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.

ba′sal gang′lion

n. any of several masses of gray matter in the cerebral cortex, involved in the control of movement. [1910–15]

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 movementganglion - an encapsulated neural structure consisting of a collection of cell bodies or neuronscorticospinal 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 cordamygdala, 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 behaviorbetweenbrain, diencephalon, interbrain, thalmencephalon - the posterior division of the forebrain; connects the cerebral hemispheres with the mesencephaloncaudate, caudate nucleus - a tail-shaped basal ganglion located in a lateral ventricle of the brainclaustrum - a layer of grey matter in the brain adjacent to the lenticular nucleuslenticular nucleus, lentiform nucleus - a basal ganglion shaped like a lens and including the outer reddish putamen and the inner pale yellow pallidumglobus pallidus, paleostriatum, pallidum - the inner pale yellow part of the lenticular nucleusputamen - the outer reddish part of the lenticular nucleuscorpus 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