Body Parts

Heart

Muscular organ the size of a fist, located behind the sternum (breast bone) and between the lungs.  The pumping action of the heart circulates blood throughout the body.  The heart consists of two upper chambers, right atrium (pl. atria) and the left atrium, and two lower chambers, the right ventricle and the left ventricle.  Valves of the heart keep the blood flowing in one direction.  The cardiac septum separates the right and left sides of the heart.

Tricuspid valve

Located between the right atrium and right ventricle.

Bicuspid valve

Located between the left atrium and left ventricle (also called mitral valve).

Semilunar valves

One is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery and the other is between the left ventricle and the aorta.

Pericardium

Two-layer sac (pericardial sac) covering the heart (pericardial fluid allows the layers to move without friction).

Visceral pericardium

Lies closest to the myocardium.

Epicardium

Also called parietal pericardium.  It lines the pericardial sac.

Myocardium

Middle, thick, muscular layer.

Endocardium

Inner lining of the heart.

Blood vessels

Tube-like structures that carry blood throughout the body.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.  All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary artery, carry oxygen and other nutrients from the heart to the body cells.  The pulmonary artery, in contrast, carries carbon dioxide and other waste products from the heart to the lungs.

Arterioles

Smallest arteries.

Aorta

Largest artery in the body, originating at the left ventricle and descending through the thorax and abdomen.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood to the heart.  All veins, with the exception of the pulmonary veins, carry blood containing carbon dioxide and other waste products.  The pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.

Venules

Smallest veins.

Venae cavae

Largest veins in body.  The inferior vena cava carries blood to the heart from body parts below the diaphragm, the superior vena cava carries blood to heart from upper body part of the body.

Capillaries

Microscopic blood vessels that connect arterioles with venules.  Materials are passed between the blood and tissue through the capillary walls.

Blood

Composed of plasma and formed elements, such as erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes (platelets).

Plasma

Liquid portion of blood in which cells are suspended.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells that carry oxygen.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that fight infection.

Platelets (thrombocytes)

One of the formed elements in the blood that is responsible for aiding in the clotting process.

Lymph

Transparent, usually colourless, tissue fluid.

Lymph nodes

Small, spherical bodies made up of lymphoid tissue.  They are found singularly or may be grouped together.  Nodes act as filters in keeping substances such as bacteria from the blood.

Spleen

Located in the left side of the abdominal cavity between the stomach and the diaphragm.  In adulthood, the spleen is the largest lymphatic organ in the body.

Thymus gland

One of the primary lymphatic organs, it is located anterior to the ascending aorta and posterior to the sternum between the lungs.  It helps in the development of the body's immune system, particularly from infancy to puberty.  Around puberty the thymus gland atrophies into connective tissue and does not function.

Combining Forms

angi/o

vessel

aort/o

aorta

arteri/o

artery

ather/o

yellowish, fatty plaque

atri/o

atrium

electr/o

electricity

isch/o

deficiency, blockage

lymph/o

lymph, lymphatic gland

pleb/o

vein

therm/o

heat

thromb/o

clot

thym/o

thymus gland

valv/o

valve

valvul/o

valve

ven/o

vein

ventricul/o

ventricle

Suffixes

-ac

pertaining to

-apheresis

removal

-crit

to separate

-graph

instrument used to record

-odynia

pain

-penia

abnormal reduction in number

-poiesis

formation

-sclerosis

hardening

Medical Terms – not built from word parts

Acute coronary syndrome

Sudden symptoms of insufficient blood supply to the heart indicating unstable angina or myocardial infarction.

Anemia

Reduction in the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells.

Aneurysm

Ballooning of a weakened portion of an arterial wall.

Aneurysmectomy

Surgical excision of an aneurysm

Angina pectoris

Chest pain, which may radiate to the left arm and jaw, that occurs when there is an insufficient supply of blood to the heart.

Anticoagulant

Agent that slows the clotting process.

Auscultation

Hearing sounds within the body through a stethoscope.

Blood pressure

Pressure exerted by the blood against the blood vessel walls.  A blood pressure measurement written as systolic pressure (120)/diastolic pressure (80) is commonly recorded as 120/80.

Bone marrow biopsy

Needle puncture to remove bone marrow for study, usually from the sternum or ilium.  Used to diagnose blood cell diseases, such as leukemia and anemia.

Bone marrow transplant

Infusion of normal bone marrow cells from a donor with matching cells and tissue to a recipient with a certain type of leukemia or anemia.

Cardiac arrest

Sudden cessation of cardiac output and effective circulation, which requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Cardiac catheterization

An examination to determine the condition of the heart and surrounding blood vessels.  A catheter is passed into the heart through a blood vessel and is used to record pressures and inject a contrast medium, enabling the visualization of the great vessels and the heart chambers.  Used most frequently to evaluate chest pain and coronary artery disease.

Cardiac pacemaker

Battery-powered or nuclear-powered apparatus implanted under the skin to regulate the heart rate.

Cardiac tamponade

Acute compression of the heart caused by fluid accumulation in the pericardial cavity.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Emergency procedure consisting of artificial ventilation and external cardiac massage.

Coagulation time

Blood test to determine the time it takes for blood to form a clot.

Coarctation of the aorta

Congenital cardiac condition characterized by a narrowing of the aorta.

Complete blood count

Basic blood screening that includes tests on hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell morphology (size and shape), leukocyte count, and white blood cell differential (types of WBCs)

Congenital heart disease

Heart abnormality present at birth.

Congestive heart failure

Inability of the heart to pump enough blood through the body to supply the tissues and organs.

Coronary artery bypass graft

Surgical technique to bring a new blood supply to heart muscle by detouring around blocked arteries.

Coronary occlusion

Obstruction of an artery of the heart, usually from atherosclerosis (can lead to heart attack).

Coronary stent

A supportive scaffold device implanted in the coronary artery.

Deep vein thrombosis

Condition of thrombus in a deep vein of the body.  Most commonly in lower extremities.

Defibrillation

Application of an electric shock to the myocardium through the chest wall to restore normal cardiac rhythm.

Diastole

Phase of cardiac cycle when ventricles relax between contractions (diastolic is the lower number of a blood pressure reading).

Digital subtraction angiography

X-ray imaging of the blood vessels that "subtracts" or removes structures not being studied.

Doppler ultrasound

Uses sound for detection of blood flow within the vessels.  To assess claudication, DVT, other blood flow issues.

Dyscrasia

Abnormal or pathologic condition of blood.

Dysrhythmia

Any disturbance or abnormality in the heart's normal rhythmic pattern (arrhythmia).

Embolectomy

Excision of an embolus or clot.

Embolus, pl. emboli

Blood clot or foreign material (ex. air, fat), that enters the blood and moves until it lodges at another point in the circulation.

Exercise stress test

A study that evaluates cardiac function during physical stress by riding a bike or walking on a treadmill.  Electrocardiography, echocardiography, and nuclear medicine scanning are three types of tests performed to measure cardiac function while exercising.  Echocardiography is fast becoming the preferred choice of testing over electrocardiography.

Extracorporeal

Occurs when blood is diverted outside the body to a heart-lung machine.

Extravasation

Escape of blood from the blood vessel into the tissue.

Femoropopliteal bypass

Surgery to establish an alternate route from femoral artery to popliteal artery to bypass an obstruction.

Fibrillation

Rapid, quivering, non-coordinated contractions of the atria or ventricles.

Heart murmur

Short-duration humming sound of cardiac or vascular origin.

Hemochromatosis

An iron metabolism disorder that occurs when too much iron is absorbed from food, resulting in excessive deposits of iron in the tissue.  Can cause congestive heart failure, diabetes, cirrhosis, or cancer of the liver.

Hemoglobin

Blood test used to determine the concentration of oxygen-carrying components (hemoglobin) in red blood cells.

Hemophilia

Inherited bleeding disorder most commonly caused by a deficiency of the coagulation factor VIII.

Hemorrhage

Rapid flow of blood.

Hemorrhoid

Varicose vein in the rectal area, which may be internal or external.

Hemorrhoidectomy

Excision of hemorrhoids, the varicosed veins in the rectal region.

Hodgkin disease

Malignant disorder of the lymph tissue (progressive enlargement of lymph nodes), usually starts in the cervical nodes.

Hypertension

Blood pressure that is above normal (greater than 140/90).

Hypertensive heart disease

Disorder of the heart brought about by persistent high blood pressure.

Hypotension

Blood pressure that is below normal (less than 90/60).

Impedance plethysmography

Measures venous flow of the extremities with a plethysmography to detect clots by measuring the changes in blood volume and resistance (impedance) in the vein.  Used to detects DVT.

Implantable cardiac defibrillator

A device implanted in the body that continuously monitors the heart rhythm.  If life threatening dysrhythmias occur the device delivers an electric shock to convert the dysrhythmia back to a normal rhythm.

Intermittent claudication

Pain and discomfort in calf muscles while walking.  A condition seen in occlusive artery disease.

Intracoronary thrombolytic therapy

An injection of an IV medication to dissolve blood clots in coronary vessels.

Laser angioplasty

Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser) to open blocked arteries, lower extremities.

Leukemia

A malignant disease.  Excessive increase in abnormal white blood cells formed in the bone marrow.

Lumen

Space within a tubular part or organ, such as the space within a blood vessel.

Mitral commissurotomy

Surgical procedure to repair a stenosed mitral valve by breaking apart the leaves of the valve.

Mitral valve stenosis

A narrowing of the mitral valve from scarring, usually caused by episodes of rheumatic fever.

Myocardial infarction

Death of some of myocardium caused by lack of oxygen from interrupted blood supply (heart attack).

Occlude

To close tightly, to block.

Percussion

Tapping of a body surface with the fingers to determine the density of the part beneath.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Procedure in which a balloon is passed through a blood vessel into a coronary artery to the area where plaque is formed.  Inflation of the balloon compresses the plaque against the vessel wall.

Peripheral arterial disease

Disease of the arteries, other than those of the heart and brain, that affects blood circulation, such as atherosclerosis and Raynaud disease.  Symptom of peripheral atherosclerosis is intermittent claudication.

Plasma

Liquid portion of the blood in which elements or cells are suspended and that contains some of the clotting factors.

Prothrombin time

Blood test used to determine certain coagulation activity defects and to monitor anticoagulation therapy for patients taking Coumadin, an oral anticoagulant medication.  (Activated partial thromboplastin time [PTT] is used to monitor anticoagulation therapy for patients taking heparin, an intravenous anticoagulant medication.)

Rheumatic fever

An inflammatory disease, usually in children and often after respiratory tract streptococcal infection.

Rheumatic heart disease

Damage to the heart muscle or heart valves caused by one or more episodes of rheumatic fever.

Serum

Liquid portion of the blood without the clotting factors.

Sickle cell anemia

A hereditary, chronic hemolytic disease, crescent- or sickle-shaped red blood cells.  It is incurable.

Single-photon emission computed tomography

Nuclear medicine scan that visualizes the heart from several different angles.  A tracer substance such as sestamibi or thallium is injected intravenously.  The SPECT scanner creates images from the tracer absorbed by the body tissues.  It is used to assess damage to cardiac tissue.

Sphygmomanometer

Device used for measuring BP.

Stethoscope

An instrument used to hear sounds produced by the heart, lungs, and bowels.

Systole

Phase of cardiac cycle when ventricles contract (systolic is the upper number of a blood pressure reading).

Thallium test

Nuclear medicine test to diagnose coronary artery disease (used after coronary artery bypass surgery.  Radioactive isotope used.

Transesophageal echocardiogram

Ultrasound test that examines cardiac function.  Probe placed in esophagus, which views heart structures.

Varicose veins

(Varicosities).  Distended or tortuous veins usually found in the lower extremities.

Vasoconstrictor

Agent or nerve that narrows the blood vessels.

Vasodilator

Agent or nerve that enlarges the blood vessels.

Venipuncture

Puncture of a vein to remove blood, instil medication or start IV.

Blood Flow

Breathe In

Oxygenated blood

Lungs

Pulmonary veins (left & right)

Left atrium

Through bicuspid/mitral valve

Left ventricle

Through aortic/semi-lunar valve

Aorta (ascending & descending)

Arteries

Arioles

Capillaries (gas, O2, CO2 exchange)

Venules

Not oxygenated blood

Veins

Venae cavae (inferior & superior)

Right atrium

Tricuspid valve

Right ventricle

Pulmonary/semi-lunar valve

Pulmonary arteries (right & left lungs)

Breathe out

Abbreviations

ACS

acute coronary syndrome

AV

atrioventricular

BP

blood pressure

CABG

coronary artery bypass graft

CAD

coronary artery disease

CBC

complete blood count

CCU

coronary care unit

CHF

congestive heart failure

CPR

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

DSA

digital subtraction angiography

DVT

deep vein thrombosis

ECG,EKG

electrocardiogram

ECHO

echocardiogram

HCT

hematocrit

Hgb

hemoglobin

HHD

hypertensive heart disease

IPG

impedance plethysmography

IV

intravenous

MI

myocardial infarction

PAD

peripheral arterial disease

PT

prothrombin time

PTCA

percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

RBC

red blood cell (erythrocyte)

SPECT

single-photon emission computed tomography

TEE

transesophageal echocardiogram

WBC

white blood cell (leukocyte)