Medium spiny neuron
Medium Spiny Neuron
Medium Spiny Neurons (MSN) or Spiny Projection Neurons (SPN), pronounced as /ˈmiːdiəm ˈspaɪni ˈnʊərɒn/, are a type of GABAergic inhibitory neuron found within the striatum of the brain. The term "medium spiny neuron" describes the physical characteristics of the neuron, where "medium" refers to the size of the neuron, and "spiny" refers to the spiny dendrites possessed by the neuron.
Etymology
The term "Medium Spiny Neuron" is derived from the physical characteristics of the neuron. "Medium" is derived from the Latin word "medius", meaning middle, referring to the size of the neuron. "Spiny" is derived from the Old English word "spinnan", meaning to spin, referring to the spiny dendrites of the neuron. "Neuron" is derived from the Greek word "neuron", meaning nerve.
Function
Medium Spiny Neurons are primarily involved in the function of the Basal Ganglia, a group of nuclei in the brain associated with control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, habit learning, eye movements, cognition, and emotion. They receive glutamatergic inputs from the cortex and thalamus, and dopaminergic inputs from the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra.
Related Terms
- GABAergic: Referring to neurons or synapses that use gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as their neurotransmitter.
- Striatum: A subcortical part of the forebrain, a critical component of the reward system.
- Basal Ganglia: A group of nuclei in the brain associated with control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, habit learning, eye movements, cognition, and emotion.
- Cortex: The outer layer of the cerebrum, composed of folded grey matter and playing an important role in consciousness.
- Thalamus: Either of two masses of grey matter lying between the cerebral hemispheres on either side of the third ventricle, relaying sensory information and acting as a center for pain perception.
- Ventral Tegmental Area: Part of the midbrain, it plays a role in the reward circuit of the brain.
- Substantia Nigra: A basal ganglia structure located in the midbrain that plays an important role in reward and movement.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Medium spiny neuron
- Wikipedia's article - Medium spiny neuron
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski