Neuroregulation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process by which neural activity helps to maintain homeostasis within the body by regulating physiological responses
2. The mechanism through which the nervous system controls and modulates various bodily functions to achieve balance and stability
3. A form of biological regulation involving the nervous system that influences behaviors and bodily states to ensure optimal function

Etymology: "Neuroregulation" is a plain modern compound: "neuro-", from Greek "neuron" meaning "sinew" or "nerve", joined to "regulation", from Latin "regulare", "to control by rule", itself from "regula", a rule or straight stick. The "neuro-" element was coined as a combining form in scientific English and appears in many modern terms such as neurology and neuron, so the word belongs to the same family of technical vocabulary. The word follows the usual pattern of 20th-century scientific coinage, where a classical prefix is attached to an existing English noun to name a specific process. Its sense is literal: the nervous system acts as a rule-setter, adjusting heart rate, breathing, temperature and other bodily functions to keep them within a stable range. The older Latin sense of "regula" as a measuring stick survives in the idea of setting a standard that the body is kept to.