Medical Vocabulary

There are three kinds of granulocytes: basophil, eosinophil, and neutrophil. Neutrophils are by far the most numerous.

Granulocytes are also known as polymorhonuclear leukocytes.

Mature white blood cells are divided into granulocytes and agranulocytes.

Blood stem cells are called hemocytoblasts.

Platelets are also known as thrombocytes.

The -blast suffix is used for immature cells: erythroblasts, monoblasts, lymphoblasts, etc.

Megakaryocytes are large multinucleated cells. Pieces break off to form platelets.

The heme in hemoglobin releases is iron and becomes dark green bilirubin.

Hemoglobin consists of an iron-containing pigment heme and a protein part globin.

URI stands for upper respiratory infection. UTI stands for urinary tract infection.

COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

MRI used to be known as NMRI, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, but the nuclear part disturbed some people so it was dropped.

schiz/o means to split, such as schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder.

The abbreviation qqh comes from the Latin 'quarter quaque hora' meaning 'every four hours.'

Ailurophobia is the fear of cats.

The suffix -pnea refers to breathing, as in apnea or tachypnea.

rhin/o refers to the nose, as in rhinoplasty or rhinorrhea.

larynx = voice box. trachea = windpipe.

Bronchioles are the smallest branches of the bronchi.