Many terms frequently used in science and medicine
are derived from latin words. By combining the root
words with, prefixes and suffixes many of the meanings
of the terms can be deciphered.
Use the following resources to better understand
medical terms:
| sacro-iliac joint
|
synovial joint between the ilium
and the lateral aspect of the upper sacral vertebrae |
| saline |
solution containing sodium chloride |
| saliva |
mixture of water, protein, and salts
that makes food easy to swallow; begins digestion |
| salpingectomy |
surgical removal of one or both
fallopian tubes |
| saturated fat
|
fat found in foods from animal,
skin, dairy and some vegetables |
| scapula |
shoulder blade |
| sciatica |
traditionally defined as pain in
the sciatic nerve, that is caused by pressure
or irritation |
| scotoma |
partial or complete
loss of vision surrounded by an area of normal
vision |
| secretum |
hormone that causes stomach to make pepsin,
liver to make bile and pancreas to make digestive
juices
|
| septal defect
|
hole in the wall of the heart |
| septum |
muscle wall that divides the heart
chambers |
| serum |
clear fluid that separates when
blood clots |
| shunt |
connector that allows blood flow
between two locations |
| sialorrhea |
drooling |
| sigmoid
colon |
lower part of the colon
that empties into the rectum |
| small intestine
|
organ where most of the digestion
occurs; measures about 20 feet includes the duodenum,
jejunum and ileum |
| smooth muscle
|
muscle that performs automatic tasks,
such as constricting blood vessels |
| soft tissue |
typically the ligaments, tendons,
and muscles in the musculoskelatel system |
| spasm |
a conidition in which a muscle or
group of muscles involuntarily contract |
| sphincter |
ring like band of muscle that opens
and closes an opening in the body |
| spine |
a column in the body consisting
of 33 vertebrae |
| spirogram |
record of the amounts of air being
moved in and out of the lungs |
| spleen |
organ lying between the stomach
and diaphragm that stores red blood cells and
filters blood |
| splenectomy |
surgical removal of the spleen |
| spondylosis |
condition of the spine involving
a degenerative process |
| sputum |
mucous from the lungs |
| steatorrhea |
condition in which the body cannot
absorb fat |
| stenosis |
the narrowing or constriction of
a blood vessel or a valve in the heart |
| sternum |
the breastbone |
| stoma |
opening in the abdomen that is created
by an operation |
| stomach |
main organ of digestion which lies
between the esophagus and the small intestine |
| streptokinase |
a clot dissolving medication |
| stress fracture
|
fracture caused by non-traumatic,
cumulative overload on a bone. |
| superior vena
cava |
large vein that returns blood to
the heart from the head and arms |
