Neuroanatomical Terms

Question 1

What does medial mean?

Answer 1

Toward the median plane.

Question 2

What does lateral mean?

Answer 2

Away from the median plane.

Question 3

What does anterior mean above the midbrain?

Answer 3

Toward the front of the brain.

Question 4

What does posterior mean above the midbrain?

Answer 4

Toward the back of the brain.

Question 5

What does anterior mean at and below the midbrain?

Answer 5

Toward the ventral surface of the body.

Question 6

What does posterior mean at and below the midbrain?

Answer 6

Toward the dorsal surface of the body.

Question 7

What does rostral mean above the midbrain?

Answer 7

Toward the front of the brain.

Question 8

What does caudal mean above the midbrain?

Answer 8

Toward the back of the brain.

Question 9

What does rostral mean at and below the midbrain?

Answer 9

Toward the cerebral cortex.

Question 10

What does caudal mean at and below the midbrain?

Answer 10

Toward the sacral end (or bottom) of the spinal cord.

Question 11

What does dorsal mean rostral to the midbrain?

Answer 11

Top of the brain.

Question 12

What does ventral mean rostral to the midbrain?

Answer 12

Bottom of the brain.

Question 13

What does dorsal mean at and caudal to the midbrain?

Answer 13

Toward the posterior surface of the body.

Question 14

What does ventral mean at and caudal to the midbrain?

Answer 14

Anterior surface of the body.

Question 15

What does superior mean above and below the midbrain?

Answer 15

Toward the top of the cerebral cortex.

Question 16

What does inferior mean above and below the midbrain?

Answer 16

Toward the bottom of the spinal cord.

Question 17

What does ipsilateral mean?

Answer 17

On the same side with reference to a specific point.

Question 18

What does contralateral mean?

Answer 18

On the opposite side.

Question 19

What is a commissure?

Answer 19

A group of nerve fibers connecting one side of the brain with the other.

Question 20

What is a decussation?

Answer 20

The crossing over of these nerve fibers.

Question 21

What is a neuron?

Answer 21

The anatomical and functional unit of the nervous system, consisting of a nerve cell body, dendrites, and an axon.

Question 22

What is a nucleus in neuroanatomy?

Answer 22

Groups of neurons in a specific brain or spinal cord region with similar appearance, input, output, and function.

Question 23

What is a tract?

Answer 23

A group of axons passing from a nucleus to one or more target regions.

Question 24

What is white matter?

Answer 24

Region of the brain/spinal cord with many myelinated axons, appearing white due to lipid-rich myelin.

Question 25

What is gray matter?

Answer 25

Region with mostly neuronal cell bodies and few or no myelinated axons.

Question 26

What are glial cells?

Answer 26

Non-neural cells forming the interstitial tissue of the nervous system (types include astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells).

Question 27

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

Answer 27

The brain and spinal cord, surrounded by meninges and protected by the skull and vertebrae.

Question 28

What are ventricles in the CNS?

Answer 28

Fluid-filled spaces within the brain and spinal cord.

Question 29

What protects the brain and spinal cord?

Answer 29

The skull protects the brain, and the vertebral column protects the spinal cord.

Question 30

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Answer 30

Spinal and cranial nerves located outside the CNS.

Question 31

What is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 31

Innervates smooth muscle and glands; controls involuntary functions.

Question 32

What is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 32

Innervates muscles and sensory organs; controls voluntary movement and sensation.