Medicină I – Seminarul 8

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

The nervous system and the endocrine system coordinate and control the body. Together
they regulate our responses to the environment and maintain homeostasis. Whereas the endocrine
system functions by means of hormones, the nervous system functions by means of electric
impulses. For study purposes, the nervous system may be divided into the central nervous system
(CNS), consisting of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS),
consisting of all nervous tissue outside the brain and spinal cord.

homeostasis - homeostazie, homeostază

homeostatic - homeostatic, homeostazic
impulse - impuls, influx nervos; îndemn, imbold
central nervous system (CNS) - sistem nervos central, nevrax
peripheral nervous system - sistem nervos periferic

Functionally, the nervous system can be divided into the somatic nervous system, which
controls skeletal muscles, and the visceral or autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls
smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands. The ANS regulates responses to stress and helps to
maintain homeostasis.
Two types of cells are found in the nervous system:
Neurons, or nerve cells, that make up the conducting tissue of the nervous system.
Neuroglia, the connective tissue cells of the nervous system that support and protect the nervous
tissue.

autonomic nervous system (ANS) (syn.) involuntary nervous system (syn.) vegetative
nervous system (syn.) visceral nervous system - sistem nervos autonom, sistem nervos
vegetativ, sistem nervos visceral
smooth - neted, plan, lustruit; şlefuit
to smooth - a netezi; a egaliza; a linişti
smooth muscle (sin.) unstriated muscle (syn.) unstriped muscle - muşchi neted
VISCER(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de viscere
viscera (sg. viscus) (syn.) internal organs - viscere, organe interne
visceral (syn.) splanchnic - visceral, splanhnic
neuroglial (syn.) neurogliar - neuroglial, nevroglial
neuroglia (syn.) glial cell (sin.) gliocyte -neuroglie, nevroglie, celulă glială, gliocit
neuron (syn.) neurone (syn.) nerve cell (syn.) neurocyte - neuron, celulă nervoasă,
neurocit
neural - neural, nervos

The Neuron
The neuron is the basic functional unit of the nervous system. Each neuron has two types
of fibers extending from the cell body: the dendrite, which carries impulses toward the cell body,
and the axon, which carries impulses away from the cell body.
Some axons are covered with myelin, a whitish, fatty material that insulates and protects
the axon and speeds electric conduction. Axons so covered are described as myelinated, and they
make up the white matter of the nervous system. Unmyelinated tissue makes up the gray matter of
the nervous system.

dendrite (syn.) dendritic process (syn.) dendron - dendrită, dendron

axon – axon
 axonal - axonal
NEUR(O)-, NEURI- formă combinatorie cu sensul de nerv, sistem nervos
DENDR(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de arbore
dendriform (syn.) arborescent (syn.) dendroid - dendriform, arborescent, dendroid
dendritic - dendritic
cell body - corp celular
unmyelinated (syn.) unmedullated (syn.) amyelinic - amielinic, fără mielină

Each neuron is part of a relay system that carries information through the nervous system.
A neuron that transmits impulses toward the CNS is a sensory neuron; a neuron that transmits
impulses away from the CNS is a motor neuron. There are also connecting neurons within the
CNS. The point of contact between two nerve cells is the synapse. At the synapse, energy is passed
from one cell to another by means of a chemical neurotransmitter.
Nerves
Individual neuron fibers are held together in bundles like wires in a cable. If this bundle is
part of the PNS, it is called a nerve. A collection of cell bodies along the pathway of a nerve is a
ganglion. A few nerves (sensory nerves) contain only sensory neurons, and a few (motor nerves)
contain only motor neurons, but most contain both types of fibers and are described as mixed
nerves.

relay – releu, comutator; retransmisie

sensory neuron - neuron senzitiv
motor neuron (syn.) motoneuron - neuron motor, motoneuron
synapse (pl. synapses) - sinapsă
neurotransmitter (syn.) chemical transmitter - neurotransmiţător, mediator chimic
bundle - fascicul, legătură, mănunchi

The Brain
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It is composed largely of white matter with a
thin outer layer of gray matter, the cerebral cortex. It is within the cortex that the higher brain
functions of memory, reasoning, and abstract thought occur. The cerebrum is divided into two
hemispheres by a deep groove, the longitudinal fissure. Each hemisphere is further divided into
lobes with specialized functions.
The diencephalon contains the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the pituitary gland. The
thalamus receives sensory information and directs it to the proper portion of the cortex. The
hypothalamus controls the pituitary and forms a link between the endocrine and nervous systems.

brain - creier
brain activity (syn.) cerebral activity - activitate cerebrală
matter (syn.) substance (syn.) substantia (pl. substantiae) - materie, substanţă
white matter (syn.) white substance (syn.) substantia alba - materie albă, substanţă albă
gray matter (syn.) gray substance (syn.) substantia grisea - materie cenuşie, substanţă
cenuşie
cerebral cortex (syn.) cortex cerebri (syn.) brain mantle - cortex cerebral, scoarţa
cerebrală
groove (syn.) furrow (syn.) sulcus (pl. sulci) - şanţ, sulcus, scizură
fissure (syn.) fissura (pl. fissurae) - fisură, fractură; scizură, despicătură
diencephalon (pl. diencephala) (syn.) interbrain - diencefal, creierul intermediar
diencephalic - diencefalic
pituitary gland (syn.) glandula pituitaria (syn.) hypophysis - glandă pituitară, hipofiză

The brainstem consists of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The
midbrain contains reflex centers for improved vision and hearing. The pons forms a bulge on the
anterior surface of the brainstem. It contains fibers that connect different regions of the brain. The
medulla connects the brain with the spinal cord. All impulses passing to and from the brain travel
through this region. The medulla also has vital centers for control of heart rate, respiration, and
blood pressure.
The cerebellum is under the cerebrum and dorsal to the pons and medulla. Like the
cerebrum, it is divided into two hemispheres. It helps to control voluntary muscle movements and to
maintain posture, coordination, and balance.

hemisphere (syn.) hemispherium - emisferă

cerebellar hemisphere (syn.) hemispherium cerebelli - emisferă cerebeloasă
cerebral hemisphere (syn.) hemispherium cerebri - emisferă cerebrală
posture - postură; poziţie, atitudine

Within the brain are four ventricles (cavities) in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is
produced. This fluid circulates around the brain and spinal cord, acting as a protective cushion for
these tissues.
Covering the brain and the spinal cord are three protective layers, together called the
meninges. The outermost and toughest of the three is the dura mater. The middle layer is the
arachnoid. The thin, vascular inner layer, attached directly to the tissue of the brain and spinal cord,
is the pia mater.
The Spinal Cord
The spinal cord extends from the medulla oblongata to between the first and second
lumbar vertebrae. It has a central area of gray matter surrounded by white matter. The gray matter
projects toward the back and the front as the dorsal and ventral horns. The white matter contains the
ascending and descending tracts (fiber bundles) that carry impulses to and from the brain.

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (syn.) liquor cerebrospinalis - lichid cefalorahidian (LCR)

meninx (pl. meninges) - meninge
MENING(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de meninge, membrană
meningeal - meningeal, meningian, meningeu
dura mater (syn.) pachymeninx - dura mater, pahimeninge
dural (syn.) duramatral - dural
arachnoid (syn.) arachnoid membrane - arahnoidă, membrană arahnoidiană
arachnoid - arahnoid, arahnoidian
pia mater (syn.) pia - pia mater
pial - pial, care ţine de pia-mater
horn (syn.) cornu (pl. cornua) - corn

Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves connect with the spinal cord. These nerves are grouped in
the segments of the cord as follows: cervical (8), thoracic (12), lumbar (5), sacral (5) and coccygeal
(1).
The Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the division of the nervous system that controls
the involuntary actions of muscles and glands. The ANS itself has two divisions: the sympathetic
nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system
motivates our response to stress, the so-called “fight -or-flight” response. It increases heart rate
and respiration rate, stimulates the adrenal gland, and delivers more blood to skeletal muscles. The
parasympathetic system returns the body to a steady state and stimulates maintenance activities,
such as digestion of food. Most organs are controlled by both systems and, in general, the two
systems have opposite effects on a given organ.
cervix (pl. cervices) - cervix, col uterin; gât; coletul dintelui
CERVIC(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de gât, col uterin
cervical - cervical, referitor la gât; referitor la colul uterin; referitor la coletul dintelui
thorax (pl. thoraces) (syn.) chest (syn.) pectus (pl. pectora) - torace, piept
THORAC(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de piept, torace
thoracic (syn.) thoracal (syn.) pectoral - toracic, pectoral
LUMB(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de zona lombară
lumbar - lombar
SACR(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de regiunea sacrală
sacral - sacral, sacrat
sacrum (pl. sacra) (syn.) sacral bone (syn.) os sacrum - os sacral, sacru
coccyx (pl. coccyges) (syn.) coccygeal bone (syn.) tail bone (syn.) os coccygis - coccis
coccygeal - coccigian, coccigeu
flight-or-fight response - reacţia “luptă sau fugi”