Body Parts

Nose

Lined with mucous membrane and fine hairs.  It acts as a filter to moisten and warm the entering air.

Nasal septum

Partition separating the right and left nasal cavities.

Paranasal sinuses

Air cavities within the cranial bones that open into the nasal cavities.

Pharynx (throat)

Serves as a food and air passageway.  Air enters from the nasal cavities and passes through the pharynx to the larynx.  Food enters the pharynx from the mouth and passes into the esophagus.

Adenoids

Lymphoid tissue located behind the nasal cavity.

Tonsils

Lymphoid tissue located behind the mouth.

Larynx (voice box)

Location of the vocal cords.  Air enters from the pharynx.

Epiglottis

Flap of cartilage that automatically covers the opening of and keeps food from entering the larynx during swallowing.

Trachea (windpipe)

Passageway for air to the bronchi.

Bronchus (pl. bronchi)

One of two branches form the trachea that conducts air into the lungs, where it divides and subdivides.  The branchings resemble a tree, therefore they are referred to as a bronchial tree.

Bronchioles

Smallest subdivision of the bronchial tree.

Alveolus (pl. alveoli)

Air sacs at the end of the bronchioles.  Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged through the alveolar walls and the capillaries.

Lungs

Two sponge-like organs in the thoracic cavity.  The right lung consists of three lobes, and the left lung has two lobes.

Pleura

Serous membrane covering each lung and lining the thoracic cavity.

Diaphragm

Muscular partition that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.  It aids in the breathing process.

Mediastinum

Space between the lungs.  It contains the heart, esophagus, trachea, great blood vessels, and other structures.

Prefixes

a-, an-

without or absence of

endo-

within

eu-

normal, good

pan-

all, total

poly-

many, much

Combining Forms

adenoid/o

adenoids

alveol/o

alveolus

atel/o

imperfect, incomplete

bronch/i, bronchi/o

bronchus

capn/o

carbon dioxide

diaphragmat/o

diaphragm

epiglott/o

epiglottis

hem/o, hemat/o

blood

laryng/o

larynx

lob/o

lobe

muc/o

mucus

nas/o, rhin/o

nose

orth/o

straight

ox/o, ox/i

oxygen

pharyng/o

pharynx

pleur/o

pleura

pneum/o, pneumat/o, pneumon/o

lung, air

pulmon/o

lung

py/o

pus

sept/o

septum (wall off, fence)

sinus/o

sinus

somn/o

sleep

spir/o

breathe, breathing

thorac/o

thorax (chest)

tonsill/o

tonsil

trache/o

trachea

Suffixes

-algia

pain

-ar, -ary, -eal

pertaining to

-cele

hernia or protrusion

-centesis

surgical puncture to aspirate fluid

-ectasis

stretching out, dilatation, expansion

-emia

blood condition

-gram

record, x-ray image

-graphy

process of recording, x-ray imaging

-meter

instrument used to measure

-metry

measurement

-oxia

oxygen

-pexy

surgical fixation, suspension

-phonia

sound or voice

-pnea

breathing

-rrhagia

rapid flow of blood

-scope

instrument used for visual examination

-scopic

pertaining to visual examination

-scopy

visual examination

-spasm

sudden, involuntary muscle contraction

-stenosis

constriction or narrowing

-stomy

creation of an artificial opening

-thorax

chest

-tomy

cut into or incision

Medical Terms – not built from word parts

Acid-fast bacilli smear

A test performed on sputum to determine the presence of acid-fast bacilli, which cause tuberculosis.

Adult respiratory distress syndrome

Respiratory failure in an adult as a result of disease or injury.  Symptoms include dyspnea, rapid breathing, and cyanosis (also called acute respiratory distress syndrome).

Airway

Passageway by which air enters and leaves the lungs as well as a mechanical device used to keep the air passageway unobstructed.

Arterial blood gases

A test performed on arterial blood to determine levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases present.

Asphyxia

Deprivation of oxygen for tissue use; suffocation.

Aspirate

To withdraw fluid or to suction as well as to draw foreign material into the respiratory tract.

Asthma

Respiratory disease characterized by paroxysms of coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Bronchoconstrictor

Agent causing narrowing of the bronchi.

Bronchodilator

Agent causing the bronchi to widen.

Chest computed tomography scan

Computerized images of the chest created in sections sliced from front to back.  Used to diagnose tumors, abscesses, and pleural effusion.  Computed tomography is used to visualize other body parts such as the abdomen and the brain.

Chest x-ray

An x-ray image of the chest is used to evaluate the lungs and the heart (also called a chest radiograph).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A group of disorders that are almost always a result of smoking that obstructs bronchial flow.  One or more of the following is present in COPD in varying degrees:  emphysema, chronic bronchitis, bronchospasm, and bronchiolitis.

Coccidioidomycosis

Fungal disease affecting the lungs and sometimes other organs of the body (also called valley fever  or cocci).

Cor pulmonale

Serious cardiac disease associated with chronic lung disorders, such as emphysema.

Cough

Sudden, noisy expulsion of air from the lungs.

Croup

Condition resulting form acute obstruction of the larynx, characterized by a barking cough, hoarseness, and stridor.  It may be caused by viral or bacterial infection, allergy, or foreign body.  Occurs mainly in children.

Cystic fibrosis

Hereditary disorder of the endocrine glands characterized by excess mucus production in the respiratory tract, pancreatic deficiency, and other symptoms.

Deviated septum

One part of the nasal cavity is smaller because of malformation or injury.

Emphysema

Stretching of lung tissue caused by the alveoli becoming distended and losing elasticity.

Epistaxis

Nosebleed (also called rhinorrhagia).

Hiccup

Sudden catching of breath with a spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm (also called hiccough).

Hyperventilation

Ventilation of the lungs beyond normal body needs.

Hypoventilation

Ventilation of the lungs that does not fulfill the body's gas exchange needs.

Influenza

Highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a virus (also called flu).

Legionnaire disease

A lobar pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila.

Mucopurulent

Containing both mucus and pus.

Mucus

Slimy fluid secreted by the mucous membranes.

Nebulizer

Device that creates a mist used to deliver medication for giving respiratory treatment.

Nosocomial infection

An infection acquired during hospitalization.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Repetitive pharyngeal collapse during sleep, which leads to absence of breathing.

Paroxysm

Periodic, sudden attach.

Patent

Open (an airway must be patent).

Pertussis

Respiratory disease characterized by an acute crowing inspiration, or whoop (also called whooping cough).

Pleural effusion

Escape of fluid into the pleural space as a result of inflammation.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

A pneumonia caused by P. carinii, a fungus.  Common disease in patients with AIDS.

Pulmonary edema

Fluid accumulation in the alveoli and bronchioles.

Pulmonary embolism (pl. Emboli)

Foreign matter, such as a blood clot, air, or fat clot, carried in the circulation to the pulmonary artery, where it blocks circulation.

Pulmonary function tests

A group of tests performed to measure breathing, which is used to determine respiratory function or abnormalities.

Pulse oximetry

A non-invasive method of measuring oxygen in the blood by using a device that attaches to the fingertip.

Purified protein derivative skin test

A test performed on individuals who have recently been exposed to tuberculosis.  PPD of the tuberculin bacillus is injected intradermally.  Positive tests indicate previous exposure, not necessarily active tuberculosis.

Sputum

Mucous secretion from the lungs, bronchi, and trachea expelled through the mouth.

Tuberculosis

An infectious disease, caused by an acid-fast bacillus, most commonly spread by inhalation of small particles and usually affecting the lungs.

Upper respiratory infection

Infection of the nasal cavity, pharynx, or larynx.

Ventilation-perfusion scanning

A nuclear medicine procedure used to diagnose pulmonary embolism and other conditions (also called a lung scan).

Ventilator

Mechanical device used to assist with or substitute for breathing when patient cannot breathe unassisted.

Abbreviations

ABGs

arterial blood gases

AFB

acid-fast bacilli

ARDS

adult respiratory distress syndrome

CF

cystic fibrosis

CO2

carbon dioxide

COPD

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CT

computed tomography

CXR

chest x-ray

flu

influenza

LLL

left lower lobe

LTB

laryngotracheobronchitis

LUL

left upper lobe

O2

oxygen

OSA

obstructive sleep apnea

PCP

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

PE

pulmonary embolism

PFTs

pulmonary function tests

PSG

polysomnography

RLL

right lower lobe

RML

right middle lobe

RUL

right upper lobe

TB

tuberculosis

URI

upper respiratory infection

VPS

ventilation-perfusion scanning