Glossary UH – Medicina

Sharon Nicole Vargas Gaitán

Marian Natasha Jirón Sanabria
Human Nervous System

Human nervous system (Sistema Nervioso Humano): System that conducts stimuli from sensory
receptors to the brain and spinal cord and conducts impulses back to other parts of the body. As with other
higher vertebrates, the human nervous system has two main parts: the central nervous system (the brain and
spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that carry impulses to and from the central
nervous system).

Neuron (Neurona): also called nerve cell, basic cell of the nervous system in vertebrates and most
invertebrates from the level of the cnidarians (e.g., corals, jellyfish) upward. A typical neuron has a cell
body containing a nucleus and two or more long fibers.

Central nervous system (Sistema Nervioso Central): system of nerve tissue in vertebrates that consists
of the brain and spinal cord. The central nervous system controls both voluntary movements, such as those
involved in walking and in speech, and involuntary movements, such as breathing and reflex actions. It’s
also the center of emotion and cognition.

Peripheral nervous system (Sistema Nervioso Periférico): It’s that part of your nervous system that lies
outside your brain and spinal cord. It plays key role in both sending information from different areas of
your body back to your brain, as well as carrying out commands from your brain to various parts of your
body. Some of those signals, like the ones to your heart and gut, are automatic. Others, like the ones that
control movement, are under your control.

Brain (Cerebro): the mass of nerve tissue in the anterior end of an organism. The brain integrates sensory
information and directs motor responses; in higher vertebrates it is also the center of learning.
The human brain weighs approximately 1.4 kg (3 pounds) and is made up of billions of cells called neurons.

Spinal cord (Médula espinal): major nerve tract of vertebrates, extending from the base of the brain
through the canal of the spinal column. It is composed of nerve fibers that mediate reflex actions and that
transmit impulses to and from the brain.

Vertebral column (Columna vertebral): also called spinal column, spine, or backbone,
in vertebrate animals, the flexible column extending from neck to tail, made of a series of bones, the
vertebrae. The major function of the vertebral column is protection of the spinal cord; it also provides
stiffening for the body and attachment for the pectoral and pelvic girdles and many muscles. In humans an
additional function is to transmit body weight in walking and standing.

Meninges (Meninges): singular meninx, three membranous envelopes—pia mater, arachnoid, and dura
mater—that surround the brain and spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid fills the ventricles of the brain and the
space between the pia mater and the arachnoid. The primary function of the meninges and of the
cerebrospinal fluid is to protect the central nervous system.

Cerebrospinal fluid ¨CSF¨ (Líquido cefalorraquídeo): clear, colorless liquid that fills and surrounds
the brain and the spinal cord and provides a mechanical barrier against shock. Formed primarily in
the ventricles of the brain, the cerebrospinal fluid supports the brain and provides lubrication between
surrounding bones and the brain and spinal cord.
Glossary UH – Medicina
Sharon Nicole Vargas Gaitán
Marian Natasha Jirón Sanabria
Corpus callosum (Cuerpo calloso): bundle of nerve fibers in the longitudinal fissure of the brain that
enables corresponding regions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres to communicate. The axons and
dendrites of the neurons in the corpus callosum synapse with cortical neurons on symmetrically related
points of the hemispheres. Thus, electrical stimulation of a point on one hemisphere usually gives rise to a
response on a symmetrically related point on the other, by virtue of these callosal connections.

Frontal lobe (Lóbulo Frontal): It is home to areas that manage thinking, emotions, personality, judgment,
self-control, muscle control and movements, memory storage and more. Just as its name indicates, it’s the
forward-most area of your brain. Your frontal lobe is a key area of study for both brain-related and mental
health-related fields of medicine.

Parietal lobe (Lóbulo parietal): It is a key part of your understanding of the world around you. It processes
your sense of touch and assembles input from your other senses into a form you can use. Your parietal lobe
also helps you understand where you are in relation to other things that your senses are picking up around
you.

Temporal lobe (Lóbulo temporal): This part of your brain is a pair of areas on your brain’s left and right
sides. These areas, which are inside your skull near your temples and ears, play a role in managing your
emotions, processing information from your senses, storing and retrieving memories, and understanding
language.

Occipital lobe (Lóbulo occipital): It’s the smallest and rear-most of the lobes, is the visual processing hub
of your brain. This area processes visual signals and works cooperatively with many other brain areas. It
plays a crucial role in language and reading, storing memories, recognizing familiar places and faces, and
much more.

Limbic lobe (Lóbulo límbico): The limbic lobe is a group of brain structures that includes portions of each
lobe of the cerebral cortex. It is vital for memory, learning, motivation, emotion, endocrine functions, and
some autonomic bodily function.

Axon (Axón): This is the region where the plasma membrane generates nerve impulses; the axon conducts
these impulses away from the soma or dendrites toward other neurons.

Dendrites (Dendritas): Besides the axon, neurons have other branches called dendrites that are usually
shorter than axons and are unmyelinated. Dendrites are thought to form receiving surfaces for synaptic
input from other neurons.

Hypothalamus (Hipotálamo): hypothalamus, region of the brain lying below the thalamus and making up
the floor of the third cerebral ventricle. The hypothalamus is an integral part of the brain. It is a small cone-
shaped structure that projects downward from the brain, ending in the pituitary (infundibular) stalk, a
tubular connection to the pituitary gland.

Thalamus (Tálamo): plural thalami, either of a pair of large ovoid organs that form most of the lateral
walls of the third ventricle of the brain. The thalamus translates neural impulses from various receptors to
the cerebral cortex. While the thalamus is classically known for its roles as a sensory relay in visual,
auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory systems, it also has significant roles in motor
activity, emotion, memory, arousal, and other sensorimotor association functions.
Glossary UH – Medicina
Sharon Nicole Vargas Gaitán
Marian Natasha Jirón Sanabria
Amygdala (Amígdala): region of the brain primarily associated with emotional processes. The
name amygdala is derived from the Greek word amygdale, meaning “almond,” owing to the structure’s
almond like shape. The amygdala is in the medial temporal lobe, just anterior to (in front of)
the hippocampus. Like the hippocampus, the amygdala is a paired structure, with one located in each
hemisphere of the brain. The amygdala is part of the limbic system, a neural network that mediates many
aspects of emotion and memory.

Hindbrain (Rombencéfalo):, also called rhombencephalon, region of the developing vertebrate brain that
is composed of the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the cerebellum. The hindbrain coordinates functions
that are fundamental to survival, including respiratory rhythm, motor activity, sleep, and wakefulness.

Neurotransmitter (Neurotransmisor): also called chemical transmitter or chemical messenger, any of a

group of chemical agents released by neurons (nerve cells) to stimulate neighboring neurons or muscle or
gland cells, thus allowing impulses to be passed from one cell to the next throughout the nervous system.

Oxytocin (Oxitocina): neurohormone in mammals, the principal functions of which are

to stimulate contractions of the uterus during labor, to stimulate the ejection of milk (letdown)
during lactation, and to promote maternal nurturing behavior. Oxytocin is thought to influence several other
physiological and behavioral processes as well, particularly sexual, and social behavior in males and
females. In both sexes, oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus and stored and secreted into the
bloodstream from the posterior pituitary gland.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid /GABA (Ácido gamma-aminobutírico): It is a neurotransmitter, a chemical

messenger in your brain. It slows down your brain by blocking specific signals in your central nervous
system (your brain and spinal cord). GABA is known for producing a calming effect. It’s thought to play a
major role in controlling nerve cell hyperactivity associated with anxiety, stress, and fear.

Neuropeptide Y (Neuropéptido Y): a neurotransmitter composed of 36 amino acid residues that has a
vasoconstrictive effect on blood vessels and is held to play a role in regulating eating behavior.

Somatostatin (Somatostatina): It is a hormone that regulates a variety of bodily functions by hindering

the release of other hormones, the activity of your gastrointestinal tract and the rapid reproduction of cells.

Dopamine (Dopamina): It’s a type of neurotransmitter. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses
it to send messages between nerve cells. That's why it's sometimes called a chemical messenger. Dopamine
plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It's a big part of our unique human ability to think and plan. It helps
us strive, focus, and find things interesting.

Serotonin (Serotonina): Serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a monoamine

neurotransmitter. It also acts as a hormone. As a neurotransmitter, serotonin carries messages between nerve
cells in your brain (your central nervous system) and throughout your body (your peripheral nervous
system). These chemical messages tell your body how to work. Serotonin plays several roles in your body,
including influencing learning, memory, happiness as well as regulating body temperature, sleep, sexual
behavior, and hunger. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and
other health conditions.
Glossary UH – Medicina
Sharon Nicole Vargas Gaitán
Marian Natasha Jirón Sanabria
Spinal nerve (Nervio espinal): in vertebrates, any one of many paired peripheral nerves that arise from
the spinal cord. In humans there are 31 pairs: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal.
Each pair connects the spinal cord with a specific region of the body. Near the spinal cord each
spinal nerve branches into two roots. One, composed of sensory fibers, enters the spinal cord via the dorsal
root; its cell bodies lie in a spinal ganglion that is outside the spinal cord. The other, composed of motor
fibers, leaves the spinal cord via the ventral root; its cell bodies lie in specific areas of the spinal cord itself.

Midbrain (Mesencéfalo): Also called mesencephalon, region of the developing vertebrate brain that is
composed of the tectum and tegmentum. The midbrain serves important functions in motor movement,
particularly movements of the eye, and in auditory and visual processing. It is located within
the brainstem and between the two other developmental regions of the brain, the forebrain and
the hindbrain; compared with those regions, the midbrain is relatively small.