Word parts
What it means
A bundle of the long fibers (axons) of many neuronNOOR-onA nerve cell: a cell that carries electrical and chemical signals through the nervous system.neur/o nerveFull entry , wrapped in connective tissue. Sensory nerves carry messages such as touch and pain to the brain; motor nerves carry commands to muscles. The 12 pairs of cranial nerves leave the brain, and 31 pairs of spinal nerves leave the spinal cord.
For the nurse
Nerve damage can cause numbness, tingling, weakness or pain. Check feeling and movement below an injury, cast or surgical site.
At a glance
| Spanish | nervio |
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Related terms
neur/o
A word root that means nerve or the nervous system.
neuron
A nerve cell: a cell that carries electrical and chemical signals through the nervous system.
peripheral nervous system
All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.
paresthesia
An abnormal feeling in the skin, such as tingling, prickling or "pins and needles," with nothing touching it.
nervous system
The brain, spinal cord and nerves, which together carry messages that control the body.