Glioma


A brain tumor that begin in a glial, or supportive, cell, in the brain or spinal cord. Malignant gliomas are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). They are often resistant to treatment and carry a poor prognosis (have a dismal outlook).

“Glia” is the Greek word for “glue”.

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    A rare, most commonly benign tumor on the optic nerve or the optic chiasm (the crossing of the two optic nerves). Optic gliomas cause pressure and destruction of normal optic nerve tissue. They are most common in children and teens. Optic gliomas are strongly associated with neurofibromatosis (NF1).

  • Gliosis

    A process leading to scars in the central nervous system that involves the production of a dense fibrous network of neuroglia (supporting cells) in areas of damage. Gliosis is a prominent feature of many diseases of the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis and stroke. After a stroke, neurons die and disappear with replacement gliosis.

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    The capsule of the liver. A layer of connective tissue surrounding the liver and ensheathing the hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile ducts within the liver. Named for the British physician, anatomist, physiologist, and pathologist Francis Glisson (1597-1677).

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    The sustained increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. Human activity contributes to this change through the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Over time, this increase may be sufficient to cause climatic change, including raising sea levels, altering precipitation patterns and changing water supplies and crop yields. Global warming could also affect human […]

  • Globe, pale

    Also called the globus pallidus, this is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere. Pallidus refers to its pallor relative to the surrounding brain substance. The globus pallidus is specifically part of what is called the lentiform nucleus which, in turn, is part of the […]


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