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Glite Dictionary
neurotropism

neurotropism

9.9
A tendency of some viruses and cancer cells to go to and affect nerve tissue like the brain
  • noun
  • /ˌnʊəroʊˈtroʊpɪzəm/
  • Specialized
: neurotropismo
  • The neurotropism of certain viruses allows them to infect nerve cells more easily.

Examples

  • Research has shown that the neurotropism of the virus is linked to the severity of neurological symptoms.

  • Understanding neurotropism is essential for developing treatments for diseases that affect the nervous system.

  • Because of the cells' prominent neurotropism, perineural infiltration is a frequent finding.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Jentzer and Askanazy first coined the term neurotropism to describe this process.

    Academic text (2004)

Surface Forms

neurotropism singular
neurotropisms plural

Morphology

neurotropism = tropism (semi-transparent) = neuro + trop + ism

The word is built from a clear scientific prefix meaning 'nerve' plus the base 'tropism', but the full meaning is still specialized and not obvious to an average learner.

Etymology

Neurotropism comes from the parts neuro- meaning 'nerve' and -tropism meaning 'turning toward' or 'a tendency to move toward' something. So neurotropism describes viruses or cells that 'turn toward' or are especially attracted to nerve tissue, which is why we use it for things that target the brain or spinal cord.