Medical Terminology Simplified

4–38 Asthmatic patients may experience wheezing caused by bronch/ial

spasms. The medical term for this condition is bronchi/o/spasm or

/ /.

4–39 Chronic dilation of bronchi is called bronchi/ectasis. Chronic pneumon/ia

or flu may result in dilation of bronchi. The medical term for this condition is

/.

4–40 Use bronch/oto build medical words that mean

inflammation of bronchi: /

involuntary contraction or twitching of the bronchus:

/ /

narrowing or stricture of bronchi:

/ /

4–41 Structurally, each primary bronchus is similar to that of the trachea, but as

they subdivide into finer branches, the amount of cartilage in the walls decreases and

finally disappears as it forms bronchi/oles. As cartilage diminishes, a layer of smooth

muscle surrounding the tube becomes more prominent. Smooth muscles in the

walls of bronchi/oles are designed to constrict or dilate the airways to maintain

unobstructed air passages. Bronchi/oles eventually distribute air to the (9) alveoli

(singular, alveolus), small clusters of grapelike air sacs of the lungs. Each alveolus is

surrounded by a network of microscopic (10) pulmonary capillaries.Label the alve-

oli and pulmonary capillaries in Figure 4–2.

4–42 The thin walls of the alveoli permit an exchange of gases between the alveo-

lus and the surrounding capillaries. Blood flowing through the capillaries accepts

oxygen (O 2 ) from the alveolus, while depositing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the

alveolus. Erythr/o/cytes in the blood carry O 2 to all parts of the body and CO 2 to

the lungs for exhalation.

The medical term for red blood cells is

/ /.

The abbreviation O 2 means.

The abbreviation CO 2 means.

4–43 Macro/scopic structures are visible to the naked eye. Micro/scopic struc-

tures, such as the alveoli, are visible only through the use of a micro/scope.

Micro/scopic capillaries are visible to the eye through the use of a magnifying

instrument called a /.

120 CHAPTER 4• Respiratory System

Boldfaceindicates a word root or combining form. Blueindicates a suffix. Pinkindicates a prefix.

bronch/o/spasm

BRŎNG-kō-spăzm

bronchi/ectasis

brŏng-kē-ĔK-tă-sĭs

erythr/o/cytes

ĕ-RĬTH-rō-sītz

oxygen

carbon dioxide

micro/scope

MĪ-krō-skōp

bronch/itis

brŏng-KĪ-tĭs

bronch/o/spasm

BRŎNG-kō-spăzm

bronch/o/stenosis

brŏng-kō-stĕn-Ō-sĭs