Achondroplasia Health Article

KEY TERMS

Cartilage—A flexible, fibrous type of connective tissue which serves as a base on which bone is built.

Foramen magnum—The opening at the base of the skull, through which the spinal cord and the brainstem pass.

Hydrocephalus—An abnormal accumulation of fluid within the brain. This accumulation can be destructive by pressing on brain structures, and damaging them.

Mutation—A new, permanent change in the structure of a gene, which can result in abnormal structure or function somewhere in the body.

Spinal canal—The opening that runs through the center of the column of spinal bones (vertebrae), and through which the spinal cord passes.

Vertebrae—The individual bones of the spinal column which are stacked on top of each other. There is a hole in the center of each bone, through which the spinal cord passes.