Neuroscience Word Bank & Definitions

a- / an- / without, from, after
ab- / abduc- / abduct / abducens / away from, lead, take or carry away, detach
af- / afferent / moving towards, bring to, inflowing,
conducting towards center
ampulla / flask, jug, or bottle for holding liquids
amygdala / almond-shaped, almond-like
ana- / up, back, again
anacephaly / no brain (head)
anastomosis / to supply or to connect with a mouth
angul- / angle, apex, corner, nook
annu - / anus/ annular / 1 year, annual, ring, circlet
ansa / handle, loop, end of a rope
ante- / before, in front of, first
(in time, place or order)
anterograde / away from cell body
aqueduct / conduit, canal,
water (aqua) leading (ductus) pipe
arach- / arachnoid / spider, resembles a spiderweb, cobweb
arbor / tree, tree structure with branches, gallows
arch(ae/i)- / ancient
ast(e)r- / star
Atlas / Greek Titan punished by Zeus to
hold the world on his shoulders
aus- / aur- / ear, gold
basi- / at the bottom
blast- / germ layer
brachi- / brachium / arm
bulbo / bulbus / plant bulb or garlic-like
calc- / calcaneus / stone / heel / calcium / limestone
-campus / level field, open space for games, sea
canaliculus / little canal
capill- / capillary / fine hair
carotid / produces stupor, refers to sleep
cauda / caudal / tail
cauda equina / horse's tail
ceph- / cephal / head, brain
cerebellum / little cerebrum
cerebro- / cerebrum / brain
cerv- / cervical / neck
chiasm / crossing
chord / cord, rope
chorda tympani / cord of the tympanum
choroid / membrane, dance
cili- / eyelash
cistern / reservoir
clivus / slope
cochl- / cochlos / snail
coel- / hole
colliculus / hillock, mound, small hill
com- / con- / with
commis- / commissure / sent out, link like structures
concha / shell
contra- / contralateral / opposite, against
cornu / horn
coronal / coronary / refers to a crown, left / right direction
corp- / corpus / body
cortico- / pertains to the cortex
crani- / skull
cribri- / cribiform / sieve, form of a sieve
cru- / crus / crural / leg, shank
cune - / cuneiform / wedge, form of a wedge
cycl- / circular
cyst- / bladder
decuss- / decussate / cross banding, link unlike structures
deltoid / resembles the letter delta, a triangle
dendr- / dendrite / tree, branched
derm- / skin
di- / two
dia- / across, through
diaphragm / a wall across or dividing something
distal / furthest from center of body or origin
dors- / dorsal / back, refers to the back
duct- / duction / lead, leading
dur- / dura / hard or tough
ecto- / extra- / outside, outside of
ef- / effer- / efferent / carry away / refers to leaving the
center of an object
emissary / sending out
endo- / inside, within
endothelium / beneath the cell layer
epi- / upon, on top of
epithelium / upon the cell layer
equi- / horse, equal
ethmoid / resembles a sieve
ex- / exo- / out of, away from, outside
falc- / falx / sickle-shaped structure
fasc- / fascic / fascia / bundle, ribbon or strip
flocculus / lock of wool
foramen / foramina / opening
fornix / vault or arch
fossa / shallow depression, ditch, trench,
fovea / shallow round depression, pit, hole
gangl- / ganglion / knot, swelling
genu- / knee, joint
glia- / glue
glo- / gloss- / glott- / tongue
gracil- / slender
gyrus / gyri / circle, rounded elevation
helix / coil
hemi- / half
hippo- / horse
hippocampus / horse track, seahorse
horizontal / resembles where earth meets sky,
side to side direction
hormo- / that which excites
hydro / water
hydrocephalus / water on brain (head)
hypo- / beneath, under, below
incus / anvil
infra- / under, beneath
infundibulum / funnel
inter- / between
intra- / within
ipsi- / same side
iris / rainbow
jugular / refers to throat
kerat- / cornea
kinesis / movement
labyrinth / maze
lacrim- / lacrimal / tears, refers to tears
lacuna- / lacunar / space, hollow or lake
lamina / lamella- / leaf, layer
lati- / wide, broad, spacious
lens / bean, lentil
levator / lifter
lith- / lithoid / stone, resembles a stone, rock
lute- / yellow
macula / spot
magni- / large
malleus / hammer, mallet
mandib- / lower jaw
matri- / mater / mother
maxill- / jaw
meatus / passage, channel, canal
medull- / marrow, center most part, quintessence
melan / melanin / black, dark
mening- / meninx / membrane
mes- / meso- / middle
meta- / after, beyond
motor / mover
myo- / muscle
neo- / new
nerve / bundled fascicles outside central nervous system
neur- / nerve
nigr- / black
nucle- / nucleus / little nut
occip- / back of head
occulta / hidden
ocul- / opti- / ophthalmo- / eye
-oid / like, resembles , in the shape of
olfact / smell
oligo- / few, scanty
-orum / belonging to, property of
oss- / osteo- / bone
ot- / otic / ear
pallid / pale
para- / adjacent, beside, near / two like parts, pair
parietal / refers to a wall
pars / part
parvi- / parvo- / little
ped- / pes / pod- / peduncle / foot / little foot
pellucid- / shining through
peri- / around, surrounding
periostium / around (peri) the bone (osteon)
petr- / petrous / rock, hard
-phragm / partition, fence
-physis / growth
pia / tender
pinea- / pineal / pine cone
pinna / pinnat- / feather
plex- / plexus / interwoven, braid, plait
plica / fold, double up
pons / bridge
post- / behind, after, subordinate to
pre- / pro- / before, in front of, forward, first, promoting
proprioceptive / to take one's own, sensory info from
muscles, tendons
proximal / nearest to center of body or origin
ptosis / falling
ramus / branch
re- / back again
rect- / rectus / rectum / straight
ret- / rete / retina / net, network, little net
retro- / behind, after, backward
retrograde / back towards cell body
rostr- / rostral / beak, prow
rubr- / rubro / red
saccul- / little bag, purse, sachet
sagittal / resembles an arrow, anteroposterior
scala / scalene / ladder, staircase, uneven, unequal length
scap- / scaph- / scaphoid / hollow, bowl, ship, resembles a boat or skiff
scler- / hard
sella turcica / Turkish saddle
septum / partition
sigm- / sigmoid / resembles the letter S or sigma
sin- / sinus / cavity, recess, hollow, bay
sipho- / tube or trumpet
soma / -some / body
sphinct- / closing, band
squam- / squamous / fish scale, flat
stapes / stirrup
stell- / stellate / star
sub- / below, under, beneath
sulc- / sulcus / furrow or ditch
super- / supra- / beyond, above, over, excessive
syn- / synapse / joined together, with
tactile / relating to touch
tect- / tectum / covered, roof, roof-like covering, ceiling
tegmentum / skin, body armor, covering, clothing
tele- / fra, end
tentor- / spreading like a tent
teres / round, smooth
thalam- / inner chamber, bedchamber, marriage chamber
-thele / -thelium / cell layer
trab- / trabecula / beam, supporting beam
tract / drawing out, enlongated path of
central nervous system
trago- / tragus / goat
trapez- / trapezius / trapezoid / four sided table
trema- / hole
tri- / ter- / terti- / three, triple
trigeminal / three twins
trochlea / pulley, block and tackle
tympan- / tympanum / drum
unc- / uncus / hook
vagus / wandering
velum / veil
ventr- / ventral / belly, anterior
verm- / vermiform / worm, form of a worm
vita / life
vitr- / vitreous / glass, glassy
zyg- / zygos / zygote / yoke, something that is yoked or joined