Respiratory Terms

Front 1

pharynx

Back 1

throat; passageway for food to the esophagus and air to the larynx

Front 2

uvula

Back 2

small projection hanging form the back middle edge of the soft palate, named for its grape-like shape

Front 3

larynx

Back 3

voice box; passageway for air moving from pharynx to trachea; contains vocal cords

Front 4

trachea

Back 4

windpipe; passageway for air form the larynx to the area of the carina where it splits into the right and left bronchus

Front 5

bronchioles

Back 5

progressively smaller tubular branches of the airways

Front 6

alveoli

Back 6

thin-walled microscopic air sacs that exchange gases

Front 7

lungs

Back 7

two spongy organs, located in the thoracic cavity enclosed by the diaphragm and rib cage, responsible for respiration

Front 8

lobes

Back 8

subdivisions of the lung, two on the left and three on the right

Front 9

pleura

Back 9

membranes enclosing the lung (visceral pleura) and lining the thoracic cavity (parietal pleura)

Front 10

diaphragm

Back 10

muscular partition that separates the thoracic cavity form the abdominal cavity and aids in respiration by moving up and down

Front 11

mucous membranes

Back 11

thin sheets of tissue that line the respiratory passages and secret mucus, a viscid (sticky) fluid

Front 12

cilia

Back 12

hair-like processes from the surface of epithelial cells, such as those of the bronchi, that provide upward movement of mucus cell secretions

Front 13

eupnea

Back 13

normal breathing

Front 14

bradypnea

Back 14

slow breathing

Front 15

tachypnea

Back 15

fast breathing

Front 16

hypopnea

Back 16

shallow breathing

Front 17

hyperpnea

Back 17

deep breathing

Front 18

dyspnea

Back 18

difficulty breathing

Front 19

apnea

Back 19

inability to breath

Front 20

orthopnea

Back 20

ability to breath only in an upright position

Front 21

crackles

Back 21

popping sounds heard on auscultation of the lung when air enters diseased airways and alveoli--occurs in disorders such as bronchiectasis or atelectasis

Front 22

rales

Back 22

popping sounds heard on auscultation of the lung when air enters diseased airways and alveoli--occurs in disorders such as bronchiectasis or atelectasis

Front 23

wheezes

Back 23

high-pitched, musical sounds heard on auscultation of the lung as air flows through a narrowed airway—occurs in disorders such as asthma or emphysema

Front 24

rhonchi

Back 24

high-pitched, musical sounds heard on auscultation of the lung as air flows through a narrowed airway—occurs in disorders such as asthma or emphysema

Front 25

dysphonia

Back 25

hoarseness

Front 26

epistaxis

Back 26

nosebleed

Front 27

expectoration

Back 27

coughing up and spitting out of material form the lungs

Front 28

sputum

Back 28

material expelled form the lungs by coughing

Front 29

hemoptysis

Back 29

coughing up and spitting out blood originating in the lungs

Front 30

hypercapnia

Back 30

excessive level of carbon dioxide in the blood

Front 31

hyperventilation

Back 31

excessive movement of air in and out of the lungs causing hypocapnia

Front 32

hypoventilation

Back 32

deficient movement of air in and out of the lungs causing hypercapnia

Front 33

hypoxemia

Back 33

deficient amount of oxygen in the blood

Front 34

hypoxia

Back 34

deficient amount of oxygen in tissue cells

Front 35

pulmonary edema

Back 35

fluid filling of the spaces around the alveoli, eventually flooding into the alveoli

Front 36

pulmonary infiltrate

Back 36

density on an x-ray representing solid material within the air spaces of the lungs, usually indicating inflammatory changes

Front 37

rhinorrhea

Back 37

thin, watery discharge from the nose

Front 38

asthma

Back 38

panting; obstructive pulmonary disease caused by a spasm of the bronchial tubes or by swelling of their mucous membrane, characterized by paroxysmal (sudden, periodic) attacks of wheezing, dyspnea, and cough

Front 39

bronchitis

Back 39

inflammation of the bronchi

Front 40

bronchospasm

Back 40

constriction of bronchi caused by spasm of the peribronchial smooth muscle

Front 41

emphysema

Back 41

obstructive pulmonary disease characterized by over expansion of the alveoli with air, with destructive changes in their walls resulting in loss of lung elasticity and gas exchange

Front 42

cystic fibrosis

Back 42

inherited condition of exocrine gland malfunction causing secretion of abnormally thick, viscous (sticky) mucus that obstructs passageways within the body, commonly affecting the lungs and digestive tract; mucus that obstructs the airways leads to infection, inflammation, and lung tissue damage

Front 43

laryngitis

Back 43

inflammation of the larynx

Front 44

pneumonia

Back 44

inflammation in the lung caused by infection from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, or resulting from aspiration of chemicals

Front 45

pneumothorax

Back 45

air in the pleural cavity caused by a puncture of the lung or chest wall

Front 46

sinusitis

Back 46

inflammation of the sinuses

Front 47

sleep apnea

Back 47

periods of breathing cessation (10 seconds or more) that occur during sleep, often causing snoring

Front 48

tonsillitis

Back 48

acute or chronic inflammation of the tonsils

Front 49

auscultation

Back 49

to listen; physical examination method of listening to the sounds within the body with the aid of a stethoscope, such as auscultation of the chest for heart and lung sounds

Front 50

percussion

Back 50

physical examination method of tapping over the body to elicit vibrations and sounds to estimate the size, border, or fluid content of a cavity such as the chest

Front 51

spirometry

Back 51

portion of pulmonary function testing that is a direct measurement of lung volume and capacity

Front 52

antihistamine

Back 52

drug that neutralizes or inhibits the effects of histamine

Front 53

bronchodilator

Back 53

drug that dilates the muscular walls of the bronchi

Front 54

expectorant

Back 54

drug that breaks up mucus and promotes coughing