Lung and Breathing Terms
The lungs, airways, breathing, oxygen, and respiratory conditions. Browse definitions and meanings below.
What is pulmonology?
Pulmonology is the branch of medicine dealing with the lungs and the airways supplying them. A pulmonologist treats conditions that obstruct airflow, stiffen lung tissue, or interfere with the transfer of oxygen into the blood, and also manages ventilation for people who cannot breathe adequately alone.
Two families of words dominate. One names the plumbing: bronchus, bronchiole, alveolus, pleura. The other names what breathing looks or sounds like: dyspnea for breathlessness, wheeze, stridor, crackles. The first describes structures, the second describes findings.
Terms in this topic
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A mixture of six herbs that has been used in China to prevent and treat diseases such as lung and esophageal cancers.
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A small molecule made of two carbon, three hydrogen, and one oxygen atoms.
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Named for the tonsil like tissue it was first pulled from, this virus family now doubles as a delivery vehicle for engineered genes.
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The setting in which fuel yields many times more energy, because with oxygen present a cell finishes the job instead of stopping halfway.
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A chemical process in which oxygen is used to make energy from carbohydrates (sugars).
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A chemical process in which oxygen is used to make energy from carbohydrates (sugars).
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The combined organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and the upper part of the digestive tract (including the lips, mouth, tongue, nose, throat, vocal cords, and part of the esophagus and…
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The brand name for pemetrexed, a chemotherapy drug given alongside two vitamins that blunt its harshest effects.
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The alveoli present an enormous surface area within the lungs, a feature essential to allowing efficient gas exchange with each breath.
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A substance being studied in the treatment of lung cancer.
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A procedure in which a tube is inserted into the chest to view the tissues and organs in the area between the lungs and between the breastbone and heart.
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The area in the front part of the chest between the lungs.
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Describes a drug or effect that works against tuberculosis (a contagious bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs).
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apnea
/ AP-nee-uh /A temporary cessation of breathing.
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Scarring, not cancer: this is the fibrotic lung disease of asbestos exposure, and it is diagnosed separately from mesothelioma.
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Aspergillosis is a fungal infection caused by Aspergillus mold that most often affects the lungs, particularly in people with a weakened immune system.
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Often confused with a punctured lung, this is airless lung tissue rather than air escaped into the chest around it.
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Two opposing divisions, one for action and one for rest, keep heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion balanced without any conscious effort.
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The active ingredient in a substance being studied in the treatment of small cell lung cancer and other types of cancer.
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A peptide (small protein) found in the brain, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs.