| arachnoid |
the middle of the three fibrous membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. (See dura mater, pia mater.) [1/5 definitions] |
| brain stem |
the lower portions of the brain that connect the brain to the spinal cord. |
| cerebrospinal |
pertaining to or affecting the brain and spinal cord. |
| cord |
any part of the body resembling a cord, such as the spinal cord. [1/8 definitions] |
| decerebrate |
to separate the brain from the spinal cord of (a person or animal), as by surgery. [2/3 definitions] |
| dura mater |
the outermost of three fibrous membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. (See arachnoid, pia mater.) |
| foramen magnum |
the large opening at the base of the skull where the spinal cord connects with the medulla oblongata. |
| gray matter |
the grayish nerve tissue of the brain and spinal cord, consisting largely of nerve cells and fibers. (Cf. white matter.) [1/2 definitions] |
| meninges |
the three membranes covering the brain or spinal cord in vertebrates. |
| meningitis |
an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, usu. because of an infection. |
| meninx |
one of the three membranes covering the brain or spinal cord in vertebrates. |
| MS2 |
abbreviation of "multiple sclerosis," a degenerative disease of the nervous system in which nerve cells of the brain or spinal cord lose their myelin sheaths, resulting in hardening of the neural tissue, speech difficulties, and loss of muscular coordination. |
| multiple sclerosis |
a degenerative disease of the nervous system in which nerve cells of the brain or spinal cord lose their myelin sheaths, resulting in hardening of the neural tissue, speech difficulties, and loss of muscular coordination. |
| myelitis |
inflammation of the spinal cord. [1/2 definitions] |
| myelo- |
spinal cord; marrow. |
| myelogram |
an x-ray photograph of the spinal cord that is taken after a radiopaque substance has been administered. |
| neural |
pertaining to or located on the dorsal side of the body near or associated with the spinal cord. [1/2 definitions] |
| neurosurgery |
the branch of surgery specializing in the nervous system, esp. the brain and spinal cord. |
| paraplegia |
paralysis of the legs and lower torso because of spinal cord injury or disease. |
| parasympathetic |
relating to those parts of the autonomic nervous system, found in the middle and back parts of the brain and the lower spinal cord, that oppose the work of the sympathetic system, as in dilating the pupils or slowing the heart beat. |
| pia mater |
the innermost of three vascular membranes that envelop the brain and the spinal cord. (See arachnoid, dura mater.) |