| afferent |
bearing or leading toward a central organ or part, as nerves that conduct impulses to the spinal column or as veins that carry blood to the heart. |
| arachnoid |
the middle of the three fibrous membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. (See dura mater, pia mater.) [1/5 definitions] |
| backbone |
the series of bones that run along the center of the back; spinal column; vertebrae. [1/3 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. |
| chiropractic |
a system of healing in which manipulation of the spinal column and other body structures is used to restore normal nerve function and thus good health. |
| coccyx |
the small triangular bone at the lower end of the spinal column, consisting of several fused vertebrae. |
| 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] |
| disc2 |
any natural structure of similar shape in a plant or animal, such as the center of the head of a daisy or the plates of cartilage between the spinal vertebrae. [1/4 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] |
| hump |
a rounded projection or bulge, esp. a fleshy one, as is found on the back of a camel or on the back of a person who has a spinal deformity. [1/6 definitions] |
| invertebrate |
without a spinal column or backbone; not vertebrate. [1/3 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. |
| mesentery |
the membrane that encloses the small intestine and connects it to the spinal wall of the abdomen. |
| 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. |