Download Glossary/Definitions for Respiratory System

Glossary/Definitions for Respiratory System
Abdominal: from Latin abdōmen, belly. Meaning; the region of the body of a vertebrate that
contains the viscera other than the heart and lungs. In mammals it is separated from the th from
lympha, water nymph orax by the diaphragm
Adenoids; from Greek adenoeidēs, glandular. Meaning; The small mass of lymphoid tissue located
at the back of the nasal cavity.
Alveolar- pertaining to Alveoli (below)
Alveoli-from Latin Alveus, a cavity or hollo). Meaning a small cell containing air in the lungs.
Anaerobic; from Greek an, not AND aero, air AND bios life. Meaning; requiring the absence of or not
dependent on the presence of oxygen.
Angiotensin; from Greek angio, container AND tense, pressure. Meaning; any of three polypeptide
hormones, one of which is a powerful vasoconstrictor, that function in the body in controlling
arterial pressure
Antagonist; from Latin antagōnista. Meaning; A muscle that counteracts the action of the agonist.
Anterior; from Latin, ante + prior, foremost. Meaning situated at or directed toward the front;
opposite of posterior.
Apex; from Latin apex, tip. Meaning; the pointed end of a conical part; the top of a body or organ.
Arteriole; from Latin arteriola, little artery. Meaning; A minute artery, especially a terminal artery
continuous with the capillary network.
Asthma; from greek, panting. Meaning; recurrent attacks of paroxysmal dyspnea, with wheezing
due to spasmodic contraction of the bronchi.
Atelectasis; from greek, ateles, incomplete AND ektasis, expansion. Meaning ; Atelectasis is a
collapse of lung tissue affecting part or all of one lung. This condition prevents normal oxygen
absorption to healthy tissues
Auscultation; from Latin, auscultare, to listen. Meaning; The act of listening for sounds made by
internal organs, such as the heart and lungs, to aid in the diagnosis of certain disorders
Bronchioles; from Greek brónchos , windpipe. Meaning; Small airways extending from the bronchi
into the lobes of the lungs.
Bronchus; from Greek brónchos, windpipe.
Buffer; from, buffe, to cushion. Meaning; A substance that minimizes change in the acidity of a
solution when an acid or base is added to the solution
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Constriction; from Latin, constringere, to draw tight. Meaning; a narrowing or compression of a
part;
Costal; from Latin costa, rib. Meaning; pertaining to a rib.
Cranium; from Greek kranion, skull. Meaning; the bony case enclosing the brain
Cyanosis;from Greek, kyanos, blue AND osis, condition. Meaning; A bluish discoloration of the skin
and mucous membranes resulting from inadequate oxygenation of the blood.
Diffusion; from Latin, diffundere, to spread out. Meaning; the process of becoming diffused, or
widely spread.
Dilation; from Latin, dilatare, to widen. Meaning; the act of dilating or stretching
Dyspnoea; from Greek dys-, bad AND pnoē, breathing. Meaning; breathlessness, laboured
breathing, to the point of discomfort or distress
Embolus; from Greek, embolos, plug. Meaning; a mass, such as an air bubble, detached blood clot,
or foreign body, that travels in the bloodstream and lodges in a blood vessel, thus serving to obstruct
or occlude such a vessel
Epiglottis; from Greek, epi + glossa, tongue. Meaning; the lid like cartilaginous structure overhanging
the entrance to the larynx, guarding it during swallowing
Eustacian; named after Bartolomeo Eustachio, 16th-century Italian anatomist. Meaning; a tube that
connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx and equalizes the pressure between the two sides of
the eardrum
Extrinsic; from Latin extrīnsecus, from outside. Meaning; originating from the outside; external.
Fibrosis; from Latin fibro, fibrous Meaning The formation of excessive fibrous tissue, as in a
reparative or reactive process.
Glycogen; from greek glyco , sugar AND gen, born from. Meaning; polysaccharide consisting of
glucose units: the form in which carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles in man and animals
Glycolysis; from greek glyco , sugar AND lysis destruction. Meaning; the breakdown of glucose by
enzymes into pyruvic and lactic acids with the liberation of energy
Haemoptysis; from Greek haemo, blood AND ptysis, from ptyein, to spit. Meaning; spitting or
coughing up of blood or blood-streaked mucus,
Histamine; MOD ENG MED from histidine and amine. Meaning; an amine formed from histidine and
released by the body tissues in allergic reactions, causing irritation
Homeostasis; from the Greek: homeo, unchanging AND stasis, standing. Meaning; the tendency of
an organism or cell to regulate its internal conditions, such as the chemical composition of its body
fluids, so as to maintain health and functioning, regardless of outside conditions.
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Insulin; from Latin īnsula, island (of Langerhans) (from Latin, island) AND in. Meaning; a protein
hormone, secreted in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, that controls the concentration of
glucose in the blood
Intrinsic; from Latin intrinsecus, inwardly. Meaning; situated within or peculiar to a part.
Lamina propria; from New Latin lāmina, lamina AND propria, proper. Meaning; A thin vascular layer
of connective tissue beneath the epithelium of an organ
Laryngopharynx; from Greek larunx, larynx AND pharynx, throat. Meaning; The portion of the
pharynx just above the larynx.
Larynx; from Greek larunx. Meaning; The part of the respiratory tract between the pharynx and the
trachea, having walls of cartilage and muscle and containing the vocal cords enveloped in folds of
mucous membrane
Lymph; from lympha, water nymph. Meaning; a clear, yellowish, coagulable fluid, circulated by the
lymphatic system that resembles blood plasma but contains mainly lymphocytes and fats.
Lymphocytes; from lympha, water nymph AND cyte, a vessel. Meaning; a type of white blood cell
formed in lymphoid tissue.
Lysozymes; lyso dissolution AND zyme, ferment. Meaning; an enzyme occurring in tears, certain
body tissues, and egg white: destroys bacteria by hydrolysing polysaccharides in their cell walls
Macrophages; from greek macro, large and phage, ingest. Meaning; any large phagocytic cell
occurring in the blood, lymph, and connective tissue of vertebrates
Medial; from Latin medius, middle. Meaning; Relating to, situated in, or extending toward the
middle.
Medulla oblongata; from Latin medulla, medulla AND oblongāta, oblong. Meaning; the lowest or
hindmost part of the vertebrate brain, continuous with the spinal cord.
Mucocilliary; from Latin mucosus, mucous. Meaning; pertaining to mucus and to the cilia of the
epithelial cells in the airways.
Nasolacrimal; from Latin nasus, nose AND lacrima, tear. Meaning; pertaining to the nasal cavity and
associated lacrimal ducts.
Neonates; from Latin natus, born. Meaning; An infant in the first four weeks of life, newborn.
Olfactory; from Latin olfact, to smell. Meaning; relating to, or contributing to the sense of smell.
Oropharynx: from Latin oris, mouth AND Greek pharynx, throat. Meaning; the pharynx between the
soft palate and the epiglottis.
Orthopnoea; from Greek, orthos, straight + pnoia, breath. Meaning; discomfort in breathing that is
relieved by sitting or standing in an erect position.
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Oxidative phosphorylation; MOD ENG MED. Meaning; the formation of ATP from the energy
released by the oxidation of various substrates, especially the organic acids involved in the Krebs
cycle.
Parietal; from Latin paries, wall. Meaning of or pertaining to the walls of a cavity.
Percussion; from Latin percuere, to strike hard. Meaning; a method of medical diagnosis in which
various areas of the body, especially the chest, back, and abdomen, are tapped with the finger or a
plexor to determine by resonance the condition of internal organs
Peripheral; from Greek periphereia, circumference. Meaning; pertaining to the outside, surface, or
surrounding area of an organ, other structure, or field of vision.
Pharyngitis; from Greek pharynx, throat and itis, inflammation. Meaning; Inflammation of the
pharynx.
Pharynx; from Greek pharynx, throat. Meaning; The upper section of the alimentary canal that
extends from the mouth and nasal cavities to the larynx.
Pleurisy; from Greek, pleura AND itis, inflammation. Meaning; An inflammation of the pleura.
Pneumothorax; from Greek pneuma, air AND thorax, chest. Meaning Accumulation of air or gas in
the pleural cavity.
Posterior; from Latin, behind. Meaning; directed toward or situated at the back; opposite of
anterior.
Pulmonary; from Latin pulmo, lungs. Meaning; pertaining to the lungs
Rhinitis; from Greek rhin, nose AND itis, inflammation. Meaning inflammation of the mucous lining
of the nose.
Rhinorrhoea; from Greek rhis, nose AND rhoia, flow. Meaning; a discharge from the nasal mucous
membrane, especially if excessive.
Septum; from Latin saeptum, enclosure. Meaning; a dividing wall or partition
Sinusitis; from Latin sinus AND Greek itis, inflammation. Meaning; inflammation of a sinus.
Surfactants; from Latin, superficies. Meaning; certain lipoproteins that reduce the surface tension of
pulmonary fluids
Tachypnoea; from tachy, swift AND pnoē, breathing. Meaning; rapid breathing.
Thoracic; from Greek, chest. Meaning; Pertaining to the chest
Trachea; from Greek, tracheia, rough artery. Meaning; the airway that extends from the larynx into
the thorax where it divides into the right and left bronchi.
Venule; from Latin venula, small vein. Meaning; any of the small vessels that collect blood from the
capillary plexuses and join to form veins
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Visceral; from Latin viscus, internal organs. Meaning pertaining to the viscera or internal organs.
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