BRAIN STEM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does brain stem mean? 

• BRAIN STEM (noun)
  The noun BRAIN STEM has 1 sense:

1. the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus

  Familiarity information: BRAIN STEM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRAIN STEM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

brain-stem; brain stem; brainstem

Hypernyms ("brain stem" is a kind of...):

neural structure (a structure that is part of the nervous system)

Meronyms (parts of "brain stem"):

bulb; medulla; medulla oblongata (lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; ('bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata))

pons; pons Varolii (a band of nerve fibers linking the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum with the midbrain)

reticular formation; RF (a complex neural network in the central core of the brainstem; monitors the state of the body and functions in such processes as arousal and sleep and attention and muscle tone)

Holonyms ("brain stem" is a part of...):

brain; encephalon (that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord)

 Context examples 

A tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), including brain stem glioma, craniopharyngioma, medulloblastoma, and meningioma.

(CNS tumor, NCI Dictionary)

Coma generally occurs when there is dysfunction or injury involving both cerebral hemispheres or the brain stem RETICULAR FORMATION.

(Coma, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem.

(Cranial Nerve, NCI Thesaurus)

The portion of the brain in the back of the head between the cerebrum and the brain stem.

(Cerebellum, NCI Dictionary)

This condition may be idiopathic (primary) or associated with lower brain stem lesions; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (LUNG DISEASES, OBSTRUCTIVE); HEART FAILURE, CONGESTIVE; medication effect; and other conditions.

(Central Sleep Apnea Syndrome, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

New research reveals how increasing brain stiffness as we age causes brain stem cell dysfunction, and demonstrates new ways to reverse older stem cells to a younger, healthier state.

(Cambridge scientists reverse ageing process in rat brain stem cells, University of Cambridge)

A tumor of the central nervous system, including brain stem glioma, craniopharyngioma, medulloblastoma, and meningioma.

(Central nervous system tumor, NCI Dictionary)

With the exception of the optic and olfactory nerves, this includes disorders of the brain stem nuclei from which the cranial nerves originate or terminate.

(Cranial Nerve Disorder, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

However, it primarily acts at the brain stem to reduce tonic somatic motor activity, influencing both gamma and alpha motor neurons.

(Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

The cell bodies of the parasympathetic preganglionic fibers are in brain stem nuclei and in the sacral spinal cord.

(Parasympathetic nervous system, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)