basal ganglion

basal ganglion

n.

Any of several masses of gray matter embedded in the cerebral hemispheres that are involved in the regulation of voluntary movement. Also called basal nucleus.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

basal ganglion - any of several masses of subcortical grey matter at the base of each cerebral hemisphere that seem to be involved in the regulation of voluntary movement ganglion - an encapsulated neural structure consisting of a collection of cell bodies or neurons corticospinal tract, pyramidal motor system, pyramidal tract - any of the important motor nerves on each side of the central nervous system that run from the sensorimotor areas of the cortex through the brainstem to motor neurons of the cranial nerve nuclei and the ventral root of the spinal cord amygdala, amygdaloid nucleus, corpus amygdaloideum - an almond-shaped neural structure in the anterior part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum; intimately connected with the hypothalamus and the hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus; as part of the limbic system it plays an important role in motivation and emotional behavior betweenbrain, diencephalon, interbrain, thalmencephalon - the posterior division of the forebrain; connects the cerebral hemispheres with the mesencephalon caudate, caudate nucleus - a tail-shaped basal ganglion located in a lateral ventricle of the brain claustrum - a layer of grey matter in the brain adjacent to the lenticular nucleus lenticular nucleus, lentiform nucleus - a basal ganglion shaped like a lens and including the outer reddish putamen and the inner pale yellow pallidum globus pallidus, paleostriatum, pallidum - the inner pale yellow part of the lenticular nucleus putamen - the outer reddish part of the lenticular nucleus corpus striatum, striate body, striatum - a striped mass of white and grey matter located in front of the thalamus in each cerebral hemisphere; consists of the caudate nucleus and the lenticular nucleus