Mythological Eponyms Flashcards
achilles tendon
a power tendon that attached the lower muscles of the legs to the heel; Thetis, the mother of the famous Homeric warrior Achilles, was said to have dipped her son into the River Styx while holding him by the heel so that he could become immortal, but as his heel was never fully immerse in the water, he died when struck by an arrow in this unprotected area.
atlas (vertebra_
The first or uppermost cercival vertebra, which articualtes with the occiptal bone above and supports the skull; so named from Atlas, a mythic giant born from the Titan Iapetus, responsible for holding up the vault of the heavens
caput Medusae
dialted cutaneous veins around the umbilicus; si called because of a perceived resemblance between the veins and the head of the snake-haired Medusa
hymen
a membranous fold that partially or wholly occludes the external orifice of the vagina; the Greek word hymen “memrbrane” may be of the same origin as the name Hymen the Greek god of marriage
mons Veneris
the mons pubis (pubic mound) of a woman; mound of Venus named after the Roman goddess of love and sex
chimerism
in genetics, the presence of cells of different origin in an individual, whether by mutation, transplant or some other process; named from the chimera, a hybrid monster depicted as an amalgam of a lion, goat, and serpent
gigantism
abnormal overgrowth or excess in stature, named from the Giants, a race of monstrous creatures that where born from Gaia and drops of blood falling from the castrated genitals of Ouranos
hermaphrodite
a person or animale with both male and female sex organs, so called because of the mythical figure Hermpahroditus, the sone of Hermes and Aphrodite who became conjoined with the nymph Salmacis, after which he possessed a dual sexuality
narcissism
excessive self-interest or self-lve; Named from Narcissus, a beutiful young man who saw his reflection in a stream and was so transfixed by the sigh that he could not move
panic
acute, exterme anxiety, often leading to abnormal thinking or behavior “pertaining to Pan”; The Greek God Pan presided over mountains, forests, caves, and other places in which stgrange sounds could be heard and the fear caused by such noises was associated directly with the god
priapism
persistent abnormal erection of the penis, usually without any sexual desire; Priapus was a Greek god of fertility and sexuality marked by a constant erect state; he was also associated generally with prosperity
satyriasis
hypersexuality in a male; “the condition of being a satyr” a hybrid creature associated with Dionysus and known for constant cravings for wine and sex
venereal
related to or transmitted by sexual contact; having to do with Venus
ammonia
a colorless, water-soluble alkaline gas that can be toxic in high concentrations; so called because it was emitted by “sale of Ammon” a salt obtained by the Romans near the temple of Jupite Amon in Egypt
aphrodisiac
a drug that increases sexual libido; from a Greek word meaning “having to do with Aphrodite”
