Glossary of Terms


PHYSICS TERMS


Center of Gravity -
point in a body around which the resultant torque due to gravity forces vanish
Center of Mass -
unique point at the center of a distribution of mass in space where the weighted position forces relative to this point are in equilibrium
Charge -
property of matter that causes it to experience a force when close to other electrically charged matter. There are two types of electric charges, positive and negative. An object will be negatively charged if it has an excess of electrons, positively charged with an excess of protons, or otherwise uncharged.
Compression -
in mechanics, application of balanced inward ("pushing") forces to different points on a material or structure, that is, forces with no net sum, directed so as to reduce its size in one or more directions
Compressions and Rarefactions -
cycles of higher and lower densities of particles as a wave moves through a fluid (higher and lower pressure)
Displacement -
change of position from equilibrium or rest, vector quantity involving length and direction
EEG -
(Electroencephalography) - recording of electrical activity along the scalp by measuring voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within brain neurons
Field - in mathematics, a function that assigns a vector to every point in space; in physics, the idea that the physical entity exists in, and alters, every point in space
Fluid -
substance that continually deforms (flows) under applied stress, subset of phases of matter, include liquids, gases, plasmas, and sometimes plastic solids
Hooke's Law - model of a restoring force of a spring, force is equal to negative value of spring constant multiplied by change in position, law breaks down when spring is stretched or compressed too far
Ion -
atom or molecule in which total number of electrons is not equal to total number of protons, giving atom a net positive or negative electrical charge
Mass
- amount of matter an object contains, ability to resist acceleration in response to a force
Monochromatic Radiation -
Electromagnetic radiation, especially visible radiation, of only one frequency or wavelength. Completely monochromatic radiation cannot be produced, but lasers produce radiation within a very narrow frequency band
Net Force -
vector sum of all forces or superposition of all forces

Pressure -
ratio of force to the area over which that force is distributed
Restoring Force - force that restores a system to an equilibrium position, such systems are elastic
Spring Constant - property that characterizes a spring, proportionality constant equal to slope of force versus displacement graph
Stress - pressure or tension exerted on a material object, expresses internal forces of particles as a reaction from an external force
Tensile Force - pulling force exerted by string, cable, chain, or similar solid object on another object, results from net electrostatic attraction between particles in a solid when deformed so that particles are further apart from each other than when at equilibrium, where this force is balanced by repulsion
Torque -
tendency or ability of a force to rotate an object around a pivot point
Veritable -
a measurable energy field that is physical in nature

YOGA & ANATOMICAL TERMS

Abductors - muscles that move limbs away from the torso or mid-line of body
Adductors - muscles that move limbs towards the torso or mid-line of body
Anterior neck muscles - group of muscles located along the front of the neck
Asana - Sanskrit for physical posture of the body, set of poses in yoga
Astanga Yoga - Sanskrit for eight - limbed yoga, a system of eight steps
Atlas and Axis - the second cervical vertebra (C2) of the spine is named the axis. It forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra (the atlas), which carries the head and rotates.
Cervical spine -
section of spine whose vertebrae are immediately inferior to the skull, smallest of the true vertebrae
Cranial bones -
bones in the skull or head, facial bones
Eccentric
/ Eccentric contraction - muscle fibers contract and generate less force than the resistance that is present so that the ends of the muscle slip apart and the muscle actually lengthens, muscle is active as it lengthens, so this is not the same as relaxing
Fascia -
layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding some structures together, while permitting others to slide smoothly over each other
Flexion / Flexors - movement in the sagittal plane (vertical plane which passes from ventral/front to dorsal/rear, dividing the body into right and left halves) that brings anterior surfaces of the body toward each other
Femur -
the only bone in the thigh. The two femurs converge medially towards the knees, where they articulate with the proximal ends of the tibiae (shin bones).
Gracilis - most superficial muscle on the medial side of the thigh. It is thin and flattened, broad above, narrow and tapering below
Hamstrings - group of tendons contracted by three posterior thigh muscles (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris) that make up the borders of the space behind the knee, or their corresponding tendons
Iliacus - flat, triangular muscle that fills in the iliac fossa (large, smooth, concave surface on the hip bone).
Ligand / Receptor interactions - Receptors are molecules made up of proteins that function as sensing molecules or scanners in membranes of cells.  To operate, receptors need ligands, substances that bind to specific receptors on the surface of a cell. Ligands come in three chemical types, neurotransmitters, steroids, and peptides.
Lumbar spine -  five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis, largest segments of the vertebral column designated L1 to L5, starting at the top, help support the weight of the body, and permit movement
Mantra -  Sanskrit for a sound, syllable, word, or group of words considered capable of creating spiritual transformation
Medial femoral condyle - one of two projections on the lower extremity of thigh bone, the other being the lateral condyle, medial condyle is larger than lateral (outer) condyle due to more weight bearing caused by the center of gravity being medial to the knee
Meniscus - crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that partly divides a joint cavity, refers to either of two specific parts of cartilage of the knee: lateral and medial menisci
Neuroplasticity - also known as brain plasticity, is an umbrella term that encompasses both synaptic plasticity and non-synaptic plasticity—it refers to changes in neural pathways and synapses which are due to changes in behavior, environment and neural processes, as well as changes resulting from bodily injury
Peroneal -
refers to the lateral compartment of the leg
Psoas major
- long fusiform (spindle shaped) muscle located on the side of the lumbar region of the vertebral column and brim of the lesser pelvis
Putative -
an energy field that cannot be measured, sensed through intuition
Quadriceps
- muscle having four heads, large extensor at the front of the thigh
Rectus Femoris - one of the four quadriceps muscles of the human body. The others are the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius (deep to the rectus femoris), and the vastus lateralis. All four parts of the quadriceps muscle attach to the patella (knee cap) via the quadriceps tendon. The rectus femoris is situated in the middle of the front of the thigh.
Satorius - longest muscle in the human body, long thin muscle that runs down the length of the thigh in the anterior compartment. Its upper portion forms the lateral border of the femoral triangle
SI joint - sacroiliac joint in the bony pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis, which are joined by strong ligaments, sacrum supports the spine and is supported in turn by an ilium on each side. The human body has two sacroiliac joints, one on the left and one on the right.
Sternocleidomastoid - commonly abbreviated as SCM, is a paired muscle in the superficial layers of the anterior portion of the neck; it is one of the largest and most superficial cervical muscles
Synapses / Synaptic - structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell (neural or otherwise). Synapses are essential to neuronal function: neurons are cells that are specialized to pass signals to individual target cells, and synapses are the means by which they do so. At a synapse, the plasma membrane of the signal-passing neuron (the presynaptic neuron) comes into close apposition with the membrane of the target (postsynaptic) cell.