RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

MEDICAL WORD ELEMENTS

ELEMENT MEANING WORD ANALYSIS

COMBINING FORMS

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT

Nas/o Nose nas/al:
(-al: pertaining to)
- pertaining to the nose
Rhin/o rhin/o/plasty :
(-plasty: surgical repair)
- surgical repair of the nose
Sept/o septum sept/o/plasty :
- surgical repair of the septum
Sinus/o Sinus, cavity sinus/o/tomy :
(-tomy: incision)
- incision of any of the sinuses
Sinusotomy is performed to improve ventilation or
drainage in unresponsive sinusitis.
Adenoid/o adenoids adenoid/ectomy:
(-ectomy: excision, removal)
- excision of adenoids
Tonsil/o tonsils peri/tonsill/ar :
(peri-: around -ar: pertaining to)
- pertaining to (the area) around the tonsils
Pharyng/o pharynx pharyng/o/scope:
(-scope: instrument for examining)
- instrument for examining the pharynx
Epiglott/o epigottis epiglott/itis :
- inflammation of the epiglottis
Laryng/o Larynx laryng/o/plegia:
(-plegia: paralysis)
- paralysis of the (vocal cords and) larynx
Trache/o trachea trache/o/plasty:
- surgical repair of the trachea
LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT
Bronchi/o Bronchus bronchi/ectasis:
(bronchi – plural) (-ectasis: dilation, expansion)
- dilation of (one or more) bronchi
 Bronch/o bronchus bronch/o/scope:
(-scope: instrument for examining)
- instrument for examining the bronchus or bronchi
Bronchiol/o bronchiole bronchiol/itis :
- inflammation of the bronchioles
Alveol/o Alveolus, alveol/ar:
Air sac (-ar: pertaining to)
- pertaining to the alveoli
Pleur/o pleura pleur/o/centesis:
(-centesis: surgical puncture)
- surgical puncture of the pleural cavity; also called
thoracocentesis or thoracentesis
Pneum/o pneum/ectomy:
(-ectomy: excision)
- excision of (all or part of ) a lung
Pneumon/o Air; lung pneumon/ia:
(-ia: condition)
- condition of inflammation of the lungs
Pulmon/o lung pulmon/o/logist:
(-logist: specialist in the study of)
- specialist in the study (and treatment) of lungs (and
respiratory diseases)
OTHERS
Anthrac/o Coal, coal dust anthrac/osis:
(-osis: abnormal condition; increase (used primarily
with blood cells)
- abnormal condition of coal dust (in the lungs)
Anthracosis is a chronic occupational disease found in
coal miners and those associated with the coal industry.
Atel/o Incomplete; atel/ectasis:
imperfect (-ectasis: dilation, expansion)
- incomplete expansion of the lung; also called
airless lung or collapsed lung
Coni/o dust pneum/o/coni/osis :
(pneum/o: air; lung)
(-osis: abnormal condition; increase (used primarily
with blood cells)
- condition of dust in the lungs
Cyan/o blue cyan/osis :
- abnormal condition of blueness
Lob/o lobe lob/ectomy:
- excision of a lobe
Orth/o straight orth/o/pnea:
(-pnea: breathing)
- breathing in a straight (or upright position)
Ox/i oxygen ox/i/meter:
(-meter: instrument for measuring)
- instrument used for measuring oxygen
Ox/o hyp/ox/emia:
(hyp-: under, below, deficient)
(-emia: blood condition)
- deficiency of oxygen in blood
Pector/o pector/algia:
(-algia: pain)
- pain in the chest; also called thoracalgia,
thoracodynia, and pectorodynia
Steth/o chest steth/o/scope:
(-scope: instrument for examining)
- instrument used for examining the chest
Thorac/o thorac/o/pathy:
(-pathy: disease)
- disease of the chest
Phren/o Diaphragm; phren/o/spasm:
mind (-spasm: involuntary contraction, twitching)
- involuntary contraction of the diaphragm
Spir/o breath spir/o/meter:
(-meter: instrument for measuring)
- instrument for measuring breathing
SUFFIXES

-capnia Carbon dioxide hyper/capnia:

(hyper-: excessive, above normal)
- excessive CO2
-osmia smell an/osmia:
(an-: without, not)
- without (the sense of ) smell
-phonia voice dys/phonia:
(dys-: bad; painful; difficult)
- bad (impaired) voice quality
Dysphonia includes hoarseness, voice fatigue, or
decreased projection.
-pnea breathing a/pnea:
(a-: without, not)
- not breathing
-ptysis spitting hem/o/ptysis:
(hem/o: blood)
 - (coughing up or) spitting of blood
Bloody sputum is usually a sign of a serious condition of
the lungs.
-thorax chest py/o/thorax:
(py/o: pus)
- pus in the chest (cavity); also called empyema
PREFIXES

Brady- slow brady/pnea:

(-pnea: breathing)
- slow breathing
Dys- bad; painful; dys/pnea:
difficult - difficult breathing
Eu- Good; normal eu/pnea:
- normal breathing
The normal range for a resting adult respiratory rate is 12
to 20 breaths/minute.
Tachy- rapid tachy/pnea:
- rapid breathing