Lecture 4 The Respiratory System

Prefixes a- without dys- difficult/painful hyper- above /excessive hypo- below /low inter- between tachy- fast

Suffixes -algia -centesis -dynia -ectasis -gram -graphy -pathy -plasty -pexy -plegia -rrhea -spasm -stenosis condition of pain surgical puncture to remove fluid condition of pain dilatation/stretching X-ray / tracing/ recording technique of recording /making X-ray disease of surgical repair/reconstruction surgical fixation /fix in place condition of paralysis excessive discharge /flow involuntary contraction abnormal condition of narrowing

Humans breathe air into paired lungs through the nose and mouth during inspiration. Whilst air is in the lungs gaseous exchange takes place; in this process oxygen enters the blood in exchange for carbon dioxide. During expiration, air containing less oxygen and more carbon dioxide leaves the body. The oxygen obtained through gaseous exchange is required by body cells for cellular respiration, a process that releases energy from food.

Word Root Rhin From a Greek word rhinos, meaning nose. Combining forms Rhin/o

Word Exercise 1 Find the meaning of: A. rhino/scopy ……………… B. rhino/pathy ……………… C. rhin/algia ……………….. D. rhin/itis ………………. E. rhino/rrhoea ……………… F. rhino/plasty …………….

Word Root Nas – From a Latin word nasus, meaning nose. Combining forms – Nas/o Pharyng – From a Greek word pharynx, meaning throat, here it is used to mean the pharynx. Combining forms – Pharyng/o

Word Exercise 2 Find the meaning of: A. naso/gastr/ic tube ……………….. B. naso-oesophag/eal tube ……………..

Word Exercise 3 Write the meaning of: A. pharyng/algia ………………. B. pharyngo/rrhoea …………….. Build words that mean: C. surgical repair of the pharynx ……………… D. inflammation of the nose and pharynx (use rhin/o) ……………………

Word Root Laryng From a Greek word larynx that refers to the voice box, here it is used to mean the larynx. Combining forms Laryng/o

Word Exercise 4 Find the meaning of: (a) laryngo/logy ………………. (b) laryngo/pharyng/ectomy ………………….. Build words that mean: (c) technique of viewing the larynx ……………. (d) the study of the nose and larynx (use rhin/o) ………………………………..

When swallowing, food is prevented from falling into the larynx by the epiglottis, a thin flap of cartilage lying above the glottis and behind the tongue. When the epiglottis moves, it covers the opening into the larynx and sound-producing glottis. Epiglott/o is the combining form derived from epiglottis; inflammation of the epiglottis may produce epiglottitis and tumours may be removed by epiglottectomy.

Word Exercise 6 Build words that mean: A. discharge/excessive flow of mucus from bronchi ……………… B. an X-ray of the bronchus ……………… C. technique of making an X-ray of the bronchi ………………………… D. an instrument for the visual examination of the bronchi ……………………………..

Word Exercise 6 Find the meaning of: E. bronch/us ………… F. broncho/plegia ………………. G. broncho/rrhaphy ………………… H. bronchi/ectasis ……………………. I. broncho/myc/osis ………………. J. broncho/genie ………………….. K. broncho/spasm ……………………. L. tracheo/bronchi/al ……………………..

Word Exercise 6 Write the meaning of: M. laryngo/tracheo/bronch/it is ………… N. bronch/oesophago/stomy …………….

The smallest bronchioles end in microscopic air sacs known as alveoli (from Latin alveus, meaning hollow cavity). Alveoli form a large surface area of the lungs across which the gases oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. The combining form is alveol/o, but few terms are in use, e.g. alveolitis.

At the alveolar surface oxygen diffuses into the blood from the cavities of the alveoli, carbon dioxide diffuses in the opposite direction and is lost from the body in expired air. Disorders of the breathing and cardiovascular systems can affect gaseous exchange and therefore the concentration of these gases in the blood. Hypoxia is a condition of deficiency of oxygen in the tissues (hypo- meaning below/low, -oxia meaning condition of oxygen). Hypercapnia is a condition of too much carbon dioxide in the blood (hyper- meaning above/excessive, -capnia meaning a condition of carbon dioxide).

Poor oxygenation also results in the presence of large amounts of unoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. This produces cyanosis, an abnormal condition in which unoxygenated hemoglobin gives a blue color to the skin, lips and nail beds (cyan/o meaning blue, -osis meaning abnormal condition).

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mr C is 56 years of age and has a long history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He began smoking at the age of 14 and until 6 years ago smoked approximately cigarettes per day but now only smokes 2 or 3 per week. Five years ago he developed a squamous cell carcinoma and had a right upper lobectomy.

Mr C has had two acute exacerbations of bronchitis in the past year. His wife says that over the last few days he has become increasingly out of breath and has difficulty in walking, speaking and eating. He was seen in casualty with increasing dyspnoea (-pnea means breathing), cyanosis and a productive purulent sputum.

On examination he had a degree of bronchospasm and was showing signs of hypoxia and hypercapnia. His serious condition required his immediate transfer to the intensive therapy unit (ITU) for mechanical ventilatory support. An arterial catheter for blood gas sampling was inserted via the left radial artery, and he was sedated. He was given a muscle relaxant intravenously to enable tracheal intubation and commencement of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV).

Word Help acute symptoms/signs of short duration carcinoma malignant growth from epidermal cells/a cancer catheter a tube inserted into the body chronic lasting/lingering for a long time exacerbations acute increased severity of symptoms intravenous pertaining to within a vein intubation insertion of a tube into a hollow organ in this case the trachea productive producing e.g. producing mucus/sputum purulent resembling pus/infected sedated state of reduced activity usually as a result of medication sputum material expelled from the respiratory passages by coughing or clearing the throat squamous pertaining to scale-like/from squamous epithelium