Medical Terminology - Chapter 6: Blood and Lymphatic Systems (PT702)

23 flashcards · Biology · by Jack Shi

COMBINING FORMS blast/o (also a suffix, -blast) = germ or bud chrom/o, chromat/o = color chyl/o = juice cyt/o = cell hem/o, hemat/o = blood immun/o = safe lymph/o = clear fluid morph/o = form myel/o = bone marrow or spinal cord phag/o = eat or swallow plas/o = formation reticul/o = a net splen/o = spleen thromb/o = clot thym/o = thymus gland
The combining form meaning germ or bud is blast/o, as in the term blastogenesis, which refers to the origin or production of cells by budding. The suffix from this combining form is -blast. Hemocytoblasts (a term formed from the combination of -blast with cyt/o, meaning cell, and hem/o meaning blood) are the primitive stem cells in the bone marrow that develop into blood cells. An erythroblast develops into an erythrocyte, or a red blood cell.
The combining form chrom/o or chromat/o means color. For example, chromone refers to plant pigments. Recall that the suffix -ism means condition of; therefore, chromatism is a condition of abnormal pigmentation.
The combining form chyl/o means juice or fluid. Chyle is a pale yellow fluid from the intestine that is carried by the lymphatic system. The suffix -emia refers to a blood condition; thus, chylemia means the presence of chyle in the blood.
Hematology, a term made from the combining form hemat/o, meaning blood, is the medical study of the blood. Another combining form for blood is hem/o, as in hemostat, which is an agent or device that stops the flow of blood from a vessel. Recall that the suffix -poiesis means formation. Therefore, hemopoiesis refers to the process of formation and development of various types of blood cells.
The combining form meaning safe is immun/o. The immune system helps to keep the body safe from infectious disease. Both the blood and lymphatic systems are involved in the immune system. Someone whose immune system has been compromised by disease is said to be immunocompromised.
The combining form lymph/o means clear fluid. Lymph is a clear fluid, collected from body tissues, that flows through lymphatic vessels and, eventually, into the venous blood circulation. Using the suffix that means tumor, a neoplasm of the lymphatic system is called a lymphoma.
The combining form phag/o means eat or swallow. The suffix -cyte refers to a cell. A phagocyte therefore is a cell that eats bacteria, foreign particles, and other cells. Using the suffix -osis, which generally means increase or condition of, phagocytosis is the process or condition of phagocytes ingesting other solid substances.
Plas/o is a combining form meaning formation. Using the prefix a-, meaning without, and the suffix -ia, meaning condition of, aplasia is a condition in which a formation (tissue or organ) is absent or defective.
Morph/o is a combining form meaning form. Combined with -logy, the suffix meaning study of, morphology is the study of form, including the size and shape of a specimen, such as blood cells.
The combining form referring to either bone marrow or the spinal cord is myel/o. Bone marrow is the tissue within the cavities of bones, where many types of blood cells are produced. Combined with cyt/o, which is the combining form meaning cell, a myelocyte is an immature blood cell in the bone marrow.
Reticul/o is a combining form meaning a net. A network of substances influences the development of red blood cells from a primitive erythroblast (red bud or germ) to a reticulocyte (from the combining form meaning a net). Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells, or erythrocytes.
The spleen is a key organ of the lymphatic system. It filters the blood and performs other functions. The combining form for spleen is splen/o. Recalling that the suffix -megaly means enlargement, splenomegaly is an enlarged spleen. Use the common suffix for excision or removal to construct the word that means the removal of the spleen: splenectomy.
Thrombocytes are blood cells that function to clot the blood. The combining form meaning clot is thromb/o. A thrombus is a blood clot inside a blood vessel.
The thymus is a gland in the lymphatic system; the term comes from the combining form thym/o. A tumor of thymus tissue is called a thymoma.
CELLULAR COMPONENTS OF THE BLOOD erythrocyte = red blood cell; transports oxygen and carbon dioxide hemoglobin = the protein-iron compound in erythrocytes that transports oxygen and carbon dioxide leukocyte = white blood cell; protects the body from harmful invading substances
SYMPTOMATIC TERMS RELATED TO BLOOD erythropenia = an abnormally reduced number of red blood cells lymphocytopenia = an abnormally reduced number of lymphocytes neutropenia = a decreased number of neutrophils thrombocytopenia = an abnormally decreased number of platelets in the blood, impairing the clotting process
SYMPTOMATIC TERMS RELATED TO THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM lymphadenopathy = enlarged (diseased) lymph nodes splenomegaly = enlargement of the spleen
DIAGNOSTIC TERMS anemia = a condition of reduced numbers of red blood cells, hemoglobin, or packed red cells in the blood, resulting in a diminished ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen to the tissues leukemia = chronic or acute malignant (cancerous) disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by abnormal leukocytes in the blood and bone marrow myelodysplasia = disorder within the bone marrow characterized by a proliferation of abnormal stem cells (cells that give rise to diffe…
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AIDS = acquired immunodeficiency syndrome BUN = blood urea nitrogen CBC = complete blood count CMP = comprehensive metabolic panel ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate HCT or Hct = hematocrit HGB or Hgb = hemoglobin HIV = human immunodeficiency virus PT = prothrombin time PTT = partial thromboplastin time RBC = red blood cell; red blood count WBC = white blood cell; white blood count
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND PROCEDURES phlebotomy or venipuncture = incision into or puncture of a vein to withdraw blood for testing
Blood studies are tests performed with samples of blood. The blood sample, often drawn by a phlebotomist, is obtained through a needle puncture (or incision) of a vein, which is called a venipuncture or a phlebotomy. Recall that the suffix -tomy refers to an incision.
REMOVAL lymphadenectomy = removal of a lymph node splenectomy = removal of the spleen plasmapheresis = removal of plasma from the body with separation and extraction of specific elements (e.g., platelets) followed by reinfusion (apheresis = a withdrawal)