"The Anatomy of Medical Terminology"
by Lewis Stiles

CHAPTER 5: CIRCULATORY and LYMPHATIC SYSTEMS; GLANDS


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A. COMBINING FORMS

i. CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

1.  hem(at)/o (haem-)    (hemorrhage)       blood

    x-(h)em/ia                              the abnormal presence 
                                            of blood in x

2.  sangu/in/o, sangu/i  (sanguine)         blood

3.  hem/o/glob/in/o      (globe)            hemoglobin

4.  plasm(at)/o, plasm/a (plastic)          plasma

5.  thromb/o             (thromboid)        clot               thromb/us

6.  thromb/o/cyt/o       ("clot cell")      blood platelet

7.  sphygm/o             (sphygmometer)     pulse

8.  card(i)/o            (cardiac)          heart

9.  aort/o, aort/ic/o    ("hanger")         aorta              aort/a

10. valv(ul)/o           ("door-leaf")      valve            valv(/ul)/a

11. ventr/i/cul/o        ("little belly")   ventricle     ventr/i/cul/us

12. peri/card(i)/o       (perimeter)        pericardium    peri/cardi/um

13. my/o/card(i)/o       (heart muscle)     myocardium     my/o/cardi/um

14. angi/o (angei-)      (angiogram)        vessel

15. vas/o, vas/cul/o     (vase)             vessel             vas

16. arter(i)/o           ("air-pipe")       artery             arteri/a

17. phleb/o              (phlebitis)        vein

18. ven/o                (vehicle)          vein               ven/a

19. cap/ill/ar/o         ("hair")           capillary

20. varic/o              (varicose)         varix              varix

21. cirs/o                                  varix
ii. LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
22. lymph/o, lymphat/o   (limpid)           lymph              lympha

23. lymph/angi/o         (angi/o)           lymph vessel

24. lymph/aden/o         (aden/o)           lymph node        lymph/aden

25. splen/o              (splenetic)        spleen

26. lien/o               ("milt")           spleen             lien
iii. GLANDS
27. (endo)crin/o         (endocrine)        secretion

28. hormon/o             ("urger")          hormone

29. aden/o               (adenoid)          gland

30. gland/ul/o           ("little acorn")   gland             gland/ul/a

31. pine/al/o            (pinecone)         pineal gland

32. hypo/phys(e)/o       (physiology)       pituitary       hypo/phys/is
                                              gland 

33. par/ot(id)/o         (ot/o)             parotid gland

34. thyr(oid)/o          ("shield-like")    thyroid gland

35. para/thyr/o,                            parathyroid gland
      para/thyr/oid/o

36. thym/o               (thyme [?])        thymus             thym/us

37. ad/ren/o,            (renal)            adrenal gland
      ad/ren/al/o

38. supra/ren/o,                            adrenal gland
      supra/ren/al/o

39. insul/o              (insular)          islets of          insul/ae
                                              Langerhans 

40. gonad/o              (genesis)          gonad
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B. NOTES

i. SUBSTANCES

a. Consider the word "hematocele." The two possible translations you might generate ("the protrusion of blood" and "the protrusion of something through the blood") do not make sense. In fact the translation is "the protrusion of something, involving blood." Two formulas should be learned, which are applicable where "S" is a substance.

    (i) S-o-cele         the protrusion of something, involving S

    (ii) S-o-x-o-cele    the protrusion of (something through) x, 
                              involving S
Other combinations involving a verbal termination and a substance should be examined carefully, as they can often be translated in similar ways.

b. On the analogy of words like "rhinencephalon" (see Chapter 4 Note i.b. above), you would translate "hemat/encephal/on" as "the part of the brain involving blood." In fact, the correct translation is "a collection of blood in the brain." The following formula applies to compounds consisting of a substance (S), an organ or part (x) and a nominative ending (N).

    S-o-x-N a            collection of S in x
On apparent exceptions to this rule, see the Introduction, page 8 above.

ii. GLANDS

a. In the case of glands, the normally unpredictable noun ending "-ism" (1.A.i.d.) functions in a predictable way, according to the following formula, wherein "G" is a gland.

    G-ism               a condition caused by the malfunction of G
b. When a base denoting a gland is followed by a termination with a verbal idea in it, the word so formed usually refers to a secretion from the gland in question. Study the following examples.
    thyropenia          a deficiency of secretion from the thyroid gland

    adrenostatic        pertaining to the stopping of secretions from 
                              the adrenal gland
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iii. COMMON SENSE

a. At one level of meaning, "x-(h)em/ia" (1 above) means "an abnormal condition of blood and x." In practice the condition described will usually be, more specifically, "the abnormal presence of blood in x."

(i) Words like "thrombocyt/hem/ia" are exceptions. "The abnormal presence of blood in platelets" does not make sense, because platelets are themselves a component of blood; a better translation would therefore be "the abnormal presence of platelets in the blood." Such exceptions are easy to determine, according to the following formula.

     x-(h)em/ia         the abnormal presence of blood in x
                        (where blood can be in x)

                        the abnormal presence of x in the blood
                        (where blood cannot be in x)
(ii) Note that "x-(h)em/ic," which you would expect to translate as "pertaining to blood and x," is regularly translated as if it meant "pertaining to "x-(h)em/ia."

b. The form "x-o-plast/ic" is usually translated "pertaining to the surgical repairing of x," as if it meant "pertaining to x-o-plast/y" (1.54), but you should remember that it can also mean "pertaining to x-o-plas/ia" (1.45). Thus common sense will tell you that, for example, "hemat/o/plast/ic" is "pertaining to the formation [plas/ia] of blood" and not "pertaining to the surgical repairing [plast/y] of blood."

c. Notice the translations of the following terms, in which additions must be made for the sake of sense.

    rhinodacryolith      a calculus involving tears, in the nose

    hemolysoid           resembling something which disintegrates blood
d. Because platelets are normally found in the blood, the example given at a. above makes more sense if an addition and a reversal of words are made in translation.
    thrombocyt/hem/ia    the presence of an abnormal number of platelets 
                              in the blood
e. "Conjunctivodacryostomy," translated above (Chapter 4, Exercise 29b) as "the making of an opening in the tear sac and conjunctiva," is more precisely "the making of an opening between the tear sac and conjunctiva." In fact, the following formula applies when "x" and "z" are both organs or bodily parts capable of being connected.
    x-o-z-ostomy         the making of an opening between z and x
f. Occasionally in Medical Terminology words will persist despite advances in knowledge that make them illogical. "Lymph/aden" (24 above), for example, could be translated as "a gland [29 above] pertaining to lymph," presumably because what we now call "lymph nodes" were originally (but erroneously) thought to be glands.

g. The word "capill/ar/y" (19 above), as its ending shows, is actually an adjective even though it is used as a noun. Such words, very rare in Medical Terminology, are discussed in Chapter 11 (Note i.b.) below.

h. "Haem-" and "angei-" (1 and 14 above) are variant spellings, rarely found.

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iv. THE COMBINING VOWEL

a. For the absence of a combining vowel between the two bases in the forms "lymph/angi/o" and "lymph/aden/o" (23 and 24 above), see Chapter 2 Note iv.b. above.

b. Notice that the combining vowel is sometimes omitted before a combining form beginning with the letter "o." This is really a special case of coalescence, as the following example shows.

    hemat/o
    +     oste/on = hematosteon
c. For the combining vowel in "sangu/i" (2 above), see Chapter 3 Note ii.e. above; an extremely rare use of "-a-" as a combining vowel is seen in "plasm/a" (4 above).

v. COALESCENCE

The addition of "-ize" (1.1) to "-lysis" (1.66) gives a coalesced suffix "-lyze." Thus "hemolyze" ("to disintegrate blood") can be analyzed as follows.

    hem/o/lys- 
    +     iz/e = hemolyze
vi. NOMINA ANATOMICA

a. Note iii. in Chapter 3 and Note ii. in Chapter 4 should be reviewed.

b. NEUTER SINGULAR NOMINATIVES

(i) Most neuter singular nouns are formed by adding the inflectional ending "-um" (1.84) to a base. "Ligament/um," for example, is the Latin word for "ligament" and is thus made from the combining form "ligament/o" (3.48). Neuters made by adding "-on" (1.85) are originally Greek words, borrowed into Latin.

(ii) Neuter singular adjective endings are those in Chapter 1, 2-10 and 86, which terminate in "-um" (like the nouns) and "-e."

(iii) The following Latin phrases, exhibiting neuter nouns and adjectives in the nominative singular, are occasionally used in English.

    punct/um caec/um blind point (= "blind spot")

    membr/um vir/il/e         male member (= "penis")

    magn/um mysteri/um        great mystery

    summ/um bon/um            highest good
(iv) Study the following Medical terms and their definitions carefully.
    ligament/um cost/o/xiphoid/e/um   a ligament pertaining to the 
                                         xiphoid process and a rib

    ligament/um calcane/o/fibul/ar/e  a ligament pertaining to the 
                                         fibula and calcaneus

    ligament/um umbilic/al/e          a ligament pertaining to the navel

    gangli/on cervic/o/thorac/ic/um   a ganglion pertaining to the chest 
                                         and neck

    gangli/on cili/ar/e               a ganglion pertaining to the 
                                         ciliary body
c. The following chart should be memorized.
_______________________________________________________________________
|                      |                                               |
|     GRAMMATICAL      |         EXAMPLE WORDS AND PHRASES             |
|     CATEGORIES       |_______________________________________________|               
|                      |                |           ADJECTIVES         |
|______________________|                |------------------------------|
|           |          |     NOUNS      |  1.3-4, 7-10  |   1.2, 5-6   |
|  GENDER   | NUMBER   |                |  (-us type)   |  (-is type)  |
|___________|__________|________________|_______________|______________|
|           |          |                |               |              |
| MASCULINE | Singular |   muscul/us    |  cardi/ac/us  | cervic/al/is |
|___________|__________|________________|_______________|______________|
|           |          |                |               |              |
| FEMININE  | Singular |    ven/a       |  cardi/ac/a   | cervic/al/is |
|___________|__________|________________|_______________|______________|
|           |          |                |               |              |
| NEUTER    | Singular |  ligament/um   |  cardi/ac/um  | cervic/al/e  |
|___________|__________|________________|_______________|______________|
d. APPARENTLY IRREGULAR NOMINATIVE SINGULARS

(i) Some nominative singulars consist of the base with no ending added to it. Examples in this chapter are "vas" (15), "lymphaden" (24) and "lien" (26); such words are usually neuter.

(ii) "Plasma" (4) and "lympha" (22) are Greek nouns; see Chapter 4 Note ii.d.(iii) above.

(iii) Since the islets of Langerhans are rarely, if ever, referred to individually, "insul/ae" (39) is actually a nominative plural (the forms of which are presented in Chapter 6 below).

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C. EXERCISES

i. Divide and define.

1a. hematosteon         1b. hematocytopenia       1c. hematomyelitis

1d. hematotympanum      1e. hematomphalocele      1f. hemorrhagenic

1g. hematinogen         1h. hemostat

1i. hematinemia         1j. hemophthalmus

2a. sanguinopoietic     2b. sanguineous

3a. hemoglobinemia      3b. hemoglobinolysis (diagnostic)

4a. plasmacytosis       4b. plasmatherapy         4c. plasmotropic

5a. thrombogenic        5b. thrombokinetics

5c. thromboplastic      5d. thrombotic

6a. thrombocytopathic   6b. hemorrhagic thrombocythemia

7a. sphygmocardiograph  7b. sphygmometroscope

8a. cardiagra           8b. cardiectasis          8c. cardiodynia

8d. cardiopericarditis  8e. cardioptosis          8f. cardiovalvulotome

9a. aortorrhaphy        9b. aortosclerosis

l0a. valvuloplasty      10b. valvula lymphatica   10c. valvula venosa

11a. ventriculomyotomy  11b. ventriculovenostomy

12a. pericardiocentesis 12b. pericardiostomy

13a. myocarditic        13b. myocardosis

14a. angiectatic        14b. angiectopia

14c. angiodystrophia    14d. angiospastic

15a. vasculolymphatic   15b. vasotropic

15c. vas capillare      15d. vas lymphaticum

15e. vas sanguineum     15f. vas nervosum
        retinale

16a. arterionecrosis    16b. arteriorrhexis       16c. arteriovenous

16d. arteriostosis      16e. arteria brachialis   16f. arteria iliaca

17a. phlebolith         17b. phlebophlebostomy    17c. phlebothrombosis

18a. venous             18b. vena lienalis        18c. vena muscularis

18d. vena               18e. vena thyroidea
     thoracoacromialis

19a. capillarectasia    19b. lymphatic capillary  19c. capillaroscopy

20a. varicoid           20b. varix lymphaticus    20c. varicocelectomy

21a. cirsectomy         21b. cirsophthalmia

22a. lymphatogenous     22b. lymphocythemia

22c. lymphorrhea        22d. lymphedema           22e. lymphostasis

23a. lymphangiophlebitis                          23b. lymphangiectatic

24a. lymphadenocele     24b. dermatopathic lymphadenopathy

25a. splenemia          25b. splenolymphatic      25c. splenomyelogenous

25d. splenoptosis       25e. splenorrhagia

26a. lienal             26b. lienomyelomalacia

27a. endocrinasthenic   27b. endocrinotherapy

27c. endocrinotropic    27d. crinin

28a. hormonopoiesis     28b. hormonopexic

29a. adenalgia          29b. adenocyte            29c. adenomalacia

29d. adenomegaly        29e. adenosclerosis

30a. glandulous         30b. glandula tympanica   30c. glandula 
                                                         lacrimalis

31a. pinealocyte        31b. pinealism

32a. hypophyseotropic   32b. hypophysectomize

33a. parotitic          33b. parotin

34a. thyrochondrotomy   34b. thyrocardiac    34c. thyroparathyroidectomy

34d. thyrolytic         34e. thyroidism
       (diagnostic)

35a. parathyroidopathy  35b. parathyroidin

36a. thymocyte          36b. thymin

37a. adrenalism         37b. adrenokinetic        37c. adrenalinogenesis

38a. suprarenotropic    38b. suprarenopathy

39a. insulinopenic      39b. insulinemia 

40a. gonadotropin       40b. gonadectomize
ii. For Optional Exercises, see the Introduction, page 13 above.

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D. ANSWER KEY

1a. hemat/oste/on; a collection of blood in a bone

1b. hemat/o/cyt/o/pen/ia; a deficiency of cells of the blood

1c. hemat/o/myel/it/is; the inflammation of the spinal cord, involving blood

1d. hemat/o/tympan/um ; a collection of blood in the middle ear

1e. hemat/omphal/o/cel/e; the protrusion of the navel, involving blood

1f. hem/o/rrhag-/o/gen/ic; producing the rapid flowing of blood

1g. hemat/in/o/gen; a substance which produces a substance of blood; 

1h. hem/o/stat; an instrument for stopping the flowing of blood

1i. hemat/in/em/ia; the presence of an abnormal amount of a substance of blood
               in the blood

1j. hem/ophthalm/us; a collection of blood in the eye

2a. sangu/in/o/poi/et/ic; p.t. the formation of blood

2b. sangu/in/e/ous; p.t. the blood

3a. hem/o/glob/in/em/ia; the presence of an abnormal amount of hemoglobin in
               the blood

3b. hem/o/glob/in/o/lys/is; the disintegration of hemoglobin

4a. plasm/a/cyt/os/is; an abnormal condition involving the cells of the plasma

4b. plasm/a/therap/y; treatment by means of plasma

4c. plasm/o/trop/ic; preferentially affecting plasma

5a. thromb/o/gen/ic; producing clots

5b. thromb/o/kin/et/ic/s; the science of the movement of clots

5c. thromb/o/plast/ic; p.t. the formation of clots

5d. thromb/ot/ic; p.t. an abnormal condition involving clots

6a. thromb/o/cyt/o/path/ic; p.t. a disease of blood platelets

6b. hem/o/rrhag/ic thromb/o/cyt/hem/ia; the presence of an abnormal number of
               blood platelets in the blood, p.t. the rapid flowing of blood

7a. sphygm/o/cardi/o/graph; an instrument for recording the heart and pulse

7b. sphygm/o/metr/o/scop/e; an instrument for examining and measuring the pulse

8a. cardi/agr/a; gouty pain in the heart

8b. cardi/ec/tas/is; the distention of the heart

8c. cardi/odyn/ia; pain in the heart

8d. cardi/o/peri/card/it/is; the inflammation of the pericardium and heart

8e. cardi/o/pt/os/is; the downward displacement of the heart

8f. cardi/o/valvul/o/tom/e; an instrument for cutting the valves of the heart

9a. aort/o/rrhaph/y; the suturing of the aorta

9b. aort/o/scler/os/is; the hardening of the aorta

l0a. valv/ul/o/plast/y; the surgical repairing of a valve

10b. valv/ul/a lymphat/ic/a; a valve p.t. lymph

10c. valv/ul/a ven/os/a; a valve p.t. a vein

11a. ventr/i/cul/o/my/o/tom/y; the cutting of the muscles of a ventricle

11b. ventr/i/cul/o/ven/o/stom/y; the making of an opening between a vein and
               a ventricle

12a. peri/cardi/o/cent/es/is; the surgical puncturing of the pericardium

12b. peri/cardi/o/stom/y; the making of an opening in the pericardium

13a. my/o/card/it/ic; p.t. the inflammation of the myocardium

13b. my/o/card/os/is; an abnormal condition involving the myocardium

14a. angi/ec/tat/ic; p.t. the distention of a vessel

14b. angi/ec/top/ia; the displacement of a vessel

14c. angi/o/dys/troph/ia; the defective growth of a vessel

14d. angi/o/spast/ic; p.t. a spasm of a vessel

15a. vas/cul/o/lymphat/ic; p.t. lymph vessels

15b. vas/o/trop/ic; preferentially affecting vessels

15c. vas cap/ill/ar/e; a vessel p.t. capillaries

15d. vas lymphat/ic/um; a vessel p.t. lymph

15e. vas sangu/in/e/um retin/al/e; a vessel p.t. blood and the retina

15f. vas nerv/os/um; a vessel p.t. nerves

16a. arteri/o/necr/os/is; the death of an artery

16b. arteri/o/rrhex/is; the rupturing of an artery

16c. arteri/o/ven/ous; p.t. the veins and arteries

16d. arteri/ost/os/is ; the ossification of an artery

16e. arteri/a brachi/al/is; an artery p.t. the arm

16f. arteri/a ili/ac/a; an artery p.t. the ilium

17a. phleb/o/lith; a calculus in a vein

17b. phleb/o/phleb/o/stom/y; the making of an opening between two parts of
               a vein 

17c. phleb/o/thromb/os/is; an abnormal condition involving clots in a vein

18a. ven/ous; p.t. a vein

18b. ven/a lien/al/is; a vein p.t. the spleen

18c. ven/a mus/cul/ar/is; a vein p.t. a muscle

18d. ven/a thorac/o/acromi/al/is; a vein p.t. the acromion and chest

18e. ven/a thyr/oid/e/a; a vein p.t. the thyroid gland

19a. cap/ill/ar/ec/tas/ia; the distention of a capillary

19b. lymphat/ic cap/ill/ar/y ; a capillary p.t. lymph

19c. cap/ill/ar/o/scop/y; the examination of the capillaries

20a. varic/oid; resembling a varix

20b. varix lymphat/ic/us ; a varix p.t. lymph

20c. varic/o/cel/ec/tom/y; the cutting out of a protrusion involving a varix

21a. cirs/ec/tom/y; the cutting out of a varix

21b. cirs/ophthalm/ia; an abnormal condition of the eye, involving a varix

22a. lymphat/o/gen/ous; produced by the lymph

22b. lymph/o/cyt/hem/ia; the abnormal presence of cells of lymph in the blood

22c. lymph/o/rrhe/a; the flowing of lymph

22d. lymph/edema; the swelling of something involving lymph

22e. lymph/o/stas/is; the stopping of the flowing of lymph

23a. lymph/angi/o/phleb/it/is; the inflammation of the veins and lymph vessels

23b. lymph/angi/ec/tat/ic; p.t. the distention of lymph vessels

24a. lymph/aden/o/cel/e; the protrusion of a lymph node

24b. dermat/o/path/ic lymph/aden/o/path/y; a disease of the lymph nodes,
               p.t. a disease of the skin

25a. splen/em/ia; the abnormal presence of blood in the spleen

25b. splen/o/lymphat/ic; p.t. the lymph and spleen

25c. splen/o/myel/o/gen/ous; produced by the bone marrow and spleen

25d. splen/o/pt/os/is; the downward displacement of the spleen

25e. splen/o/rrhag/ia; the rapid flowing of something from the spleen

26a. lien/al; p.t. the spleen

26b. lien/o/myel/o/malac/ia; the softening of the bone marrow and spleen

27a. endo/crin/a/sthen/ic; p.t. the lack of strength of glandular secretions

27b. endo/crin/o/therap/y ; treatment by means of secretions

27c. endo/crin/o/trop/ic; preferentially affecting secretion

27d. crin/in; a substance involved in secretion

28a. hormon/o/poi/es/is; the formation of hormones

28b. hormon/o/pex/ic; p.t. the fixation of hormones

29a. aden/alg/ia; pain in a gland 

29b. aden/o/cyt/e ; a cell of a gland

29c. aden/o/malac/ia; the softening of a gland

29d. aden/o/megal/y ; the enlargement of a gland

29e. aden/o/scler/os/is; the hardening of a gland

30a. gland/ul/ous; p.t. a gland

30b. gland/ul/a tympan/ic/a; a gland p.t. the middle ear

30c. gland/ul/a lacrim/al/is; a gland p.t. tears

31a. pine/al/o/cyt/e ; a cell of the pineal gland

31b. pine/al/ism; a condition caused by the malfunction of the pineal gland

32a. hypo/phys/e/o/trop/ic; preferentially affecting the pituitary gland

32b. hypo/phys/ec/tom/iz/e; to cut out the pituitary gland

33a. par/ot/it/ic; p.t. the inflammation of the parotid gland

33b. par/ot/in; a substance of the parotid gland

34a. thyr/o/chondr/o/tom/y; the cutting of a cartilage of the thyroid gland

34b. thyr/o/cardi/ac; p.t. the heart and thyroid gland

34c. thyr/o/para/thyr/oid/ec/tom/y; the cutting out of the parathyroid and
               thyroid glands

34d. thyr/o/lyt/ic; p.t. the disintegration of the thyroid gland

34e. thyr/oid/ism; a condition caused by the malfunction of the thyroid gland

35a. para/thyr/oid/o/path/y; a disease of the parathyroid gland

35b. para/thyr/oid/in; a substance of the parathyroid gland

36a. thym/o/cyt/e; a cell of the thymus

36b. thym/in; a substance of the thymus

37a. ad/ren/al/ism ; a condition caused by the malfunction of the adrenal
               glands

37b. ad/ren/o/kin/et/ic; p.t. the movement of secretions from the adrenal
               glands

37c. ad/ren/al/in/o/gen/es/is; the production of a substance of the adrenal
               glands

38a. supra/ren/o/trop/ic; preferentially affecting the adrenal glands

38b. supra/ren/o/path/y; a disease of the adrenal glands

39a. insul/in/o/pen/ic; p.t. a deficiency of a substance of the islets of
               Langerhans 

39b. insul/in/em/ia; the presence of an abnormal amount of a substance of the
               islets of Langerhans in the blood

40a. gonad/o/trop/in; a substance which preferentially affects the gonads

40b. gonad/ec/tom/iz/e; to cut out the gonads
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