Enkephalos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The term refers to a part of the brain, specifically the hypothalamus, which is involved in the regulation of various bodily functions
2. It denotes an anatomical structure in the nervous system that plays a significant role in maintaining homeostasis and controlling hormonal systems
3. This word can describe a component of the central nervous system linked to various psychological and physiological processes

Etymology: Ancient Greek "egkephalos" combined "en," meaning "in," and "kephalē," meaning "head," so the word literally described what lies inside the skull. It named the brain as a whole, not any single region of it, so the source's gloss of the hypothalamus narrows the original sense considerably. Modern science kept the Greek root for brain-related terms. The chemical name "enkephalin" was coined for a group of peptides found in the brain that act on the same receptors as morphine. The name reflects the place where they were first found, so the old idea of "in the head" survives in laboratory vocabulary.

Synonyms: brain, encephalon, cerebrum, cerebellum, central nervous system