Spinal Cord Injury Progress, Promise, and Priorities (2005) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix C Glossary of Major Terms
Appendix C Glossary of Major Terms
Pages 252-259
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From page 252... ...
Many types of cell damage can trigger apoptosis, and it also occurs normally during the development of the nervous system and other parts of the body. Strictly speaking, the term apoptosis refers only to the structural changes that cells go through, and programmed cell death refers to the complete underlying process, but the terms are often used synonymously.
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From page 253... ...
A complex circuit of neurons responsible for coordinated rhythmic muscle activity, such as locomotion. Clinical trials Systematic studies with human patients aimed at determining the safety and effectiveness of new or unproven therapies.
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From page 254... ...
Excitotoxicity Excessive release of neurotransmitters causing damage to nerve and glial cells. Excitotoxicity probably contributes to damage following nervous system trauma and stroke and may also contribute to some neurodegenerative diseases.
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From page 255... ...
They not only provide physical support but also respond to injury, regulate the chemical composition surrounding cells, participate in the blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barriers, form the myelin insulation of nerve pathways, help guide neu ronal migration during development, and exchange metabolites with neurons. They may also produce substances that help and hinder regen eration in the spinal cord.
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From page 256... ...
Microglia Small cells located throughout the central nervous system that act as phagocytes and that typically engulf and destroy particulate mat ter. Motor neurons Nerve cells whose axons pass from the central nervous sys tem to a muscle to regulate the muscle's activity.
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From page 257... ...
The production of these sub stances increases during certain diseases and after a trauma or stroke and contributes to the secondary damage that follows these events. P01 grant Federally supported research program project grant that is spon sored by the National Institutes of Health and that funds as many as three separate, multidisciplinary research projects that are based on a central research theme.
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From page 258... ...
Receptors may act directly by opening in the cell membrane ion channels that are part of the same receptor molecule, or they may indirectly by activating second messenger systems that go on to affect various processes in the cell. The term "receptor" also refers to specialized neuronal cells that receive sensory information, such as pain receptors and light receptors in the eye.
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From page 259... ...
Higher segments control movement and sensation in upper parts of the body, whereas lower segments control movement and sensation in lower parts of the body. Synapse The functional connection between a nerve cell axon and target cells, which may be other nerve cells, muscle cells, or gland cells.
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Key Terms
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