Merrily's Animal Science Journal: Notes from Veterinary Medical Terminology

Anatomy of a Medical Term:

•Prefix: word part found at the beginning of a word

Prefixes usually, but not always, indicate location, time, number, or status.

Prefixes are presented with a hyphen following them: prefix-

•Pre- means before:

–Preoperative means before an operation.

•Peri- means around:

–Perioperative means pertaining to the time around an operation.

•Post- means after:

–Postoperative means after an operation.

•Root: word part that gives the essential meaning of the word

Roots are the foundation of medical terms.

Roots usually, but not always, describe the part of the body that is involved.

Roots cannot stand alone:

–A suffix must be added to complete the term.

–A prefix may be added to the term.

•Suffix: word part found at the end of a word

•Suffixes usually, but not always, indicate the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.

•There are many related groups of suffixes:

–“pertaining to” suffixes

–surgical suffixes

–procedural suffixes

–the double r suffixes

–conditional and structural suffixes

•Suffixes may change the part of speech of a word.

•Different suffixes may change the word from a noun to an adjective.

•Combining vowel: a single vowel, usually an o, that is added to the end of a root to make the word easier to pronounce

•A combining vowel may be used to make the medical term easier to pronounce.

•A combining vowel is not used when the suffix begins with a vowel.

•A combining vowel is used when the suffix begins with a consonant.

•A combining vowel is used when two or more word roots are joined.

•A prefix does not need a combining vowel.

•Combining form: the combination of the root and the combining vowel

•Combining forms = root plus a vowel

•There may be more than one combining form for a body part.

•Combining forms will be presented with a backslash: hepat/o.

•Examples of combining forms:

–Nas/o means nose.

–Rhin/o means nose.

–Ren/o means kidney.

–Nephr/o means kidney.

Public Health and Ethics

—Zoonosis:

—zoonoses; disease of animals transmissible to humans. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary

What kind of diseases?

Rabies, brucellosis, tuberculosis, anthrax, E. coli, Salmonella

Sanitation: —The establishment of conditions favorable to health, especially with respect to infectious diseases.

Antiseptics- generally used on living tissue
Disinfectants- generally used on objects

These are concentration dependent. Some things full concentration are good for a disinfectant but have to be diluted to be used as a antiseptic. EX- iodine on a calf's navel at full strength can damage the living tissue but diluted it is good.

Disinfection- is the destruction of the vegetative forms of bacteria

vegetative- living and growing bacteria
It is important to note that when they perform a surgical scrub on the patients skin they are not sterilizing it. They are only disinfecting it/ lowering the bacterial numbers

Sterilization- is the destruction of ALL organisms and spores on an object to stop disease (bacteria, virus, fungus, spores)

Physical Sterilization:

Filtration- commonly used for liquids and gases- Pharmaceuticals are commonly sterilized by filtration
Radiation- why radiation over heat? because things like surgical gloves will melt in heat- heat sensitive
Heat- an object is not sterilized until the steam has permeated the whole pack (autoclave) at the proper time, temperature, and pressure.

Chemical Sterilization:

Is used on heat sensitive things like plastic--most common is ethylene oxide

What is the Gold Standard? Put a vile of bacteria in the pack going into the autoclave. Run as directed. Remove and collect a swab and then give it time and see if it grows. This method is not very practical or do able.

What is cold sterile? Not technically sterile but it is when the tools/instruments are submerged in a disinfectant. Used for non-sterile procedures.

What is aseptic technique? A way of doing things without microorganisms. Gown up/glove up.

a- without or not

sepsis- presence in the blood or other tissues of pathogenic microorganisms or other toxins

What is a pathogen? It is bacteria, virus, fungus

Practice Act—

—Limitations on Supervising Veterinarians. Unless otherwise provided by law or rule, a supervising veterinarian shall not authorize a certified veterinary technician, a veterinary technician working under a temporary certification, an assistant or anyone else, other than a licensed veterinarian or a veterinarian holding a valid temporary permit to perform the following functions:

—a. Surgery;

—b. Diagnosis and prognosis of animal disease;

—c. Prescribing drugs, medicines and appliances; or

—d. Diagnosis and performance of procedures that constitute operative dentistry/oral surgery as defined by Section 54-2103(13)(b), Idaho Code.

"Direct supervision"

—means the supervising veterinarian is on the premises where the animal is being treated, is quickly and easily available and the animal has been examined by the supervising veterinarian as acceptable veterinary medical practice requires.

—"Immediate supervision"

—means the supervising veterinarian is in the immediate area, in audible and visual range of the animal patient and the person treating the patient and the animal has been examined by the supervising veterinarian as acceptable veterinary medical practice requires.

—"Indirect supervision"

—means the supervising veterinarian is not on the premises but is available for immediate contact by telephone, radio or other means, has given either written or oral instructions for treatment of the animal patient, the animal has been examined by the supervising veterinarian as acceptable veterinary medical practice requires, and the animal, if previously anesthetized, has recovered to the point of being conscious and sternal.

VCPR:

—Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship

—When does this exist?

1.The veterinarian has assumed responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the animal(s) and the need for medical treatment, and the client has agreed to follow the veterinarians instructions.

2.The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the animal(s) to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal(s). This means that the veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal(s) by virtue of an examination of the animal(s), or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal(s) are kept.

3.The veterinarian is readily available, or has arranged for emergency coverage, for follow-up evaluation in the event of adverse reactions or the failure of the treatment regimen.

Study terms:
Anatomy- the study of body structure
Physiology- the study of body function
Pathology- the study of disease
Etiology- the study of the cause of disease
Cytology- the study of cells
Histology- the study of tissue

Directional Terms:

Medial- towards midline

Lateral- away from midline

Cranial- towards the head

Caudal- towards the tail

Proximal- closer to the body, nearest to the beginning of a structure

Distal- farther from the body, farthest from the beginning of the structure

Anterior- towards the head

Posterior- towards the tail

Superior- above, on top

Inferior- below, lower

Superficial- on top, outside, near the surface

Deep- away from the surface, internal

Adduction- movement towards the midline (think of adding something)

Abduction- movement away from the midline (think of child abduction)

Flexion- angle gets smaller, decreases

Extension- angle gets bigger, increases

Rostral- towards the nose end of the head

Cephalic- pertaining to the head

Body Planes:

Median/midsagittal- divides the body into equal left and right halves

Sigittal- unequal left and right parts

Dorsal- back plane

Ventral- belly plane

Transverse- perpendicular to the long axis

Body Cavities:

Cranial

Spinal

Thoracic

Abdominal

Pelvic

Recumbency:

Whatever aspect is contacting the ground

Dorsal- on the back

Ventral- on the belly

Lateral- on the side (left/right)

Common Anatomical Terms:

Musculoskeletal System:

The musculoskeletal system consists of two systems that work together to support the body and allow for movement of the animal:

–the skeletal system = bones, joints, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and various connective tissues

–the muscular system = muscles and various connective tissues

Bones- oste/o, oss/e, oss/i:

1. form the framework that supports and protects the body

2. aid in body movement

3. function to form blood cells

4. store and release minerals such as calcium

Joints- arthr/o:

Connections between bones

Aid in movement of the body

Types of Joints:

Synarthroses- immovable- skull sutures

Amphiarthroses- slightly movable- pelvic symphysis joint

Diarthroses- freely movable- shoulder, hip, knee joint

Cartilage- chondr/o:

Cartilage is a form of connective tissue that is more elastic than bone

Protects the ends of the bones where they contact each other

Ligaments- ligament/o:

Bands of fibrous connective tissue that connect one bone to another

Tendons- ten/o, tend/o, tendin/o:

Bands of fibrous connective tissue that connect muscle to bone

Skeleton:

The skeleton is divided into two parts:

Axial Skeleton- protects the major organs of the nervous, respiratory, and circulatory systems

It consists of the skull, hyoid bones, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum

Appendicular Skeleton- the framework that consists of the extremities, shoulder, and pelvic girdle

Appen means to add or hang
It includes the bones of the front and hind limbs

Types of Bones:

Long

Femur
Humerus
Radius
Ulna

Short

Carpal/tarsal bones

Sesamoid= small bone embedded in a tendon or ligament

horse sesamoid bones

Flat bones

bones of the skull

Irregular bones

Vertebrae

Structures of the Skeletal System

Bone Anatomy Terms:

Diaphysis- the long shaft/body of the bone
Epiphysis- the enlarged ends of the bone
Metaphysis- joining portion of the diaphysis and epiphysis- the physis (growth plate) is in there
Periosteum- lining around the bone- important for bone growth, repair, nutrition, attachment of tendons and ligaments
Articular Surface- where one bone comes in contact with or articulates with another. This is usually on the epiphysis and covered with hyaline cartilage (articular cartilage)
Medullary Cavity- space in diaphysis where bone marrow is
Endosteum- layer of tissue lining the medullary cavity
Apophysis- any outgrowth of a bone or process
Cortex or Cortical or Compact- hard, dense, strong bone-compact bone surrounding the medullary cavity
Growth Plate- found in the metaphysis
Compact Bone- refer to 9
Cancellous Bone- lighter, less strong bone- lattice like structure

Thoracic Limb (lateral view) of a Dog:

Thoracic Limb (lateral view) of a Horse:

Dog Digits:

Ox digits:

Horse digits:

Pelvic limb (lateral view) of a Dog:

Pelvic limb (lateral view) of a Horse:

The Muscular System:

Muscles are organs that contract to produce movement.

Muscles are responsible for the following:

ambulation
control of organs and tissues
pumping of blood
generation of heat

Muscles are made up of long, slender cells called muscle fibers.

Each muscle consists of a group of muscle fibers in a fibrous sheath.

My/o- is the combining form for muscle
Fibr/o and fibros/o- are combining forms for fibrous tissue

Types of Muscle Tissue:

Skeletal Muscle

voluntary= control
striated

Cardiac Muscle

involuntary= no control
heart muscle
striated

Smooth Muscle

involuntary= no control
arteries, intestines, stomach, uterus
non-striated

Anal Sphincter= the smartest muscle in the body because it can determine the difference between gas, liquids, and solids.

The Digestive System:

Also known as the alimentary system, gastrointestinal system, and the GI system

The digestive system is basically a long, muscular tube that begins at the mouth and ends at the anus

Functions of the digestive system:

intake and digestion of food and water
absorption of nutrients
elimination of solid wastes

Structures of the Digestive System:

mouth or oral cavity- or/o and stomat/o

lips- labi/o and cheil/o
cheeks- bucc/o
palate- palat/o
tongue- gloss/o and lingu/o
jaw- gnath/o
prognathia means having an elongated mandible (overshot)
brachygnathia means having a shortened mandible (undershot)
teeth- dent/o, dent/i, and odont/o

the primary dentition is temporary and known as the deciduous dentition
decidu/o= shedding

Types of teeth

incisor- front cutting tooth
canine- long, pointed bonelike tooth for grasping and tearing
premolar- cheek tooth that grinds food
molar- caudal cheek tooth that grinds food

gingiva- gingiv/o
salivary glands- sial/o and sialaden/o

pharynx- pharyng/o

joins the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. AKA throat

esophagus- esophag/o

collapsible, muscular tube that leads from the oral cavity to the stomach. AKA gullet
enters the stomach through an opening that is surrounded by a sphincter

stomach- gastr/o

saclike organ that aides in digestion of food
animals can be classified as monogastric or ruminant

monogastric animals have one true glandular stomach (one that produces secretions)
ruminants have one true glandular stomach and three forestomachs

ruminants regurgitate and remasticate their food
rumen, reticulum, omasum, abdomasum
cows, sheep, goats, deer have 4 and alpaca, llamas, camels only have 3
an adult cows rumen holds about 50 gallons and the contractions stir the food counter clockwise if you are on the right side

small intestines- enter/o

extends from the pylorus to the large intestine. Held in place by the mesentery. Absorption occurs here. Villi are tiny hairlike projections that increase the surface area of the small intestine
It has three segments

duodenum- proximal part (duoden/i or duoden/o)
jejumum- middle part (jenun/o)
ileum- distal part (ile/o)

large intestines

extends from the ileum to the anus
It has four segments

cecum- cec/o
colon- col/o
rectum- rect/o
anus- an/o or proct/o= anus and rectum together

accessory organs of digestion

Liver- hepat/o
Gallbladder-

chol/e= bile
cyst/o= sac
doch/o= receptacle

Pancreas- pancreat/o
Salivary glands

Peristalsis- series of wavelike contractions of smooth muscle that moves the ingesta through the tract

Segmentation- involves the side-to-side mixing of ingesta

Functions of the Urinary System:

The urinary system removes waste from the body by constantly filtering the blood. In addition to filtering, the the urinary system also maintains proper balance of water, electrolytes, and acids in body fluids and removes excess fluids from the body. Maintaining a proper balance of water, electrolytes, and acids allows the body to have a stable internal environment. This stable internal environment is called homeostasis.
The structures of the normal urinary system include a pair of kidneys, a pair of ureters, a single urinary bladder, and a single urethra.
Urine is formed in the kidneys, flows through the ureters to the urinary bladder, is stored in the urinary bladder, and flows through the urethra and outside the body.
Cortex and Medulla= outer and inner
Hilus= nerves, blood supply, ureters
Nephron= functional unit of the kidney
Renal Pelvis= area where the urine collects before entering ureters (only present in some species)
Glomerulus= cluster of capillaries
Bowman's capsule= cup shaped structure that contains the glomerulus
Cystocentesis- puncture the bladder and and draw out urine

Cardiovascular System:

Delivers oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to various tissues of the body.

Transports waste products to the appropriate waste removal system.

Is also referred to as the circulatory system.

Cardiovascular means pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.

The heart is a hollow muscular organ that provides the power to move blood through the body.

The heart is located in the mediastinum, a space in the thoracic cavity between the lungs.

The Structures Surrounding the Heart:

The pericardium is a double-walled membrane that surrounds the heart

Peri- means around

The pericardium has two layers:

fibrous layer
serous layer

parietal layer
visceral layer

The pericardial space is the space between the two serous layers of the pericardium.

This space contains pericardial fluid

Pericardial fluid prevents friction between the heart and the pericardium when the heart beats

Blood Supply to the Heart:

The blood vessels that deliver blood to and take blood away from the heart are known as coronary vessels.

-Coronary occlusion means blockage of coronary vessels.

-Coronary occlusion may lead to ischemia. Ischemia is a deficiency in blood supply to an area.

-Ischemia may lead to necrosis. An area of necrosis caused by an interrupted blood supply is an infarct. A myocardial infarct is a heart attack.

The Heart Chambers:

The superior chambers of the heart are known as atria (singular is atrium) -atri/o
The inferior chambers of the heart are known as ventricles- ventricul/o
Septum- is a separating
Apex- is the tip of the heart

The Heart Valves:

a valve is a membranous fold
heart valves control the flow of blood through the heart- valv/o and valvul/o
Right Atrioventricular valve is also known as the tricuspid valve
Pulmonary semilunar valve
Left Atroventricular valve also known as the mitral valve and bicuspid valve
Aortic semilunar valve

Heart Rate:

Heartbeat= the rate and regularity of the heart rhythm
Heartbeat is influenced by the electrical impulses from nerves that stimulate the myocardium
Sinoatrial node (SA node) is located in the right atrial wall and initiates the heart rhythm

it is called the pacemaker of the heart

Atroventricular node (AV node) is located in the septum and receives impulses from the SA node

The Heart Walls:

Epicardium- outside
Myocardium- middle/muscle
Endocardium- inside

Heart Rate Terms:

Systole: contraction
Asystole: without contraction
Diastole: relaxation
Arrhythmia: abnormal heart rhythm

Heart Rate Terms:

Bradycardia: abnormally slow heartbeat
Tachycardia: abnormally fast heartbeat

Electrocardiography- (ECG or EKG) is the record of electrical activity of the myocardium. This is the process of recording electrical activity of the heart.

Auscultation is listening to body sounds with a stethoscope.

When the heart is auscultated, a lubb/dubb sound is heard

-lubb= closing of the AV valve

-dubb= closing of the semilunar valve

-murmur= abnormal sound associated with turbulent blood flow

Blood Vessels- vas/o and angi/o:

3 Major types of blood vessels:

arteries- arteri/o (high pressure)

vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart
smaller arteries are arterioles
arteries have no valves

capillaries

single-cell-thick vessels that connect the arterial and venous systems

veins- ven/o and phleb/o (low pressure)

vessels that carry deoxygenated blood toward the heart
valves and muscles are what get the low pressured blood back to the heart

Blood pressure is the tension exerted by blood on the arterial walls

The two exceptions:

Pulmonary artery is not oxygenated- it is going to the lungs

Pulmonary vein is an oxygenated vein that is coming to the heart from the lungs

Red= oxygenated blood

Blue= deoxygenated blood

Vena Cava dumps into the---right atrium---right atrio ventricular valve---right ventricle---pulmonic valve-pulmonary artery---arterioles---capillaries (becomes oxygenated)---venules---pulmonary veins---left atrium---left AV valve---left ventricle---aortic valve---aorta---systemic arteries---arterioles---capillaries (goes from oxygenated to deoxygenated)---venules---vena cava

The Respiratory System:

The respiratory system brings oxygen from the air into the body for delivery via blood to the cells.

Respiration is the exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere and the body cells.

Ventilation means the bringing in of fresh air/ AKA breathing

The respiratory system is divided into upper and lower tracts

Upper Respiratory Tract:

nose- air enters and exits the body through the nose
mouth
pharynx
epiglottis
larynx

Lower Respiratory Tract

trachea
bronchial tree
bronchioles- no cartilage rings
alveoli
lungs- main organ of respiration- pneum/o, pneumon/o, pneu= means lungs or air and pulm/o and plumon/o mean lung

the lung is encased in a membranous sac called the pleura

the pleura has two layers; the parietal pleura and the visceral pleura
between these layers is the pleural space

-pnea= means breathing

ox/i, ox/o, and ox/y= oxygen

capn/o= carbon dioxide

Notes from Veterinary Medical Terminology

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