Reticular activating system
reticular activating system n.
Abbr. RAS
The part of the reticular formation in the brainstem that plays a central role in bodily and behavioral alertness; its ascending connections affect the function of the cerebral cortex and its descending connections affect bodily posture and reflex mechanisms.
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noun 1. a network of neurons in the brainstem involved in consciousness, regulation of breathing, the transmission of sensory stimuli to higher brain centers, and the constantly shifting muscular activity that supports the body against gravity. reticular formation n. A massive but vaguely delimited neural apparatus composed of closely intermingled gray and white matter, extending […]