Nervous System Crossword Puzzle Printable

Print a criss-cross nervous system crossword that clues neurons, brain parts, nerves and the senses by what they do.

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Nervous System Crossword

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Answer key: Nervous System Crossword

1S2KULL3FNU4DREA5M6LENSEUNSY7DISC8NBLEO9HEARING10IVE11REFLEXI12SMELL

Across 1 SKULL · 4 DREAM · 6 LENS · 7 DISC · 9 HEARING · 11 REFLEX · 12 SMELL

Down 2 KNEE · 3 FUNNYBONE · 5 MUSCLE · 8 NERVE · 10 IRIS

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Neurons and Signals 25

  • Astrocyte Support cell named for its star shape
  • Axon Single long fiber of a cell; the longest run from the base of the backbone to the big toe
  • Channel Tiny gate in the wall of a cell that lets charged atoms pass
  • Charge The inside of a resting cell has a slightly negative one
  • Circuit Group of neurons linked to carry out one task
  • Dendrite Branching part whose name comes from the Greek word for tree
  • Dopamine Chemical messenger tied to reward and to the control of motion
  • Electrical Kind of signal that travels along a fiber
  • Fire What "neurons that ___ together wire together" are said to do
  • Glia Support cells that protect and feed neurons
  • Impulse A signal traveling along a fiber; another name for an action potential
  • Ion Charged atom, such as the ones that carry current into and out of a cell
  • Myelin White, fatty wrap that lets a message leap along instead of crawl
  • Neuron Brain cell; an adult has about 86 billion of them
  • Node Gap in the fatty coating of a fiber, named for Ranvier
  • Potassium Element whose charged atoms flow out of the cell after it fires
  • Receptor Docking site on a cell where a chemical messenger lands
  • Serotonin Chemical messenger made mostly in the gut, about 90 percent of it
  • Sheath Wrapping, like the fatty one around many long fibers
  • Sodium Element whose charged atoms rush into the cell when it fires
  • Soma Greek word for body, used for the rounded hub of a brain cell
  • Synapse Tiny gap that a signal must cross to get from one of the neurons to the next
  • Terminal End of a long fiber, where chemical messengers are released
  • Threshold Level that a cell's voltage must reach before it fires
  • Vesicle Bubble inside the tip of a fiber, packed with chemical messengers

Parts of the Brain 30

  • Amygdala Paired cluster, one in each half of the brain, that processes fear and anxiety
  • Brainstem Stalk that joins the brain to the cord below and regulates the heart and lungs
  • Cerebellum Lower rear part of the brain that gives your movements their timing and precision
  • Cerebrum Biggest part of the brain; its wrinkled halves fill the top of the head
  • Corpus callosum Largest bundle of white fibers in the brain, linking its two sides
  • Cortex Wrinkled outer layer of the brain
  • Fluid The clear cerebrospinal kind cushions the brain inside the head
  • Forebrain Forward-most part of the brain, known to scientists as the prosencephalon
  • Frontal Region behind the forehead, tied to planning and motivation
  • Gray matter Tissue rich in the bodies of neurons, found at the surface of the brain
  • Gyrus Ridge on the wrinkled surface of the brain
  • Hemisphere Word for half a globe, used for each side of the brain
  • Hindbrain Rear division of the brain, also called the rhombencephalon
  • Hippocampus Seahorse-shaped part that helps turn new experiences into lasting memories
  • Hypothalamus Almond-sized center for hunger and thirst, wired to the gland just below it
  • Limbic Name of the system of parts tied to emotions and memories
  • Lobe Large rounded division of an organ; each half of the brain has four main ones
  • Medulla Lowest stretch of the stem of the brain, regulating the heart and lungs
  • Meninges The dura, the arachnoid and the pia: three wrappers around the brain
  • Midbrain Short uppermost part of the stem of the brain, also called the mesencephalon
  • Occipital Region at the back of the head that handles vision
  • Parietal Region near the top of the head that handles sensations from the skin
  • Pituitary Bean-sized gland at the base of the brain that releases hormones
  • Pons Middle stretch of the stem of the brain; the name is Latin for bridge
  • Skull Its 22 bones, most joined at seams called sutures, shield the brain
  • Sulcus Groove on the wrinkled surface of the brain
  • Temporal Region by the ears that handles sound and helps form memories
  • Thalamus Relay station deep in the brain for signals from the senses
  • Ventricle One of four connected hollows inside the brain
  • White matter Tissue made mostly of long coated fibers, in the inner parts of the brain

Spinal Cord and Nerves 32

  • Afferent Describes incoming fibers, the ones that bring news from the skin and organs
  • Autonomic Division that runs the organs without your thinking about it
  • Central Describes the command part of the nervous system, housed in the head and backbone
  • Cervical Region of the backbone in the neck; eight pairs of nerves leave it
  • Cranial Roman numerals I to XII label these nerves of the head
  • Disc Cushion between two bones of the backbone
  • Efferent Describes outgoing fibers, the ones that take orders to muscles and glands
  • Enteric Division with its own mesh of some 500 million neurons, governing the gut
  • Funny bone Nickname for the elbow spot where a bump makes your arm tingle
  • Ganglion Small knot of the bodies of neurons, found along the nerves
  • Interneuron Go-between cell that links other neurons inside the brain and cord
  • Knee Joint that a doctor taps with a small hammer to see the leg kick
  • Lumbar Region of the backbone between the ribs and the hips; five pairs of nerves leave it
  • Motor Describes neurons that carry commands out to muscles
  • Nerve The body's wiring: a cable of fibers wrapped in connective tissue
  • Optic This one of the nerves carries what you see to the brain
  • Parasympathetic Branch that calms the body for "rest and digest"
  • Peripheral Describes the nerves that reach your fingers, toes and every organ
  • Plexus Web in which nerves join and split again, like the brachial one at the shoulder
  • Reflex Quick automatic action, such as pulling your hand from something hot
  • Root Where each of the nerves of the backbone joins the cord, one in front and one behind
  • Sacral Region at the base of the backbone; five pairs of nerves leave it
  • Sciatic Of all nerves in the body, the one that is both longest and widest; it serves the leg
  • Sensory Describes neurons that carry signals in from the skin, eyes and ears
  • Somatic Division of the nervous system that moves skeletal muscles when you choose to
  • Spinal cord Highway of nerves that runs down the middle of your back, inside the bones
  • Spine Another word for the backbone
  • Sympathetic Branch that speeds the heart and widens the pupils when you are scared
  • Thoracic Region of the backbone behind the ribs; twelve pairs of nerves leave it
  • Tract Bundle of fibers running inside the brain or cord
  • Vagus Long "wandering" one of the nerves from the brain, reaching the heart, lungs and gut
  • Vertebra One of the 33 bones of the backbone

The Senses 29

  • Auditory Having to do with the sense of the ears
  • Balance Sense that lets you stand on one foot
  • Cochlea Coiled tube of the inner ear, lined with tiny hair cells
  • Cone Cell of the eye that comes in three kinds, for seeing color
  • Cornea Clear front window of the eye
  • Eardrum Thin membrane that vibrates when sound hits it
  • Hearing Sense that picks up a whisper or a siren
  • Iris Part of the eye that may be brown, blue, green or hazel
  • Itch What a mosquito bite makes you feel
  • Lens Clear, curved part inside the eye that changes shape to see near or far
  • Olfactory Describes the nerves and the bulb that serve the nose
  • Pain Signal that says "stop, something is hurting you"
  • Photoreceptor Light-detecting cell of the eye
  • Pressure What the skin feels when something pushes on it
  • Proprioception Sense of where your arms and legs are without looking
  • Pupil Black circle in the middle of the eye that shrinks in bright light
  • Response Jumping at a loud bang is one; so is pulling back from heat
  • Retina Screen of light-catching cells that lines the back of the eyeball
  • Rod Slim cell of the eye for seeing at night, in shades of gray
  • Sight Sense that works only when there is light
  • Smell Sense that tells you the toast is burning
  • Stimulus Anything in the surroundings that the body detects and reacts to
  • Tactile Having to do with the sense of the skin
  • Taste Sense that tells you the lemonade needs sugar
  • Taste bud One of thousands of tiny clusters on the tongue that detect flavors
  • Temperature What sensors in the skin read as hot or cold
  • Tickle Light stroke on the skin that makes you squirm and laugh
  • Touch Sense spread over all of your skin
  • Vestibular Describes the inner-ear system that keeps you upright

What the Nervous System Does 35

  • Alert Opposite of drowsy
  • Attention What you pay when you listen closely
  • Blink Close and open the eyes quickly, often without thinking
  • Breathing Action that goes on all night because the stem of the brain runs it
  • Coordination Making many muscles work together smoothly
  • Decision A choice made after thinking it over
  • Digestion Work of the stomach and gut that goes on without your thinking
  • Dream What your mind shows you during the REM stage of the night
  • Emotion Sadness is one; so are disgust and surprise
  • Flinch Jerk back suddenly from something startling
  • Focus Tune out the noise and stick to one task
  • Forget Fail to call something back to mind
  • Goosebumps Tiny bumps on cold or scared skin, raised without your choosing
  • Habit Biting your nails, for one: an act you repeat without planning to
  • Heartbeat Rhythm in your chest that the lowest part of the brain keeps steady
  • Helmet Hard shell with foam inside, strapped on to guard the brain
  • Homeostasis The body's steady state: its warmth, water and blood sugar held nearly level
  • Instinct Inborn know-how, like a newborn marsupial's for climbing into its mother's pouch
  • Involuntary Done without choosing, like the squeezing of your stomach
  • Learn Gain a new skill or fact
  • Memory The brain's store of what you have learned and lived
  • Mood How you feel for a while, such as cheerful or grumpy
  • Movement What muscles produce when commands arrive from the brain
  • Muscle Tissue that contracts when a signal arrives
  • Plasticity Word, also used for soft clay, for the way the brain reshapes its wiring
  • Posture Standing tall is the good kind; slouching is the other
  • Reaction Your quick answer to a sudden event, such as braking when a ball rolls into the street
  • Remember Call a fact or event back to mind
  • Shiver Shake from cold, which warms you up
  • Sleep Nightly rest, when the brain strengthens the memories of the day
  • Speech Talking, which the left half of the brain handles in most people
  • Startle Make someone jump with a sudden loud noise
  • Think Puzzle over something in your head
  • Thought What goes through your head when you work out a riddle
  • Voluntary Done on purpose, like raising your hand

How this list was compiled: Clues written for this site for grade 3 to 8 science classes, in five sets: neurons and signals, parts of the brain, the spinal cord and nerves, the senses, and what the nervous system does. Anatomy facts were checked against English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA 4.0) and word meanings in the American Heritage Dictionary, in October 2026. No illness or treatment is an answer, and no clue was copied from a published puzzle. Licence: own work

How it works

This nervous system crossword puzzle, printable on Letter or A4, opens on 12 easy words such as Nerve, Reflex and Skull. Harder sets clue the Cerebellum by the timing it gives your movements and the Vagus as the wandering nerve.

Read the full guide

Five sets, from one cell to the whole system

Neurons and Signals has Axon, Dendrite, Synapse and Myelin. Parts of the Brain has Cortex, Thalamus, Hippocampus and Pons. Spinal Cord and Nerves has Vertebra, Sciatic, Reflex and Funny bone. The Senses has Retina, Cochlea and Taste bud. What the Nervous System Does has Memory, Sleep, Habit and Goosebumps.

  • Pair Spinal Cord and Nerves with a knee-jerk demonstration: Knee, Reflex, Motor and Sensory name what the class just saw.

Questions and answers

What grade is the nervous system crossword for?

Easy Nervous System Words suits grades 3 to 5, with answers such as Skull, Nerve, Sight and Dream. The five themed sets use unit vocabulary for grades 5 to 8, such as Hypothalamus and Parasympathetic. These bands are our judgment, not a published standard.

What are the two main parts of the nervous system?

The central nervous system, which is the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, the nerves that reach the rest of the body. Central and Peripheral are answers in Spinal Cord and Nerves; Brain is a clue word, not an answer.

Does the nervous system crossword have an answer key?

Yes. Every print ends with a key sheet: the grid filled in and the answers listed by clue number. It is free, with no sign-up.

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