Medical Terminology - Respiratory System

What are the two major tasks of the respiratory system?

External and internal respiration.

What is external respiration?

The exchange of air between the body and outside

What is internal respiration?

The transportation of oxygen to the cells and removal of carbon dioxide.

How many pints of air do we breathe a minute?

13

How many alveoli are in the lungs?

300 million

What is water used for in respiration?

To humidify the inspired air

What does the nose do in respiration?

Moistens and warms incoming air

ox/i

oxygen

capn/o

carbon dioxide

inspiration/ inhalation

breathing in

expiration/ exhalation

breathing out

Inhalation sequence

nose or mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchial tree, alveoli

Exhalation sequence

alveoli, bronchial tree, trachea, larynx, pharynx, nose or mouth

nas/o, rhin/o

nose

pharyng/o

pharynx

laryng/o

larynx

trache/o

trachea

bronch/o, branch/i

bronchus

thorac/o

thorax

pneum/o, pneumon/o, pulmon/o

lungs

pleur/o

pleura

mediastin/o

mediastinum

diaphragmat/o

diaphragm

hem/o

blood

myc/o

fungus

phon/o

voice, sound

spir/o

breathing

a-, an-

without, not

dys-

bad, painful, difficult, abnormal

eu-

good, normal, well, easy

poly-

many, much

tachy-

fast, rapid

-cele

hernia, swelling, protrusion

-cetesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-desis

surgical binding or fixation

-ectasis

dilation, expansion

-meter

instrument used to measure

-pnea

breathing

-ptysis

spitting (usually blood)

-rrhagia

bursting forth, excessive bleeding

-stenosis

narrowing

-stomy

surgically made opening

-tomy

cutting into, incision

atelectasis

collapsed lung (incomplete expansion)

bronchospasm

involuntary contraction of bronchial tubes

diaphragmatocele

hernia or protrusion in diaphragm

pneumoconiosis

lung disease caused by inhalation of dust particles

pyothorax

pus in lungs

rhinomycosis

fungal infection in nose

rhinorragia

excessive bleeding in the nose (nose bleed)

tonsilitis

inflammation of the tonsils

tracheostenosis

narrowing of the trachea

pertussis

whooping cough

adenoidectomy

surgical removal of adenoids

laryngoplasty

surgical repair of larynx

sinusotomy

surgical incision into a sinus

thoracentesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid from the chest

tracheostomy

surgically made opening into the trachea

-scopy

visual exam procedure

-scopic

pertaining to visual exam

AFB smear

test used to detect bacteria such as tuberculosis

ABG

measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ph levels in blood

PFM

device that measures how fast a person can exhale

anoxia

absence of oxygen in body tissues

dysphonia

impaired speech, difficulty speaking

hemoptysis

coughing up blood

hypercapnia

excess carbon dioxide in blood

hyponea

abnormally shallow or slow breathing

hypoxemia

low levels of oxygen in the blood

rhinorrea

discharge from the nose

effusion

accumulation of fluid in a body cavity

paroxysm

sudden onset of symptoms (such as coughing or spasms)

ronchi

low pitched, coarse lung sounds caused by airway obstruction

stridor

high pitched sound due to airway narrowing

bronchodilator

treatment that relaxes and widens the airway

mucoplurent

mucus and pus

ARDS

(acute respiratory distress syndrome) severe lung condition causing fluid buildup and breathing failure

cocci

spherical bacteria

IPF

(idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) chronic lung disease causing scarring of lung tissue

tome

instrument used to cut