Final answer:
Paralysis refers to the loss of sensation and movement, typically caused by spinal cord injuries or strokes. Quadriplegia affects the body below the neck, paraplegia involves the lower limbs, and hemiplegia affects one side of the body. Plegia indicates complete paralysis, while paresis signifies partial paralysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Paralysis is a medical condition characterized by the loss of sensation and movement in part of the body, which can result from various causes such as a stroke or spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can lead to different forms of paralysis depending on the level and severity of the injury. Quadriplegia, sometimes referred to as tetraplegia, involves paralysis affecting the arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs, typically resulting from an injury to the cervical spinal cord. Paraplegia, on the other hand, is the paralysis of the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs, while the arms and hands remain functional; this usually results from an injury to the thoracic or lumbar spine. While plegia refers to complete paralysis, paresis indicates partial paralysis or weakness, and hemiplegia refers to paralysis on one side of the body usually due to a brain injury or a hemisection of the spinal cord.