles.

dis-: free of; to undo

Question 37

ALS

Answer 37

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pert. to lack of muscle growth). Atrophy of muscles and paralysis caused by damage to motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem.

Question 38

EEG

Answer 38

electroencephalogram

Question 39

CVA

Answer 39

Cerebral vascular accident. Stroke