Posts tagged words
Born in 1707, Carl Linnaeus would rise to such a level of greatness that the philosopher Jean-Jaques Rousseau once said “Tell him I know no greater man on earth,” and was heralded by many of his contemporaries and apostles as Princeps botanicorum - the Prince of Botany. This praise was not without merit: he’s the reason we name almost everything in biology the way that we do. Prior to Linnaeus, the science dealing with naming, organizing, and classifying organisms, called taxonomy, was a disorganized and confusingly complex mess. The word taxonomy is derived from an irregularly-conjugated Ancient Greek word taxis which means arrangement, and the Ancient Greek suffix -nomia, derived from the Ancient Greek word nemein, meaning to manage.
Linnaeus had a passion for botany, and while he went to school to study medicine, his long-term goals always included learning about plants. At 25, he won a grant to travel to Lapland and document the local flora and fauna. While there, he began to classify the flowers he found with what we now know as the bionomial classification system - from the Latin bi, meaning two, and nominus meaning name. Prior to this system, species were given long, many-worded descriptive names, and there were several competing outlines for classifying plants and animals into groups, none of which were particularly accurate or helpful to a scientist not intimate with the specific branch of biology the outline was designed for.
The binomial classification system uses two identifiers for a species - the “generic name” (also known as its genus), and the “specific” name (also known as the species). Linnaeus introduced this system in his book Systema naturae, first published in 1735. Even though the first edition was basic and just twelve pages long, it introduced to the scientific community a system that was simple, understandable, easy to remember, and easy to add new species to. Throughout his life, Linnaeus and his apostles continued work on Systema naturae, and by its 10th Edition in 1758, it classified over 4400 species of animals, and 7700 species of plants.Portrait of Carl Linneaus by Hendrik Hollander, 1853, in the public domain.
Image from Haeckel’s Tree of Life in the public domain.
Guest post for Kids Need Science.
Bottom: Short Beaked Echidna [right] (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and Western Long-Beaked Echidna [left] (Zaglossus bruijni)
Center Left: Starfish (Echinodermata spp.)
Center Right: Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Top: Echidna (mythological)
Originally, “Echidna” was a Greek mythological figure, a monstrous snake-like creature, and the mother of Cerberus, the Chimera, the Gorgon, and more. Her name roughly translates to “she-snake”, and the monotreme known as the echidna is cited in many sources as being named after her.
However, it is becoming more accepted these days that the echidna has the same etymological origins as the Greek term “ekhinus”, or “sea-urchin/porcupine [spine-skinned]”. Though similar-sounding, “ekhidna” and “ekhinos” have distinct etymological histories, and should be recognized as different terms.
It’s unknown if “ekhinus” originally referred to the sea-urchin or the hedgehog/porcupine, but the use of the term in reference to Echinaceae (coneflowers) is a direct reference to the spiny nature of the sea-urchin.
Today is the birthday of Irish Chemist Thomas Andrews, born to a linen merchant in Belfast Ireland in 1815. Andrews was the first scientist to understand and demonstrate that ozone is a form (O3) of oxygen. Ozone is known for its peculiar smell-humans can discern the presence of Ozone in concentrations of as little as ten parts per billion in the air. This unusual property gave ozone its name, which comes from the Ancient Greek word ὄζειν (ozein) meaning to smell. The word was coined by Christian Friedrich Schöenbein with his discovery in 1840. Schöenbein recognized that the peculiar smell after lightning strikes was due to ozone.
Image of the ozone hole courtesy NASA, in the public domain. See a very short animation of the changing size of the hole here.
I totally remember joking about that in my medical terminology class, but it completely slipped my mind - thanks for the reminder!
Medical Terminology: Deglutition (dē´glootish´n)
noun (swallowing):
Defined as a succession of muscular contractions from above downward or from the front backward; propels food from the oral cavity toward the stomach.
- The action is generally initiated at the lips; it proceeds back through the oral cavity, and the food is moved automatically along the dorsum of the tongue.
- When the food is ready for swallowing, it is passed back through the fauces.
- Once the food is beyond the fauces and in the pharynx, the soft palate closes off the nasopharynx, and the hyoid bone and larynx are elevated upward and forward. This action keeps food out of the larynx and dilates the esophageal opening so that the food may be passed quickly toward the stomach by peristaltic contractions.
The separation between the voluntary and involuntary characteristics of this wave of contractions is not sharply defined. At birth the process is already well established as a highly coordinated activity, i.e., the swallowing reflex.
[Mosby’s Dental Dictionary, 2nd edition. © 2008 Elsevier, Inc.]
Unusual etymology: Afrikaans Origin
Afrikaans is a language derived from Cape Dutch, originally spoken by the Dutch farmers (Boers) living in South Africa. As the farmers established themselves in the Transvaal and Orange Free State, they encountered wildlife not known in the British-controlled Cape Colony, and gave several species common names that are still used today.
While scientific nomenclature for these species is still derived from Greek and Latin, the names that most of us know them by are derived from (or directly pulled from) Afrikaans.
Commonly referenced Boer-named species:
- Aardvark (Orycteropus afer): “Earth Pig”. So-called because of its burrowing habits and appearance. Not related to pigs, but its stout body, arched back, and sparse hair can appear pig-like from afar. Insectivore.
- Aardwolf (Proteles cristata): “Earth wolf”. An unusual relative to the hyenas that is insectivorous, and eats termites with a long, sticky tongue, not unlike the aardvark. Unrelated to wolves.
- Boomslang (Dispholidus typus): “Tree Snake”. An almost exclusively arboreal snake of sub-Saharan Africa, the one that spawned the movie trope of snakes dropping out of trees in the jungle. Though generally shy and unencountered, still very dangerous. Its slow-onset hemotoxic venom causes massive bleeding out through every orifice of the body several hours after a bite. Eats primarily birds and lizards.
- Dukier (Cephalophinae spp.): “Diver, ducker”. Any of the 21 species of antelope in the subfamily Cephalophinae, native to southern Africa. Named for their tendency to duck into tangled thickets where they cannot be followed. One of the few ruminants that regularly will supplement their diet with meat - either by hunting rodents or reptiles, rustling up insects, or finding carrion. The majority of their diet is still that of a browser (leaves and berries, as opposed to grasses and ground greenery).
- Eland (Taurotragus oryx): “Elk”. Savannah antelope that’s still widespread, though decreasing in population. The second-largest extant antelope. Was widely disliked for their tendency to trample crop fields as plants came into bloom.
- Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus): “Rock jumper”. An incredibly balanced and funny-looking small antelope that can fit all four hooves onto a single dollar-piece. Unlike most antelope, they don’t live in herds, but in mating pairs. They consume the shrubbery and grass in rocky outcroppings and craglands of Africa.
- Meerkat (Suricata suricatta): “Lake cat”. A social mongoose relative found mostly in the Kalahari desert. Carnivore that targets invertebrates, but will kill small vertebrates when opportune. “Lake cat” epithet of unknown origin - possibly a misinterpretation of the Dutch adaptation of the Sanskrit “markata”, meaning “monkey”.
- Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis): “Jumping antelope”. Note: the species name “marsupialis” is derived from the Latin “marsupium”, meaning “pocket” - this small, antelope is certainly not related to marsupials. The name comes from a pocket-like flap of skin extending from about halfway down the back, to the tail. Springboks appear in herds numbering in the tens of thousands in unfarmed regions of South Africa, and are the most plentiful antelope extant.
Through standardization of scientific names to almost exclusively Greek and Latin roots, science has a common language, known across country and cultural borders. However, in the English language (and many others), the common names for many species are directly pulled from their land of origin.
Knowing the etymology of the common names can sometimes tell you just as much as the etymology of the scientific names - what an animal was known for, where it was from, who encountered it the most, and what it signified to them often are implied in the names we sometimes dismiss because they’re “unscientific”. Knowing the cultures that knew the species well, and understanding the history of the species in relation to humans, can be the difference between extinction and preservation at times, and can be quite interesting, aside from that.
Not included above: Blesbok (“blaze antelope”), bontebok (“mottled antelope”), dassie (“badger”), grysbok (“grey antelope”), korhaan (“black grouse”), leguaan (“iguana”), padloper (“pathwalker”), platanna (“flat-handed”), skaapsteker (“sheep pricker”).
Sources:
Natural history terminology: Lazarus Taxon
Lazarus taxon is originally a paleontology term, referring to the disappearance in the fossil record (generally indicating extinction or a very small number of individuals) of a species that emerges again in a much later era. The term is also used in neontology (the study of extant creatures) when referring to a species believed to have gone extinct that is later found to still exist.
In the Book of John, Jesus raises the man named Lazarus, and brings him back to life more than four days after his death. Hence the term “Lazarus taxon” is quite applicable - the species was believed extinct, but was “brought back” in the records as it were, when it was re-discovered after the date of its being declared extinct.
A counterpart to the Lazarus taxa (singular of taxon) is the Elvis taxa. This term is used when a species assumed extinct from the fossil record is incorrectly thought to have re-emerged at a later date, but is found to be a like-looking species that adapted a form similar to the original species, thanks to convergent evolution. The original species did not re-appear, but the impostor species was so similar that the original was believed to have re-appeared when the impostor was first discovered.
This term comes from, well, “Elvis” sightings, and Elvis impersonators. Clearly they’re not Elvis, but some look similar enough at first that they could fool professionals who had no way to confirm that Elvis was dead. The fossil record is so spotty that a disappearance of a species doesn’t always indicate an extinction, and paleontologists are used to many species re-appearing in later eras (it’s less common in neontology), so the first instinct is to classify the discovery as a re-emergence.
Medical Term of the Season: Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia
Meaning: Cold-induced neuralgia originating in the palate, aka Ice-Cream Headache, aka Brain Freeze
Image: Hard and soft palatine surfaces in relation to the throat. Gray’s Anatomy, 1885 ed.
Image: The sphenopalatine nerve and its branches. Gray’s Anatomy, 1910 ed.
Medical Term of the Season: Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia
Sphen-: Wedge-shaped, or related to the sphenoid bone of the skull
-palatine: relating to the palate of the mouth
Ganglio-: A tissue mass, most often a bundle of nerve cell bodies.
-neur-: Neural, of the head, or in the head.
-algia: Pain
So sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is neuralgia related to the sphenopalatine ganglia. Most commonly, this is what we know as brain freeze, or an ice-cream headache.
The touching of a cold substance to the roof of the mouth (such as in swallowing) causes a rapid constriction of blood vessels in the sinuses. When the cold substance is removed and the area quickly re-warms, an extreme “rebound” dilation of the blood vessels occurs, triggering the pain sensors in the palate.
Since the pain sensors in the palate relay their signals through the trigeminal nerve (similar to most headaches due to physical causes), the brain interprets the accidental trigger as a legitimate “headache”, and gives you that sharp pain sensation until the signal is corrected by the readjusted palate!
There is another theory regarding the source of cold-stimulus pain, which posits the origin is actually in the anterior cerebral artery, and not the sphenopalatine ganglia, but research supporting both theories also shows that the pain can be lessened by eating cold treats slowly, and not using a straw in cold beverages.
It can also be mitigated once it starts by drinking a warm beverage, or pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth to more quickly re-warm the area.
Scientific American Mind, Vol 19, Issue 1, 2008. “Brain Freeze” by Mark Andrews.
British Medical Journal, 10 May 1997. “Ice Cream Headache.”
Scientific Terminology: Taxonomy and Nomenclature 101
The origins of medical terms are interesting enough, but Greek and Latin roots are used throughout the sciences, and around here, you’ll see them a lot when it comes to species names. There are some interesting ones out there, with some bizarre (and sometimes humorous) meanings…
But first! Some taxonomy basics:
Setting aside phylogeny-specific nomenclature and cladistics for now, Linnaean taxonomy is the system of naming species that has been used since, well, Carl Linnaeus. A “taxon” (plural taxa) is simply a grouping of one or more organisms, judged to belong to the same unit based on any number of qualifications.
Though current “Linnaean taxonomy” (which is what’s commonly used in schools and in general literature) differs significantly from Linnaeus’ original three-kingdom, five-level, ranked classifications, it’s still known by that name and takes many of the concepts from it, such as hierarchical classification. Thanks to the popularity of Linnaeus’ 1735 work, Systema Naturae, a solid foundation for modern taxonomy was put in place, with an organized system, and short, understandable, scientific names.
Taxonomy today:
Currently, animal species are organized according to rules set down by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, to ensure uniformity across the zoological community. Plants and bacteria follow different naming codes, but those are less relevant here.
This is a basic schematic demonstrating the hierarchical system that’s used when we classify a species:
According to the ICZN, the basic rank is that of species. The next most important rank is that of genus: when an organism is given a species name it is assigned to a genus, and the genus name is part of the species name. Species and genus were both seen by Linnaeus as “God-given”/”natural”. Anything above genus was considered a construct made by man to more easily classify the world around him.
The third-most important rank, although it was not used by Linnaeus, is that of family. Even though family is important in understanding the classification of an animal, it is not used in the “scientific name”, nor are any of the higher levels in its classification.
So what’s a “scientific name?”
The italicized names that you see in scientific literature (and around here) refer to the specific species of a creature, and are called the binomen; that is, “two names”. Those two names are the genus (first, and capitalized) and the species (second, never capitalized, even when named after a proper noun). An example of a binomen would be Choloepus hoffmanni - the genus is Choloepus, the two-toed sloths, and the species is Choloepus hoffmanni, Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth.
Sometimes there are three names, or the trinomen of a creature. These tell you, first, the genus, second, the species, and third, the subspecies. Take the trinomen Choloepus hoffmanni pallescens. The genus is Choloepus, the species is Choloepus hoffmanni, and the subspecies is Choloepus hoffmanni pallescens, the Peruvian two-toed sloth.
Though you only are told the two (or three) most specific taxonomic groupings for a creature, you can use those (and a phylogenetic tree) to figure out all of the less-specific (Linnaean) taxa it belongs to, such as its Family, Order, Class, and Phylum.
What does the scientific name actually mean, though?
Often, the scientific name describes notable or distinguishing characteristics about a species, that you can decode (scientific terminology time!). Let’s take the species Cyclopes didactylus. The first name given tells us that this creature belongs to the genus Cyclopes - “Circle-foot”. Within that genus, the species name is Cyclopes didactylus (abbreviated C. didactylus after the first use), and yes, you do repeat the genus name in the species name, by ICZN guidelines. On its own, “didactylus” can be broken down to the roots of di-, dactyl, -(o)us. “Having two fingers.” So the binominal can be deciphered as “Circle-foot having two fingers.”
Circle-foot two-fingers! (aka the Silky or Pygmy Anteater)
This descriptive-type species name is not the only way scientists assign taxa, though.
For everything above genus, the taxa are fairly regulated/already-determined, are not easy to add and subtract from, and have strict naming guidelines. From genus on down, though, so long as what you’ve discovered is verified as a new species (or group of species falling together as a genus), congratulations! You have the honor of naming it. Well, assuming it’s not patently offensive, vulgar, or unpronounceable. The ICZN approval board or the equivalent for your field has final say on whether or not a species can be given a submitted name.
Still, there are many ways to name a new species. You can name it in reference to physical characteristics, location found, a specific person or group, or even an ironic joke or pun. Look at the name Linnaeus gave the Blue Whale:
Balaenoptera musculis. Balaenoptera = “Baleen-winged”, ok, they have huge fins and baleen, so that makes sense. Musculis = “little mouse”. Har har har.
“Musculis” can also refer to “muscle,” but given that Linnaeus was given to puns and double-meanings, he was well aware of the “little mouse” definition.
Notes:
**Though the specific epithet for a species can be used in more than one genus, genus names must remain absolutely unique, in accordance with ICZN rules. Ex. Since you can have more than one species with the didactylus epithet, Cyclopes didactylus and Inimicus didactylus are both valid names - though you really don’t want to mix up the silky anteater with the “devil stinger”/lumpfish.
**When the specific species is not known, the abbreviation “sp.” is used after the genus name. Ex. Lutra sp. refers to either Lutra lutra OR Lutra sumatrana, but it’s unknown as to which one. When multiple species within a genus are being referred to (or the specific species is unimportant), the abbreviation “spp.” is used after the genus name. Ex. Lutra spp. refers to BOTH Lutra lutra AND Lutra sumatrana.
Additional resources:
Medical Terminology: Latin and Greek Roots 3 - [A-N]
Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had any Greek or Latin added to our Medical Terminology section, so I figure I can dig a few more interesting ones out of the depths of my memory…no overall theme today, just some useful roots. I’ve listed some before, but it can make understanding more simple if you see what can easily get mixed up in one place.
**If you go to my page tagged #Medical Terminology and use the search function on your computer [Ctrl + F on PCs], you can type part of a medical word you’ve seen, and you just might find the term that corresponds with it. :D
Easily confused prefixes/words:
*-dont-: Relating to the teeth (ex: peridontal, a condition around the structure of the tooth)
*-ton-: Muscle or nerve stretching (ex: peritoneum, the membrane “stretched around” the abdomen)
*Ante-: In front of, before (ex: antepartum, before childbirth)
*Anti-: Against or opposed to (ex: antiseptic, against putrefaction)
*Brachy-: Short, little, shallow (ex: brachydactyly, short fingers)
*Brachi-: Relating to the arm, or an arm (ex: brachiosaur, dinosaurs that had forelimbs much longer than the hind legs)
*Brady-: Slow (ex: bradycardia, excessively slow heartbeat)
*Bronchi-: “The wind pipe” - from Greek bronkhos. Now refers to the off-branchings of the wind pipe (trachea)
*Cephal-: Pertaining to the head (ex: cephalopod, “head-foot”, creatures like squids that have their “feet” [tentacles] attached to their head/thorax structure)
*Cerebr(o)-: Pertaining to the brain (ex: cerebrovascular, pertaining to the blood vessels of the brain)
*Cerebell(o)-: Of the cerebellum - literally “little brain” (ex: spinocerebellar tract, one of the sets of axonal fibers in the spinal cord, that ends in the cerebellum, the structure under the brain)
*Col-: Relating to the colon (ex: colectomy, removal of all or part of the colon)
*Colp-: Relating to the vagina, a hollow, the womb (ex: colposcopy, imaging of the vaginal canal)
*Cry-: Cold (ex: cryoablation, removal of tissue by freezing)
*Crypt-: Hidden, concealed (ex: cryptography, “relating to hidden writing [encoded messages]”)
*Cyan-: Blue (ex: cyanosis, the state of being blue, often caused by lack of oxygenation)
*Cyes-: Pregnancy (ex: cyesis, the state of pregnancy, obsolete term, rarely seen)
*Cyst-: Any closed cavity or sac lined by epithelial cells (ex: cysticercosis, the condition of having cysts in the body, caused by the encysting of the eggs of the tapeworm)
*Cyt-: Cell (ex: cytokine, protein molecules that signal cells to move, such as when the immune system is being activated)
*Dacryo-: Tear (ex: dacryocele, the congenital hernial protusion of the lachrymal [tear] sac)
*Dactyl(o)-: Pertaining to the fingers or toes (ex: dactylitis, the inflammation of the fingers or toes, making them sausagey-looking and swollen)
*Eti-: “Cause of” (ex. etiology, the cause of [a given subject], in medicine, the etiology of a disease, condition, symptom, or outbreak, are particularly relevant)
*Ento-: Insect (ex. entomology, the study of insects)
*Ect(o)-: Outside, external (ex. ectopic, “out of place”, for example, a pregnancy outside of where it should be)
*Epi-: Upon, outside of (ex. epicardium, the outer layer of heart tissue, inside the pericardium)
*Episi-: Pertaining to the pubic region, or loin (ex. episiotomy, the controlled cutting of the vulvovaginal region prior to childbirth, to avoid uncontrolled tearing when the baby crowns)
*Glauc(o)-: A silvery or blue-gray color (ex: uroglaucin, a grayish-indigo pigment observed in the urine resulting from certain diseases, like scarlet fever)
*Gluco-: Relating to glucose (ex: glucocorticoid, a class of steroids from the adrenal cortex that regulate glucose level)
*Hyper-: Extreme, above normal (ex: hypertrophy, “over-nourishment”, denoting an over-sized organ or structure, such as a hypertrophic heart)
*Hyp(o)-: Under, below normal (ex: hypodermic, under the skin)
*Inter-: Among, in between (ex: intercostal, between the ribs)
*Intr(a/o)-: To the inside, within (ex: intracranial hemorrhage, bleeding within the skull, blood stays within the cranium)
*Lip(o)-: Fat (ex: lipodystrophy, any of the various disorders of fat metabolism, resulting in the absence of subcutaneous fat)
*Lith(o)-: Stone (ex: lithocystotomy, cutting open the bladder to remove kidney stone)
*Mammo-: Pertaining to the breast (ex: mammography, imaging of the whole breast)
*Mammill(o)-: Pertaining to the nipple (ex: mammilliform, in the shape of a nipple, used in describing certain growths, tumors, or nodules)
*Mast(o)-: Breast (ex: mastoid, breast-like, the rounded protrusion of bone just behind the ear, once thought to look like a breast)
*Myo-: Relating to muscle (ex: cardiomyopathy, any disease of the muscle of the heart)
*Myxo-: Mucus, slime (ex: myxomatous, a benign tumor of connective tissue containing jellylike/mucus material)
*Myco-: Fungus (ex: rhinomycosis, a fungal infection of the nasal mucous membranes)
*Myel(o)-: Relating to the bone marrow or spinal cord (ex: poliomyelitis, an inflammatory process involving the gray matter of the spinal cord)
*Narco-: Numb, sleep (ex: narcotic, capable of inducing a state of stuporous analgesia - a numb stupor)
*Necro-: Death (ex: necrotizing, causing the death of cells, as in necrotizing fasciitis, the infection causing the death of the fascia)
*Nephro-: Kidney (ex: epinephrine, “from above the kidney”, so-called because the adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys)
Gout has been known as “the disease of kings and the king of diseases” and “the rich man’s disease” since Ancient Greece
The first documentation of gout was in Egypt, in a description of an arthritic big toe with unique symptoms, around 2,600 BC.
Hippocrates knew of gout, and noted its absence in eunuchs and pre-menopausal women.
The realization that the urate crystals found in the urine and joints of gouty patients (first noted by Leeuwenhoek in 1679) was directly related to the symptoms caused wasn’t reached until Alfred Baring Garrod proposed the mechanism of pain in 1848.
Humans and other great apes lost the ability to produce uricase, which is part of the reason that we develop gout, and most other animals don’t…though if the ability to produce that enzyme is interfered with, gout CAN occur. Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex is thought to have been gouty, after all. It’s not known if some larger reptiles did not have the ability to produce uricase in general, or if Sue simply had a genetic defect.
Quinsy: Strangled Dogs and Sore Throats
Quinsy! Peritonsillar abscess, quinsy, whatever you call it, it sure is annoying.
It’s a mass of pus in the area around the tonsil(s) (hence the “peri-“), and when the body can’t destroy it (fairly common) and antibiotics don’t take care of it (fairly uncommon), it often has to be manually drained at the doctor’s office. When you’re dealing with it, it feels like your throat is really closed off, like someone has their hands around it or something. You really can’t sleep laying down (because the abscess chokes you up), and it’s amazingly frustrating not to be able to “clear” your throat.
The most interesting thing about this condition, though, isn’t how it manifests itself - it’s how the name quinsy came about.
- Quinsy is defined as ”severe sore throat,” and was first used in that form ca. 1300.
- Quinsy came from the Middle English qwinaci.
- Qwinaci came from the Old French word quinancie.
- Quinancie was from the Late Latin (ca. 3rd-6th century BCE) word cynanche, from the Greek term kynankhe.
- You know what that means? Well, kynakhe is defined as “dog strangling,” originally “dog collar,” from kyon “dog” + ankhein ”to strangle,” conjugated with the Latin angere “to anger”.
Perfect definitions.
*Etymology Information from Etymonline - a fantastic compilation of over 50 etymology resources, both digital and print
Medical Terminology: Latin and Greek Roots 2
Ok, enough of that silly “learning” nonsense…at least learning boring stuff. You want to know about what those old terms mean, right? Well, here are some more prefixes and suffixes you might come across…
More coming soon, of course.
Full words used on their own and in derived form:
Anus: Ring
Caries: Decay
Cella: Chamber
Lues: Plague
Corpus: Body
Foramen: Perforation
Fornix: Arch
Fundus: Bottom, base
Hernia: Rupture
Ilium: Flank
Ligamentum: Binding
Lens: Lentil
Dens: Tooth
Bucca: Cheek
Mens: Mind
Mensis: Month
Morbus: Disease
Meatus: Opening
Manus: Hand
Labium: Lip
Cortex: Bark
Cutis: Skin
Fascia: Band
Nausea: “Seasickness”
Bacillus: Diminutive form of “rod”, means little rod
Caput: Head
Soma: Body
Hymen: Membrane
Pleura: Ribs, side
Trauma: Wound
Hygieia: Health
Pneuma: Air, breath of air
Sarx: Flesh
Pepsis: The act of digestion
Prefixes:
Blast(o)-Germ or bud
Blenn(o)- Mucus
Chil(o)- Lip
Chol-/Chole-/Choli-: Bile, gall
Chondr(o)-/Chondri-: Cartilage or gristle
Copr(o)-: Feces, excrement
Hydr(o)-: Water
Narc-: Numbness, stupor
Pod-: Foot, foot-like
Pyo-: Pus
Pyr-/Pyret-: Fire, heat, inflammation
Sphygmo-: Pulse, pulsation
Suffixes:
-agogue: Leader
-algia/-odynia: Pain
-cele: Protrusion, tumor, hernia
-asthenia: Weak
-cide: Killing, destroying
-esthesia: Sensation, Feeling
-lysis: breaking down, loosening, dissolution
-malacia: softening
-poiesis/-genesis: making, formation of
-opia: vision
-ptosis: displacement or falling
-sclerosis: Hardening of, stiffening
-version: turning, twisting
Further Reading/Sources:
Des Moines University Medical Terminology
And, of course, Antiquus Morbis
Medical Terminology: Latin and Greek Roots - Descriptive
So you can tell if something is in the liver, if it’s around something else, if you’re talking about a disease or an expert on a disease…but what about those weird color roots that turn up so often, and what about other descriptive prefixes and suffixes? When you study syndromes (a collection of symptoms that is not a fully understood disease), descriptors are fairly common. Here are some of them that you’ll probably come across:
**If you go to my page tagged #Medical Terminology and use the search function on your computer [Ctrl + F on PCs], you can type part of a medical word you’ve seen, and you just might find the term that corresponds with it. :D
Colors:
Polio-: Grey (ex: Poliomyelitis - inflammation of the grey matter of the spinal cord)
Nigr-/Melano-: Black (Nigr- is almost exclusively used in Latin species names, such as Pinus negra, the Austrian pine, Melanoma - a black tumor - a dark-colored skin cancer that often forms from moles)
Leuk(o)-/Leuc-/Alb(o)-: White (Albinism - the state of being white - commonly known as a lack of pigmentation, Leukemia - derived from the term “leucocytemia” - a lack of white blood cells)
Xanth(o)-/Jaun-/Flav-: Yellow (ex: xanthoma - a yellow tumor - formed by cholesterol-rich fatty deposits building up under the skin, jaundice, flavenoids)
Cyano-: Blue (ex: cyanosis - a production or increase of blue - generally caused by low oxygen availability)
Chlor(o)-: Green (ex: chlorine: a green chemical - chlorine gas is a distinct green color)
Cirrh(o)-: Reddish-yellow (ex: cirrhosis - an increase or production of reddish-yellow coloring - refers to the coloration and appearance of the liver when it’s damaged)
Poryphyr(o)-/Purpur-/Purpureo-: Purple (ex: poryphyria - purple pigment - a set of genetic conditions that affects heme production - causes purple urine and faeces when attacks occur)
Erythr(o)-/Rhod(o)-/Rub-/Rubeo-: Red (ex: erythrocyte - literally, red cell - refers to red blood cells)
Descriptors:
Tachy-/Celer-: Fast
Brady-/Tard(i)-: Slow
Ortho-/Rect(i)-: Straight, normal, correct
Ankylo-/Prav(i)-: Bent, crooked
Neo-/Nov(i)-: New
Paleo-/Veter-: Old
Oxy-/Ac-: Sharp
Platy-/Plan(i)-: Flat
Cac(o)-/Dys-/Mal(e)- Bad, incorrect
Sten(o)-/Anguist(i)-: Narrow
Eury-/Lat(i)-: Wide, broad
Further Reading/Sources:
Des Moines University Medical Terminology
And, of course, Antiquus Morbis
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A blog for all biological and medical ephemera, from the age of Abraham through the era of medical quackery and cure-all nostrums. Featuring illustrations, history, and totally useless trivia from the diverse realms of nature and medicine.
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