encephalon
Cranial nerve center
The encephalon is the brain—the entire mass of nervous tissue contained within the skull.
The term appears almost exclusively in medical and anatomical contexts, where precision matters: The tumor had spread to the encephalon.
In ordinary speech, people just say brain.
Brain's largest division
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- brainstemLower neural trunk
- cortexOrgan's external tissue
- medullaInnermost organ tissue
pons · midbrain · thalamus · hypothalamus · ventricles · meninges · gyrus · sulcus
Signal-transmitting brain cells
- gliaNon-neuronal brain cells
- astrocytesStar-shaped brain support cells
- microgliaCNS immune cells
- axonNeuron's signal-sending projection
dendrite · synapse · myelin · neurotransmitters · receptors · vesicles · soma · nucleus
State of sentient awareness
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- thoughtMental concept or reflection
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
awareness · reasoning · learning · comprehension · attention · cognition · executive function · language
Medical science of nerves
- neuroanatomyStudy of nervous system structure
- encephalopathyDisease impairing brain function
- anencephalyCongenital absence of brain
- EEGNeural activity recording
MRI · CT scan · lesion · atrophy · edema · herniation · infarction · hemorrhage
cerebrum
Brain's largest division
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- brainstemLower neural trunk
- cortexOrgan's external tissue
medulla · pons · midbrain · thalamus · hypothalamus · ventricles · meninges · gyrus · sulcus · fissure
neurons
Signal-transmitting brain cells
- gliaNon-neuronal brain cells
- astrocytesStar-shaped brain support cells
- microgliaCNS immune cells
axon · dendrite · synapse · myelin · neurotransmitters · receptors · vesicles · soma · nucleus · ganglia
consciousness
State of sentient awareness
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- thoughtMental concept or reflection
- memoryMind's retention capacity
perception · awareness · reasoning · learning · comprehension · attention · cognition · executive function · language · emotion
neurology
Medical science of nerves
- neuroanatomyStudy of nervous system structure
- encephalopathyDisease impairing brain function
- anencephalyCongenital absence of brain
EEG · MRI · CT scan · lesion · atrophy · edema · herniation · infarction · hemorrhage · neurosurgery
- Head Termscephalic, encephalopathy, electroencephalogram, macrocephaly, EEG
encephalonspinal cord
Brain's extension through vertebrae
peripheral nervous system · peripheral nerves · ganglia · autonomic nervous system
encephalonperipheral nervous system
Nerves outside brain, cord
extremities · viscera · soma · limbs · appendages