SAN PEDRO COLLEGE

Respiratory Therapy Department MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

Charisa Antonette S. Huelva – 2B
BLOOD AND LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
COMBINING FORM MEANING  lymph nodes - many small, oval structures that filter lymph
Blast/o COMBINING Germ,FORMS bud from the lymph vessels; major locations include the cervical,
Chrom/o, chromat/o Color axillary, and inguinal regions
Chyl/o Juice  lymph ducts - collecting channels that carry lymph from the
Cyt/o Cell lymph nodes to the veins
Hem/o, Hemat/o Blood o right lymphatic duct - receives lymph from the right upper
Immun/o Safe part of the body
Lymph/o Clear fluid o thoracic duct - receives lymph from the left side of the
Morph/o Form head, neck, chest, abdomen, left arm, and lower extremities
Myel/o Bone marrow, Spinal Cord Immunity
Phag/o Eat, swallow  immunity - process of disease protection induced by exposure
Plas/o Formation to an antigen
Reticul/o A net  antigen - a substance that, when introduced into the body,
Splen/o Spleen causes the formation of antibodies against it
Thromb/o Clot  antibody - a substance produced by the body that destroys or
Thym/o Thymus gland inactivates an antigen that has entered the body
Blood Fluid  active immunity - a long-lasting immunity that results from
stimulating the body to produce its own antibodies; developed
 plasma - liquid portion of the blood and lymph; contains water,
either naturally, in response to an infection, or artificially, in
response to the administration of a vaccine
ANATOMIC TERMS  passive immunity - a short-lasting immunity that results from
foreign antibodies that are conveyed either naturally, through
proteins, and cellular components (i.e., leukocytes, the placenta to a fetus, or artificially, by injection of a serum
erythrocytes, and platelets) containing antibodies
 serum - liquid portion of the blood that remains after clotting
Cellular Components of the Blood SYMPTOMATIC TERMS
 erythrocyte - red blood cell; transports oxygen and carbon
dioxide Related to Blood
o hemoglobin - the protein-iron compound in erythrocytes that  microcytosis - presence of small red blood cells
transports oxygen and carbon dioxide  macrocytosis - presence of large red blood cells
 leukocyte - white blood cell; protects the body from harmful  anisocytosis - presence of red blood cells of unequal size
invading substances  poikilocytosis - presence of large, irregularly shaped red
o granulocytes - a group of leukocytes containing granules in blood cells
their cytoplasm  reticulocytosis - an increased number of immature
 neutrophil - a granular leukocyte, named for the neutral erythrocytes in the blood
stain of its granules, that fights infection by swallowing  erythropenia - an abnormally reduced number of red blood
bacteria (phagocytosis) cells
 polymorphonuclear leukocyte - another term for  lymphocytopenia - an abnormally reduced number of
neutrophil, referring to the many segments in its nucleus lymphocytes
 eosinophil - a granular leukocyte, named for the rose-  neutropenia - a decreased number of neutrophils
colored stain of its granules, that increases in allergic and  pancytopenia - an abnormally reduced number of all cellular
some infectious reactions components in the blood
 basophil - a granular leukocyte, named for the dark stain  thrombocytopenia - an abnormally decreased number of
of its granules, that brings anticoagulant substances to platelets in the blood, impairing the clotting process
inflamed tissues  hemolysis - breakdown of the red blood cell membrane
o agranulocytes - a group of leukocytes without granules in Related to the Lymphatic System
their nuclei  immunocompromised - impaired immunologic defenses
 lymphocyte - an agranulocytic leukocyte that is active in caused by an immunodeficiency disorder or by therapy with
the process of immunity; the three categories of immunosuppressive agents
lymphocytes are T-cells (thymus-dependent), B-cells  immunosuppression - impaired ability to provide an immune
(bone marrow–derived), and natural killer (nk) cells response
 monocyte - an agranulocytic leukocyte that performs  lymphadenopathy - enlarged (diseased) lymph nodes
phagocytosis to fight infection
 platelets - thrombocytes; cell fragments in the blood that are
essential for blood clotting (coagulation) DIAGNOSTIC TERMS
Lymphatic System: Organs
 thymus - primary gland of the lymphatic system, located within  splenomegaly - enlargement of the spleen
the mediastinum, that helps to maintain the body’s immune  acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - a syndrome caused
response by producing T-lymphocytes by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that renders
 spleen - organ between the stomach and the diaphragm that immune cells ineffective, permitting opportunistic infections,
filters out aging blood cells, removes cellular debris by malignancies, and neurologic diseases to develop; transmitted
performing phagocytosis, and provides an environment for sexually or through contaminated blood
lymphocytes to initiate immune responses  anemia - a condition of reduced numbers of red blood cells,
Structures hemoglobin, or packed red cells in the blood, resulting in a
 lymph - fluid that is circulated through the lymph vessels diminished ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen to the
tissues
 lymph capillaries - microscopic vessels that draw lymph from
o aplastic anemia - a normocytic-normochromic type of
tissues to the lymph vessels
anemia characterized by the failure of bone marrow to
 lymph vessels - vessels that receive lymph from the lymph
produce red blood cells
capillaries and circulate it to the lymph nodes
o iron deficiency anemia - a microcytic-hypochromic type of
o lacteal - specialized lymph vessels in the small intestine that
anemia characterized by a lack of iron that affects the
absorb fat into the bloodstream
production of hemoglobin and is characterized by small red
o chyle - white or pale yellow substance in lymph that contains
blood cells containing low amounts of hemoglobin
fatty substances absorbed by the lacteals
o pernicious anemia - a macrocytic-normochromic type of
anemia characterized by an inadequate supply of vitamin

1|B l o o d and Lymphatic System - Huelva

 SAN PEDRO COLLEGE
Respiratory Therapy Department
Charisa Antonette S. Huelva – 2B
B12, causing red blood cells to become large, varied in
shape, and reduced in number
 autoimmune disease - any disorder characterized by
abnormal function of the immune system that causes the body
to produce antibodies against itself, resulting in tissue
destruction or loss of function; rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
are examples of autoimmune diseases
 erythroblastosis fetalis - a disorder that results from the
incompatibility of a fetus with Rh-positive blood and a mother
with Rh-negative blood, causing red blood cell destruction in
the fetus; a blood transfusion is necessary to save the fetus
 Rh factor - presence or lack of antigens on the surface of red
blood cells, which causes a reaction between Rh-positive blood
and Rh-negative blood
o Rh positive - presence of antigens
o Rh negative - absence of antigens
 hemochromatosis - hereditary disorder with an excessive
buildup of iron deposits in the body
 hemophilia - a group of hereditary bleeding disorders caused
by a defect in clotting factors necessary for the coagulation of
blood
 leukemia - chronic or acute malignant (cancerous) disease of
the blood-forming organs, characterized by abnormal
leukocytes in the blood and bone marrow
o myelodysplasia - disorder within the bone marrow
characterized by a proliferation of abnormal stem cells (cells
that give rise to different types of blood cells); usually
develops into a specific type of leukemia
 lymphoma - any neoplastic disorder of lymph tissue, usually
malignant, as in Hodgkin disease
 metastasis - process by which cancer cells are spread by
blood or lymph circulation to a distant organ; the plural form,
metastases, indicates spreading to two or more distant sites
 mononucleosis - condition caused by the Epstein-Barr virus
and characterized by an increase in mononuclear cells
(monocytes and lymphocytes) in the blood along with enlarged
lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), fatigue, and sore throat
(pharyngitis)
 polycythemia - increased number of erythrocytes and
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND PROCEDURES
hemoglobin in the blood
 septicemia - systemic disease caused by infection with
microorganisms and their toxins in circulating blood
Blood Studies
 phlebotomy, venipuncture - incision into or puncture of a vein
to withdraw blood for testing
 blood chemistry - test of the fluid portion of blood to measure
the amounts of its chemical constituents (e.g., glucose and
cholesterol)
 blood chemistry panels – specialized batteries of automated
blood chemistry tests performed on a single sample of blood;
used as a general screen for disease or to target specific
organs or conditions (e.g., metabolic panel, lipid panel, and
arthritis panel)
 basic metabolic panel (BMP) - battery of tests used as a
general screen for disease; includes tests for calcium, carbon
dioxide (CO2), chloride, creatinine, glucose, potassium,
sodium, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
 comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) - tests performed in
addition to the basic panel for expanded screening: albumin,
bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, protein, alanine
aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
 blood culture - test to determine if infection is present in the
bloodstream by isolating a specimen of blood in an
environment that encourages the growth of microorganisms;
the specimen is observed, and the organisms that grow in the
culture are identified
 CD4 cell count - a measure of the number of CD4 cells (a
subset of T lymphocytes) in the blood; used in monitoring the
course of HIV and in timing the treatment of AIDS; the normal
adult range is 600–1500 cells in a given volume of blood
2|B l o o d and Lymphatic System - Huelva
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
 erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - timed test that
measures the rate at which red blood cells settle through a
volume of plasma
 partial thromboplastin time (PTT) - test to determine
coagulation defects, such as platelet disorders
o thromboplastin - substance present in tissues, platelets,
and leukocytes that is necessary for coagulation
 prothrombin time (PT) - test to measure activity of
prothrombin in the blood
 prothrombin - protein substance in the blood that is essential
to the clotting process
 complete blood count (CBC) - a common laboratory blood
test performed as a screen of general health or for diagnostic
purposes and typically includes the component tests that
follow; test results are usually reported along with normal
values so that the clinician can interpret the results based on
the instrumentation used by the laboratory; normal ranges also
may vary depending on the region and climate
o white blood count (WBC) - a count of the number of white
blood cells in a given volume of blood obtained via manual
or automated laboratory methods
o red blood count (RBC) - a count of the number of red blood
cells in a given volume of blood obtained via manual or
automated laboratory methods
o hemoglobin (HGB or Hgb) - a test to determine the blood
level of hemoglobin
o hematocrit (HCT or Hct) - a measurement of the
percentage of packed red blood cells in a given volume of
blood
 blood indices - calculations of RBC, HGB, and HCT results to
determine the average size, hemoglobin concentration, and
content of red blood cells to classify an anemia
o mean corpuscular volume (MCV) - calculation of the
volume (size) of individual red blood cells using HCT and
RBC results: MCV = HCT/RBC
o mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) - calculation of the
content (weight) of hemoglobin in the average red blood cell
using HGB and RBC results: MCH = HGB/RBC
o mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) -
calculation of the average hemoglobin concentration in each
red blood cell using HGB and HCT results: MCHC =
HGB/HCT
 differential count - determination of the number of each type
of white blood cell (leukocyte) in a stained blood smear; each
type is counted and reported as a percentage of the total
examined
 red cell morphology - as part of identifying and counting the
white blood cells, the condition, size, and shape of red blood
cells in the background of the smeared slide are noted (e.g.,
anisocytosis, poikilocytosis)
 platelet count (PLT) - calculation of the number of
thrombocytes in the blood; the normal adult range is 150,000–
450,000 platelets in a given volume of blood
Bone and Lymph Studies
 bone marrow aspiration - needle aspiration of bone marrow
tissue for pathologic examination
 bone marrow biopsy - pathologic examination of bone
marrow tissue
 lymphangiogram - an x-ray image of a lymph node or vessel
obtained after injection of a contrast medium
Diagnostic Imaging
 computed tomography (CT) - full body x-ray CT images are
used to detect tumors and cancers such as lymphoma
 positron-emission tomography (PET) - scanning technique
combining nuclear medicine and computed tomography
 SAN PEDRO COLLEGE
Respiratory Therapy Department MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
Charisa Antonette S. Huelva – 2B

OPERATIVE TERMS

technology to produce images of anatomy and metabolic

function within the body; useful in determining the recurrence of
cancers or to measure response to therapy; commonly used in
evaluating lymphoma
 bone marrow transplant - transplantation of healthy bone
marrow from a compatible donor to a diseased recipient to
stimulate blood cell production
 lymphadenectomy - removal of a lymph node
 lymphadenotomy - incision into a lymph node

THERAPEUTIC TERMS

 lymph node dissection - removal of possible cancer-carrying

lymph nodes for pathologic examination
 splenectomy - removal of the spleen
 thymectomy - removal of the thymus gland
 blood transfusion - introduction of blood products into the
circulation of a recipient whose blood volume is reduced or
deficient in some manner
o autologous blood - blood donated by and stored for a
patient for future personal use (e.g., upcoming surgery)
o homologous blood - blood voluntarily donated by any
person for transfusion to a compatible recipient
o blood component therapy - transfusion of a specific blood
component, such as packed red blood cells, platelets, or
plasma
o cross-matching - method of matching a donor’s blood to
the recipient by mixing a sample in a test tube to determine
compatibility
 chemotherapy - treatment of malignancies, infections, and
other diseases with chemical agents to destroy selected cells
or to impair their ability to reproduce
 immunotherapy - use of biologic agents to prevent or treat
disease by stimulating the body’s own defense mechanisms,
as seen in the treatment of AIDS, cancer, or allergy
 plasmapheresis - removal of plasma from the body with
separation and extraction of specific elements (e.g., platelets)
followed by reinfusion
Common Therapeutic Drug Classifications
 anticoagulant - a drug that prevents clotting of the blood
 hemostatic - a drug that stops the flow of blood within the
vessels
 vasoconstrictor - a drug that causes a narrowing of blood
vessels, thereby decreasing blood flow
 vasodilator - a drug that causes dilation of blood vessels,
thereby increasing blood flow

3|B l o o d and Lymphatic System - Huelva