Respiratory System

This week was our first week back after Spring break. We had a lecture on the cardiocascular systestem and learned how it works and a lot of terms. The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and a closed network of blood vessells composed of arteries, capillaries, and veins.

For example the cardiovascular system is made up of several structures:

1. Heart
2. Atrioventricular Valves
3. Semilunar Valves
4. pericardium
5. Blood vessels
6. Arteries
7. Arterioles
8. Aorta
9. Veins
10. Venules
11. Venae Cavae
12. Capillaries 

The heart is located behind the sternum (breast bone) and between the lungs. The heart consists of two upper chambers: The right atrium and the left artium. As well as two lower chambers: the right ventricle and left ventricle. The upper chambers are used to recieve blood, and the lower chambers to pump blood.

There are three layers of the heart, the epicardium, which covers the heart, myocardium, the middle, thick, muscular layer, and endocardium, the inner layer of the heart.

Funtion:

• The heart pumps blood containing oxygen and nutrients to body tissues through the arteries.
• The exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste between the blood and body tissue takes place in the capillaries.
• The blood carying carbon dioxide and waste is carried from the tissues through veins to organs of excretion.

Grading Period 1 - Medical Terminology

This grading period went very well for me. Over the corse of the grading period we learned about many different things, such as the respiratory system, the digestive system, word parts and abrevations, body structure, and the integumentary system. 

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:

I learned a lot of combining forms of the respiratory system. For example:

lung - pulmon/o

nose - nas/o, and rhin/o

larynx - laryng/o

These are just a few examples of the dozens of words that there were. I had to do the chapter work for the respiratory system in the book, and did 65 pages of excersizes to learn the words and there meaning.

(Above is an image from the textbook, labeling the main parts of the repiratory system.

To the right is an image of the flow of air and how it we are able to inhale and exhale.)

I also learned about Respiratory diseases. There are a lot of problems that can form in the respiratory system making it very hard, or impossible to breathe. These deseases can occur anywhere, not just the lungs; for example:

Nasopharyngitis - inflamation of the nose and pharynx

Pleuritis - inflamation of the pleura (also called pleurisy)

Pneumonia - Diseased state of the lung ) the infection and inflamation are caused by bacteria such as Pneumococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Haemophilus.

These are a few of the 55 deseases that I learned about. Alot can go wrong in the respiratory system which could be deadly for some people. Its a complex system that can be infected fairly easily.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:

(Below is an image of the basic digestive system.)

The digestive system, is a long tube comprising the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.

I learned a lot about the functions of the digestive tract aswell.

One function of the digestive tract is ingestion, which is the taking in of nutrients through the mouth.

The next step is digestion, the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food for use by body cells.

Next is absorption. This is the transfer of digestive food from the small intestine to the blood stream.

And finally, elimination, the removal of solid waste from the body.

There are also accessory organs of the digestive system. This consists of the salivary glands, liver, bile ducts, gallblader, and the pancreas.

I learned combining forms of the Digestive Tract. A few examples are:

Antrum - Antr/o

Cecum - cec/o

Stomach - gastr/o

I learned a lot this grading period. We took 4 tests, including the midterm and did four chapters of book work along with the study guides for every test. I'm doing really well in the class and I am continueing to learn alot.