Respiratory System

This is Unit Nine of Medical Terminology: the respiratory system. Thirty-two entries, laid out in the order every system unit uses — combining forms first, then the suffixes belonging to this system alone, then the terms built from both, then the procedures and the capstone. Eighteen of the thirty-two are combining forms, and they arrive along the path air travels. Nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchus, bronchiole, alveolus. Learned in that order, the sequence itself holds them apart. Two structures carry two forms each, because Greek and Latin both supplied one. The lung is pneum slash o and pulmon slash o. The nose is rhin slash o and nas slash o. Neither member of a pair replaces the other inside a given term. Three suffixes are numbered here rather than in Unit Two, because they belong to this system alone. Pnea for breathing, ptysis for spitting, phonia for voice. Two of them open with a silent p, which changes how the whole term is spoken. Pnea then carries six consecutive terms, each built with a prefix from Unit Three. The book records them as a chain rather than one cluster, and the procedure entry sorts them into three independent questions. By the end you will be able to do five things. One: name the combining forms along the airway, and say why two structures carry two forms each. Two: name the forms for the chest, the pleura, the diaphragm, the sinus and the epiglottis. Three: name the forms for the two gases and for breathing, and state what the three new suffixes mean. Four: sort any pnea term into presence, effort or rate, and place hypoxia and sputum against their neighbours. Five: build a respiratory term with the joining rules and decode one suffix first, including the two places the rules stop.

Two entries open the unit and both name one organ. Greek supplied pneum slash o, Latin supplied pulmon slash o, and both are in use. The Unit One entry on Greek and Latin roots for a single structure is the rule being applied, and this is its first appearance inside a body system.

The lung, in Greek.

MedTerm 0521 pneum/o and pneumon/o: Lung or Air

The combining forms pneum slash o and pneumon slash o name the lung, or air within a cavity. Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung. The initial p is silent, so terms built on these forms are spoken beginning with an n sound.

The lung, in Latin.

MedTerm 0522 pulmon/o: Lung

The combining form pulmon slash o also names the lung, and comes from Latin. A pulmonologist is a specialist in the lungs, on the suffix logist from Unit Two. Pneum slash o is Greek, pulmon slash o is Latin, and both name the same organ.

Seven forms in the order air passes them: two for the nose, then the pharynx, the larynx, the trachea, the bronchus, the bronchiole. Three of the seven carry a plural rule from Unit One and one carries a pronunciation warning. Both kinds of warning exist because these terms get spoken aloud before anyone writes them down.

The nose, in Latin.

MedTerm 0523 nas/o: Nose

The combining form nas slash o names the nose, and comes from Latin. Nasal means pertaining to the nose. A second combining form names the same structure and comes from Greek, and the book numbers it immediately after this one.

The nose, in Greek.

MedTerm 0524 rhin/o: Nose

The combining form rhin slash o also names the nose, and comes from Greek. Rhinorrhea is discharge from the nose, on the suffix rrhea from Unit Two. Nasal and rhinitis both concern the nose, and neither form replaces the other in a given term.

The throat passage.

MedTerm 0525 pharyng/o: Pharynx

The combining form pharyng slash o names the pharynx, the throat passage behind the nose and mouth. Pharyngitis is inflammation of the throat. One pharynx, several pharynges, following the nx to nges plural rule numbered in Unit One.

The voice box.

MedTerm 0526 laryng/o: Larynx

The combining form laryng slash o names the larynx, the voice box below the pharynx. Laryngitis is inflammation of the voice box. The pharynx is the throat and the larynx is the voice box beneath it, which is the distinction these two entries exist to hold.

The windpipe.

MedTerm 0527 trache/o: Trachea

The combining form trache slash o names the trachea, the windpipe below the larynx. Tracheotomy is a surgical incision into the trachea, on the suffix otomy from Unit Two. The ch in trache is spoken as a k sound.

The two branches.

MedTerm 0528 bronch/o and bronchi/o: Bronchus

The combining forms bronch slash o and bronchi slash o name a bronchus, one of the two airways branching from the trachea. Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi. One bronchus, two bronchi, following the us to i plural rule from Unit One.

A smaller branch.

MedTerm 0529 bronchiol/o: Bronchiole

The combining form bronchiol slash o names a bronchiole, a small branch of a bronchus. Bronchiolitis is inflammation of the bronchioles. The added ol marks a smaller version of the structure, as it does for arterioles in the cardiovascular unit, and for venules.

Six more forms, leaving the airway itself for the structures around it. The alveolus where gas is exchanged, the chest and the membrane lining it, the muscle that drives breathing, and two structures back at the head end. Unit Four supplied the thoracic cavity and the diaphragm as a divider, and these entries cite both.

Where gas is exchanged.

MedTerm 0530 alveol/o: Alveolus

The combining form alveol slash o names an alveolus, one of the small air sacs where gas exchange occurs. Oxygen passes from the alveoli into the blood. One alveolus, several alveoli, on the same us to i plural rule as bronchus.

The chest.

MedTerm 0531 thorac/o: Chest

The combining form thorac slash o names the chest, or the thoracic cavity numbered in Unit Four. Thoracentesis is surgical puncture of the chest to remove fluid, on the suffix centesis from Unit Two. One thorax, several thoraces, following the ax to ces rule.

The membrane over the lung.

MedTerm 0532 pleur/o: Pleura

The combining form pleur slash o names the pleura, the membrane covering the lungs and lining the chest cavity. Pleuritis is inflammation of the pleura. The pleura is the covering membrane, not the lung tissue beneath it.

The breathing muscle.

MedTerm 0533 phren/o: Diaphragm

The combining form phren slash o names the diaphragm, the muscle driving breathing and the divider numbered in Unit Four. Phrenic describes the nerve supplying the diaphragm. Phren slash o also names the mind in a small number of older terms.

A cavity in bone.

MedTerm 0534 sinus/o: Sinus

The combining form sinus slash o names a sinus, an air-filled cavity within a bone of the skull. Sinusitis is inflammation of a sinus. Sinus takes the plural sinuses, and also an unchanged plural, sinus, which the us to i rule lists among its exceptions.

The flap over the larynx.

MedTerm 0535 epiglott/o: Epiglottis

The combining form epiglott slash o names the epiglottis, the flap covering the larynx during swallowing. Epiglottitis is inflammation of the epiglottis. The prefix epi, from Unit Three, places this structure upon the glottis, which is the opening of the larynx.

Three forms that name no structure. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and breathing itself. Each is shown in the book with a universal element attached — the prefixes hypo and hyper from Unit Three, and the suffix metry from Unit Two — so the three entries double as a rehearsal of parts already owned.

Oxygen.

MedTerm 0536 ox/o: Oxygen

The combining form ox slash o names oxygen. Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen in the tissues, built on the prefix hypo from Unit Three. Ox slash i also appears, as in oximetry, with the same meaning.

Carbon dioxide.

MedTerm 0537 capn/o: Carbon Dioxide

The combining form capn slash o names carbon dioxide. Hypercapnia is an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood, built on the prefix hyper from Unit Three. Oxygen enters at the alveoli and carbon dioxide leaves there, and terms name each gas separately.

The act of breathing.

MedTerm 0538 spir/o: Breathing

The combining form spir slash o names breathing. Spirometry is the measurement of breathing volume, on the suffix metry from Unit Two. Spir slash o also appears inside longer terms, as in respiration and inspiration, where it sits mid-word rather than at the front.

Every other suffix in this unit came from Unit Two. These three did not, because they name breathing, spitting and voice, and no other body system needs them. Two of the three open with a silent p, and both entries give the spoken form rather than leaving it to be worked out.

The suffix for breathing.

MedTerm 0539 -pnea: Breathing

The suffix pnea names breathing, and takes a prefix describing how the breathing is occurring. Apnea is the absence of breathing. The p is silent, so pnea is spoken as nee ah, and six consecutive entries in this unit are built on it.

The suffix for spitting.

MedTerm 0540 -ptysis: Spitting

The suffix ptysis names spitting, or coughing up material from the airway. Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood, on the blood root carried over from the cardiovascular unit. The initial p is silent here too, and the suffix is spoken tih sis.

The suffix for voice.

MedTerm 0541 -phonia: Voice

The suffix phonia names the voice, or the production of sound. Dysphonia is difficulty producing voice, built on the prefix dys from Unit Three. Phonia names the voice; a similar suffix names swallowing, and another names speech.

Six terms at consecutive numbers, each one pnea with a prefix in front of it. Eu, dys, a, tachy and brady all come from Unit Three; the sixth uses the root orth from Unit Four. The book records these as three overlapping pairs rather than one six-member cluster, which is why they arrive in this order.

Normal breathing.

MedTerm 0542 Eupnea

Eupnea is normal, unlabored breathing at a normal rate. The prefix eu, from Unit Three, names good or normal, and pnea names breathing. Eupnea is the reference against which every other breathing term in the family is described.

Breathing with difficulty.

MedTerm 0543 Dyspnea

Dyspnea is difficult or labored breathing. The prefix dys, from Unit Three, names difficult, and pnea names breathing. Dyspnea is breathing that is happening with difficulty, not breathing that has stopped, which is the distinction the next entry turns on.

Breathing absent.

MedTerm 0544 Apnea

Apnea is the absence of breathing. The prefix a, from Unit Three, names without, and pnea names breathing. Dyspnea is difficult and apnea is absent. One letter of prefix separates the two, and the book numbers them adjacently for that reason.

Breathing fast.

MedTerm 0545 Tachypnea

Tachypnea is an abnormally rapid rate of breathing. The prefix tachy, from Unit Three, names fast, and pnea names breathing. Tachypnea describes rate and dyspnea describes effort. A person can have either one alone.

Breathing slow.

MedTerm 0546 Bradypnea

Bradypnea is an abnormally slow rate of breathing. The prefix brady, from Unit Three, names slow, and pnea names breathing. Tachypnea and bradypnea are opposites, matching tachycardia and bradycardia in form — the same two prefixes on a different root.

Breathing, and position.

MedTerm 0547 Orthopnea

Orthopnea is difficult breathing that occurs when lying flat and eases when upright. The root orth names straight or upright, and pnea names breathing. Orthopnea names a positional pattern, so the record states the position along with the term.

Two terms that sit after the pnea family and belong to no family of their own. Each is fixed in place by what it has to be told apart from: hypoxia against a term naming low oxygen in the blood, and sputum against saliva.

Low oxygen.

MedTerm 0548 Hypoxia

Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues. The prefix hypo, from Unit Three, names below normal, and ox names oxygen. Hypoxia names low oxygen in tissue, and a related term names low oxygen in the blood.

What is coughed up.

MedTerm 0549 Sputum

Sputum is material coughed up from the lower airway, and it is distinct from saliva. A sputum sample is collected from the airway, not from the mouth. Sputum comes from below the larynx. Saliva does not.

Three entries close the unit and none of them introduces a new root. A procedure for reading the pnea family, a procedure for building four terms with the join named at each one, and a capstone decoding twelve. Two of the three exist to show where the rules stop.

Reading the family in three questions.

MedTerm 0550 Reading the -pnea Family

Reading a pnea term means asking which of three things the prefix describes. Presence: apnea says breathing is absent, and every other term in the family assumes it is present. Effort: eupnea unlabored, dyspnea labored, orthopnea labored lying flat and eased upright. Rate: tachypnea fast, bradypnea slow, neither saying anything about effort. Effort and rate are independent, so a record may carry one of each — and dyspnea and tachypnea are routinely treated as the same finding, when one is about work and the other about speed.

Four builds, each join named.

MedTerm 0551 Building Respiratory Terms

Building a respiratory term means selecting the combining form, then the suffix, then applying the joining rules. Bronchitis takes the vowel suffix itis, so the root links it. Bronchoscopy takes a consonant suffix, so bronch slash o plus scopy. Tracheostomy is trache slash o plus stomy, a permanent opening into the trachea. Thoracentesis retains the a of thorac and takes no o at all, which the entry names as a term-specific spelling rather than a rule.

Twelve terms, decoded suffix first.

MedTerm 0552 Capstone: Twelve Respiratory Terms Decoded

Twelve respiratory terms decoded with the word parts of Units Two through Nine, suffix read first. Itis on rhin, pharyng, laryng, bronch and pleur gives five inflammations. Scopy on bronch is visual examination, ectasis on bronchi is dilation, ostomy on trache is a permanent opening, centesis on thorac is puncture to withdraw fluid. Ptysis on hem is coughing up blood, and metry on spir is measurement of breathing. Term twelve is pneumothorax, and it has no suffix at all: two roots joined, air and chest, and the decode ends when both roots are read.

Five things to carry out of Unit Nine. The combining forms run along the airway: nas slash o and rhin slash o for the nose, then pharyng slash o, laryng slash o, trache slash o, bronch slash o, bronchiol slash o, alveol slash o. Two of those structures carry two forms because Greek and Latin each supplied one — the lung and the nose — and neither member of a pair replaces the other inside a term. Around the airway sit thorac slash o for the chest, pleur slash o for the covering membrane rather than the lung beneath it, phren slash o for the diaphragm and for the mind in older terms, sinus slash o for a cavity in skull bone, and epiglott slash o for the flap over the larynx. Ox slash o, capn slash o and spir slash o name oxygen, carbon dioxide and breathing without naming any structure. The three suffixes numbered here are pnea for breathing, spoken nee ah, ptysis for spitting, spoken tih sis, and phonia for voice. Every pnea term answers one of three questions. Presence: apnea alone says breathing is absent. Effort: eupnea, dyspnea, orthopnea. Rate: tachypnea and bradypnea. Effort and rate are independent, so a record can carry one from each. Hypoxia is low oxygen in tissue, and sputum comes from below the larynx. Building selects the form, then the suffix, then applies the joining rules — and thoracentesis keeps the a of thorac with no combining vowel, a spelling fixed by usage rather than by rule. Decoding reads the suffix first, and pneumothorax has no suffix at all: two roots joined, and the decode ends there. Unit Ten turns to the digestive system.