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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Nervous and Endocrine Systems

Brain

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/breɪn/nounCore term

In anatomy & physiology, brain means: The organ inside the skull that controls thought, memory, movement, the senses and many automatic body functions. Its main parts are the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brainstem.

In Turkish: beyin

How it is used

The technical adjective is cerebral (cerebral cortex, cerebral blood flow), and the related root is encephal- (encephalitis). Lecturers describe the cerebrum by lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital.

Example sentences

  1. At rest, the brain uses about a fifth of the body's oxygen.

  2. In most people, damage to the left side of the brain can affect speech.

Common collocations

  • brain tissue
  • brainstem
  • brain function
  • brain injury
  • left side of the brain
  • cerebellumThe part of the brain at the back of the head, below the cerebrum, that coordinates movement, balance and posture and helps with learning motor skills.
  • spinal cordThe long bundle of nerve tissue that runs down from the brain inside the vertebral column. It carries signals between the brain and the body and controls simple reflexes.
  • nervous systemThe network of the brain, spinal cord and nerves that receives information, processes it and controls the body's responses by sending electrical signals.
  • neuronA nerve cell: the basic unit of the nervous system that sends and receives electrical and chemical signals. It has a cell body, dendrites that receive signals and an axon that passes them on.
  • skullThe bony structure of the head that protects the brain and forms the face. It is made of many bones joined by immovable joints called sutures, plus the movable lower jaw (mandible).

More terms: Nervous and Endocrine Systems

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.