reticular activating system
- noun
- /rɪˈtɪkjələr ˈæktɪveɪtɪŋ ˈsɪstəm/
- Specialized
- So the cortical dimensions of consciousness are generated in some sense by the reticular activating system of the brain stem.
- the reticular activating system of the brain
I mean, you know about Ras, the reticular activating system.
- I mean, you know about Ras, the reticular activating system.
Examples
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And with time and experience and exposure and practice using the reticular activating system to notice things around me.
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The researchers supported previous studies showing that the ability to concentrate is based on the reticular activating system of the brain.
Academic text (2000) -
And with time and experience and exposure and practice using the reticular activating system to notice things around me.
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But technically, the reticular activating system is a live network of neurons that sit like almost like a hairnet over your brain.
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But technically, the reticular activating system is a live network of neurons that sit like almost like a hairnet over your brain.
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And he said if there's a mismatch, the reticular activating system is activated, disrupts the model and changes it.
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The brain's reticular activating system (RAS) filters out about 99% of the information that comes at us at any moment, allowing us to focus only on the important pieces of information.
Academic text (2013) -
This subcortical system consists of the brain stem's reticular activating system, thalamus, hypothalamus, and basal ganglia.
Academic text (1997) -
The reticular activating system plays a crucial role in regulating our level of alertness throughout the day.
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Researchers found that stimulating the reticular activating system can enhance attention and wakefulness.
Synonyms
Part of the brainstem that helps you stay awake and alert
A network of nerve cells deep in the brain that helps control being awake, attention, sleep, and muscle tone
Surface Forms
Morphology
reticular + activating + system
The compound parts ('reticular' = netlike, 'activating' = causing activation, 'system' = ensemble) let a learner infer this is a system with a netlike structure that causes or supports activation, so there is some compositional clue. However, the specific technical referent — the brainstem mechanism that regulates alertness and arousal — is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so prior domain knowledge is needed.
Etymology
Reticular activating system comes from words that mean a net and an alarm: reticular means 'net-like' and activating system is like something that turns things on. Imagine a net of nerve cells in the lower part of the brain that acts like a small alarm to wake and keep you alert, so the phrase names the brain part that controls 'alertness' and being awake.