Chapter 3 Key Terms

Question 1

Alveoli

Answer 1

plural of alveolus; when pertaining to the pulmonary system, the alveolus is a thin-walled, saclike terminal dilation of the respiratory bronchiole

Question 2

Asthma

Answer 2

inflammation disease of the lungs which is usually reversible; the airway is narrowed causing difficulty in breathing

Question 3

Atelectasis

Answer 3

reduction or absence of air in a part of the lung or in the entire lung

Question 4

Bronchiectasis

Answer 4

chronic dilation of the bronchi or bronchioles caused by inflammation or an obstruction

Question 5

Bronchitis

Answer 5

acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes

Question 6

Bronchogenic carcinoma

Answer 6

squamous cell or oat cell cancer that comes from the mucosa of the large bronchi; it may cause a bronchial obstruction

Question 7

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Answer 7

group of pathologies that obstruct the airway making it increasingly difficult to breathe; usually comprised of chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema

Question 8

Croup

Answer 8

bronchitis of the larynx and trachea in infants and toddlers that is caused by the parainfluenza virus

Question 9

Cystic fibrosis

Answer 9

a congenital metabolic disorder that affects the pancreas causing mucus obstruction of the bile ducts and bronchi

Question 10

Emphysema

Answer 10

an increase in the size of the alveoli through trapped air causing destructive changes in the walls and reduction of the number of the alveoli

Question 11

Hamartoma

Answer 11

an abnormal development of tissue that resembles a neoplasm but is actually not a tumor

Question 12

Perfusion

Answer 12

the flow of blood per unit volume of tissue

Question 13

Pleural effusion

Answer 13

fluid in the pleural cavity that is caused by inflammation

Question 14

Pneumoconiosis

Answer 14

inhalation of certain dusts that causes inflammation leading to fibrosis of the lungs

Question 15

Pneumonia

Answer 15

when the lung parenchyma becomes inflamed, the alveoli are filled with exudate

Question 16

Pneumothorax

Answer 16

air or gas in the pleural cavity

Question 17

Pulmonary edema

Answer 17

fluid in the lung tissues (not in the vascular system) usually caused by mitral valve stenosis

Question 18

Pulmonary emboli

Answer 18

embolism in the pulmonary arteries that frequently come from the leg or pelvis following a surgery or confinement to bed

Question 19

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS; ARDS, adult RDS)

Answer 19

a condition that occurs primarily in premature infants who are born with insufficient surfactant in the lungs, causing the alveoli to collapse

Question 20

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Answer 20

a virus that can cause a minor respiratory infection in adults but a more serious infection in young children; severe bronchitis and bronchopneumonia are commonly caused by the RSV in children

Question 21

Tuberculosis (TB)

Answer 21

caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, this opportunistic infection affects most often the lung tissue but can affect almost any tissue