Medical Terminology: Diseases, Diagnostics, Medications & Senses
Understanding Medical Terminology
Types of Diseases
- Infectious: Easily transmitted from person to person.
- Acute: Lasting for a short time.
- Non-Infectious: Not transmitted to another person.
- Chronic: Lasting for months or years.
- Mental: Psychological disorder of the mind.
- Inherited: Received from an ancestor.
- Degenerative: Condition that deteriorates the body over time.
- Autoimmune: Immune system attacks the body by mistake.
Diagnostic Imaging Techniques
- CT Scan (Computer Tomography): Cross-sectional pictures of the body.
- Endoscopy: Flexible instrument with a camera for imaging (requires anesthesia).
- Mammography: Breast imaging using X-rays.
- Nuclear Scans: Use radioactive isotopes to see inside the body.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Uses magnets and radio waves to look at organs.
- Ultrasound/Sonography: High-frequency sound waves to see tissues.
- X-Ray: Uses electromagnetic waves to take photos of bones.
Medication Forms
Syrups, tablets, pills, capsules, creams, lotions, ointments, suppositories, drops, inhalers, patches, implants, injections, ampoules, antiseptics, glass bottles, pain killers, PIL (patient information leaflet), sachets.
First Aid Supplies
Adhesive tape, bandage roll, cotton, dental floss, lozenges, nappies, sticking plasters, sanitary towels, slings, toothpaste.
Anatomy and Conditions
Eye
Conjunctivitis, color blindness, cornea, dry eye, eyestrain, glaucoma, iris, optic nerve, presbyopia, pupil, retina, sclera, sight, strabismus, tear duct.
Mouth
Amalgam filling, bitter, canine, cheeks, baby teeth, dental crown, dentures, enamel, flavor, gingiva, hard palate, implant, jaw bones, lingual frenum, neck, oral cavity, orthodontic, palate, permanent teeth, root, salty, sour, sweet, taste, umami.
Skin
Acne, dandruff, dermis, eczema, epidermis, herpes, hypodermis, melanin, rash, skin layer, sunburn, touch.
Ear
Anvil, auditory canal, balance, cochlea, eardrum, hammer, hearing, hearing aid, inner ear, middle ear, outer ear, pinna, small bones, stirrup.
Nose
Cartilage, cilia, dysosmia, nasal bones, nasal cavity, nasal septum, nostrils, sense of smell.
Containers
Blister, vial, ampoule, tube, sachet, glass bottle.
The Five Senses
Taste: The gustatory sense perceives salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami tastes.
Sight: We perceive things with the eyes.
Smell: We perceive scents with the olfactory system.
Hearing: Sound enters the external ear and is piped into the external auditory canal.
Touch: Neurons in the skin communicate with the brain, allowing us to perceive sensations.
Eye Anatomy
Iris: Colored part of the eye.
Sclera: White part of the eye.
Pupil: Black part of the eye.
Conjunctiva: Tissue covering the eye.
Cornea: Over the iris.
Optic Nerve
Types of Teeth
Central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, premolars, molars.
Modal Verbs
Offer: can, may, could
Ability: can, could, be able to (future)
Permission: can, could
Preference: would like, I’d like to
Probability: may, might
Obligation: must, have to (rules, law)
Advice: should
Prohibition: must not (prohibited but not obligated)
Impossibility: can’t (social norms, alcohol, entering a place)
Lack of Necessity: needn’t
Passive Voice Examples
remove – are removed
is removing – is being removed
removed – was removed
was removing – was being removed
has removed – has been removed
will remove – will be removed
should remove – should be removed