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Glossary of terms
- Antibody - an immunoglobulin molecule that has a specific
amino acid sequence by virtue of which it interacts only with the
antigen that induced its synthesis in lymphoid tissue, or with
antigen closely related to it. Antibodies are classified
according to their mode of action as agglutinins, bacteriolysins,
hemolysins, opsonins, precipitins etc.
- Astereognosis - loss of power to recognize objects or to
appreciate their form by touching or feeling them
- Ataxia - failure of muscular coordination; irregularity of
muscular action
- Athetosis - a derangement marked by ceaseless occurrence of
slow sinuous, writhing movements, especially severe in the hands
and performed involuntarily; it may occur after hemiplegia, and
is then known as posthemiplegic chores.
- Autoimmune - directed against the body's own tissue.
- Autosome - any ordinary paired chromosome as a distinguished
from a sex chromosome; in man there are 22 pairs of
autosomes
- Axon - that process of a nerve cell by which impulses travel
away from the cell body; called also axis cylinder and
telodendron
- Ballismus - violent flinging movements caused by contractions
of the proximal limb muscles as a result of destruction of the
subthalamic nucleus of Luysii or its fiber connections, sometime
affecting only one side of the body (Hemiballism)
- Chorea - the ceaseless occurrence of a wide variety of rapid,
highly complex, jerky movements that appear to be well
coordinated but are performed involuntarily
- Extrapyramidal - outside of the pyramidal tracts; a
functional, rather than anatomical, unit comprising of the nuclei
and fibers(excluding those of the pyramidal tract) involved in
motor activities; they control and coordinate especially the
postural, static, supporting, and locomotor mechanisms. The tract
includes the corpus striatum, subthalamic nucleus, substantia
nigra, and the red nucleus along with their interconnections with
the reticular formation, cerebellum and cerebrum; some
authorities include the cerebellum and the vestibular
nuclei.
- Fasciculations - a small local contraction of muscles visible
through the skin, representing a spontaneous discharge of a
number of fibers innervated by a single motor nerve
filament.
- Friedrich's Ataxia - Friedrich's disease an inherited
disease, usually beginning in childhood or youth, with sclerosis
of the dorsal and lateral columns of the spinal cord. Ataxia,
speech impairment, lateral curvature of the spinal column and
peculiar swaying and irregular movements with paralysis of the
muscles.
- Ischemia, Ischemic - deficiency of blood in a part, due to
functional constriction or actual obstruction of a blood
vessel
- Mitochondria - small spherical to rod-shaped components
(organelles) found in the cytoplasm of cells, enclosed in a
double membrane, the inner one having infoldings called cristae.
They are the principal sites of the generation of energy (in the
form o ion gradients and adenosine triphosphate [ATP] synthesis)
resulting from the oxidation of foodstuffs, and they contain the
enzymes of the Krebs and fatty acid cycles and the respiratory
pathway. Mitochondria are organelles with genetic continuity and
contain an extra nuclear source of DNA.
- Mononucleotide - a product obtained by the digestion or
hydrolytic decomposition of nucleic acid. It is a compound of
phosphoric acid and a pentoside. The later is a combination of a
pentose (ribose or deoxyribose) with one of the following bases:
guanine, adenine, cytosine, uracil or thymine.
- Muscle spindle - a mechanoreceptor found between skeletal
muscle fibers; the muscle spindles are arranged in parallel with
muscle fibers, and respond to passive stretch of the muscle but
cease to discharge it the muscle contracts isotonically, thus
signaling muscle strength or myotatic reflex (performed or
induced by stretching or extending a muscle)
- Myelin - the lipid substance forming a sheath around certain
nerve fibers; called also white substance of Schwann.
- Myelitis - inflammation of the spinal cord
- Myelocele - hernial protrusion of the substance of the spinal
cord through a defect in the bony spinal canal.
- Myelomeningocele - hernial protrusion of the cord and its
meninges through a defect in the vertebral canal.
- Neuron - any of the conducting cells of the nervous system. A
typical neuron consists of a cell body, containing the nucleus
and the surrounding cytoplasm, several short radiating processes
(dendrites); and one long process (axon).
- Para - a prefix meaning beside beyond, accessory to, apart
from, against etc.
- Paralysis - loss or impairment of motor function in a part
due to lesion of the neural or muscular mechanism also by
analysis, impairment of sensory function.
- Paraparesis - a partial paralysis, especially of the lower
extremities.
- Paraplegia - paralysis of the legs and lower part of the
body.
- Paresis - a word meaning slight or incomplete paralysis or
Weakness to the muscles.
- Plegia - a word meaning Paralysis of a limb or limbs
- Plexus - a network or triangle; general term for a network of
lymphatic vessels, nerves or veins.
- Polymer - a compound, usually of high molecular weight,
formed by the linear combination of simpler repeating molecules,
or monomers
- Stenosis - a narrowing or stricture of a duct or canal
- Synapse - the anatomical relation of one nerve cell to
another; the region of junction between processes of two adjacent
neurons, forming the place where a nervous impulse id transmitted
from one neuron to another
- Trinucleotide - a polymer made up of three
mononucleotides
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