substantia nigra

[ suh b-stan-shee-uh nahy-gruh, nig-ruh ]
/ səbˈstæn ʃi ə ˈnaɪ grə, ˈnɪg rə /

noun, plural sub·stan·ti·ae ni·grae [suhb-stan-shee-ee nahy-gree, nig-ree] /sʌbˈstæn ʃiˌi ˈnaɪ gri, ˈnɪg ri/, substantia nigras.

a deeply pigmented area of the midbrain containing dopamine-producing nerve cells.

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Origin of substantia nigra

1880–85; < New Latin: black substance

Words nearby substantia nigra

substantia, substantia alba, substantia gelatinosa, substantia grisea, substantia medullaris, substantia nigra, substantial, substantialism, substantialize, substantiate, substantival
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for substantia nigra

substantia nigra
/ (səbˈstænʃə ˈnaɪɡrə) /

noun

a layer of grey matter in the brain that produces dopamine and contains pigmented nerve cells, loss of which has been associated with Parkinson's disease

Word Origin for substantia nigra

C20: from Latin, literally: dark material
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for substantia nigra

substantia nigra
[ nī′grə, nĭg′rə ]

n.

A layer of large pigmented nerve cells in the mesencephalon that produce dopamine and whose destruction is associated with Parkinson's disease.nigra
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.