Medical Terminology: Respiratory System

Medical Terminology Study Notes: Respiratory System

• Bronch/o, bronchi/o: Refers to bronchial tubes or bronchi.
• Laryng/o: Indicates the larynx or throat.
• Nas/o: Signifies the nose.
• Ox/i, ox/o, ox/y: Pertains to oxygen.
• Pharyng/o: Relates to the throat or pharynx.
• Phon/o: Relates to sound or voice.
• Pleur/o: Denotes the pleura or side of the body.
• -pnea: A suffix indicating breathing.
• Pneum/o, pneumon/o, pneu-: Associated with lungs or air.
• Pulm/o, pulmon/o: Specifically refers to the lung.
• Sinus/o: Refers to sinus cavities.
• Somn/o: Relates to sleep.
• Spir/o: Indicates the act of breathing.
• Thorac/o, -thorax: Pertains to the chest or pleural cavity.
• Trache/o: Refers to the trachea or windpipe.
• Alveoli: Tiny air sacs in the lungs at the end of bronchioles.
• Anoxia: Absence of oxygen in tissues despite adequate blood flow.
• Antitussive: Cough medicine used to suppress coughing.
• Aphonia: Loss of ability to produce normal speech.
• Asbestosis: Lung disease caused by asbestos exposure.
• Asphyxia: Loss of consciousness from lack of oxygen.
• Asthma: Chronic inflammation of bronchial tubes.
• Atelectasis: Collapsed lung or incomplete lung expansion due to blockage.
• Bradypnea: Abnormally slow breathing, usually fewer than 10 breaths per minute.
• Bronchodilator: Medication that relaxes bronchial passages.
• Bronchorrhea: Excessive mucus discharge from the bronchi.
• Bronchospasm: Involuntary contraction of bronchi muscles, narrowing airways.
• Cheyne-Stokes respiration: Irregular breathing pattern with alternating fast and slow breaths.
• Croup: Acute respiratory infection in children causing barking cough.
• Cyanosis: Bluish skin discoloration due to inadequate oxygen supply.
• Cystic fibrosis: Genetic disorder causing thick mucus in lungs and pancreas.
• Diphtheria: Acute bacterial throat infection.
• Dysphonia: Difficulty speaking, including voice quality impairments.
• Dyspnea: Shortness of breath or difficult breathing.
• Emphysema: Long-term progressive lung function loss, often due to smoking.
• Empyema: Accumulation of pus in a body cavity.
• Endotracheal intubation: Insertion of a tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway.
• Epistaxis: Nosebleed, often due to dry air or injury.
• Hemoptysis: Coughing up blood-stained sputum.
• Hypercapnia: Excessive carbon dioxide in the blood.
• Hyperpnea: Abnormally deep and rapid breathing during exertion.
• Hypopnea: Shallow or slow breathing, less than normal.
• Hypoxemia: Low oxygen levels in the blood.
• Hypoxia: Deficiency of oxygen in body tissues.
• Laryngectomy: Surgical removal of the larynx.
• Laryngitis: Inflammation of the larynx.
• Laryngoscopy: Visual examination of the larynx using a scope.
• Laryngospasm: Sudden closure of the larynx.
• Mediastinum: Central part of the chest cavity between the lungs.
• Nebulizer: Device turning liquid medicine into mist for inhalation.
• Otolaryngologist: Specialist in ear, nose, and throat disorders.
• Pertussis: Whooping cough; contagious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract.
• Pharyngitis: Inflammation of the pharynx; sore throat.
• Phlegm: Thick mucus in the respiratory passages.
• Pleurisy: Inflammation of the pleura.
• Pleurodynia: Sharp pain during inhalation from inflamed membranes.
• Pneumoconiosis: Lung fibrotic disease caused by dust exposure.
• Pneumonectomy: Surgical removal of a part or the entire lung.
• Pneumonia: Lung inflammation where alveoli fill with pus and fluids.
• Pneumothorax: Air accumulation in the pleural space causing lung collapse.
• Polysomnography: Sleep study measuring physiological activity during sleep.
• Pulmonologist: Physician specializing in respiratory system diseases.
• Pulse oximeter: Monitor measuring blood oxygen saturation.
• Pyothorax: Presence of pus in the pleural cavity.
• Sinusitis: Inflammation of the sinuses.
• Sleep apnea: Disorder with repeated breathing cessation during sleep.
• Spirometer: Device measuring inhaled/exhaled air volumes.
• Tachypnea: Rapid breathing rate, over 20 breaths per minute.
• Thoracentesis: Surgical puncture to obtain fluid from the pleural cavity.
• Thoracotomy: Incision into the chest wall for biopsy or treatment.
• Tracheostomy: Surgical creation of an opening into the trachea.
• Tracheotomy: Incision into the trachea for airway access.
• Tuberculosis: Infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs.