Otorhinolaryngology terms

Question 1

adenoid

adenoid/o = adenoid

Answer 1

one of three pairs of tonsils located in the pharynx, also called pharyngeal tonsils; tonsils house a large number of white blood cells that protect the body by removing foreign invaders from the air, food, and drink passing through the pharynx

Question 2

ear

aur/o = ear

Answer 2

responsible for both hearing and equilibrium (balance); divided into the external ear, middle ear, and inner ear; the pinna (auricle) captures sound waves and funnels them into the external auditory canal; sound waves strike the tympanic membrane (eardrum), causing it to vibrate; three tiny bones (ossicles) in the middle ear (the malleus, incus, and stapes) conduct this vibration across the middle ear from the tympanic membrane to the oval window; the oval window movement initiates vibrations in the fluid inside the inner ear; the vibrating fluid bends hair cells in the cochlea, which stimulates nerve endings; the cochlear nerve sends a message to the brain; the inner ear also contains organs for equilibrium (semicircular canals)

Question 3

cochlea

cochle/o = cochlea

Answer 3

part of the inner ear containing hair cells responsible for hearing; shaped like a coiled snail shell

Question 4

epiglottis (plural epiglottides or epiglottises)

epiglott/o = epiglottis

Answer 4

cartilage flap that sits above the larynx; rotates to cover the larynx with each swallow; prevents food or drink from entering the larynx and trachea

Question 5

larynx (plural larynges or larynxes)

laryng/o = larynx

Answer 5

commonly called the voice box; located between the pharynx and the trachea; contains paired vocal cords that vibrate as air passes through them to produce sound

Question 6

tympanic membrane

myring/o = tympanic membrane

Answer 6

located at the end of the external auditory canal, the tympanic membrane converts sound waves striking it into vibrations that move ossicles of the middle ear; commonly called the eardrum

Question 7

nose

nas/o = nose

Answer 7

air enters the nose through two openings called nares, passes through the nasal cavity, and enters the pharynx; it is divided down the middle by a cartilage plate called the nasal septum; lined by mucous membrane; air is warmed, moisturized, and cleansed as it passes through; houses sensory receptors for the sense of smell

Question 8

pharynx

pharyng/o = pharynx

Answer 8

muscular tube that receives air from the nasal cavity and delivers it to the larynx; also receives food from the oral cavity and transports it to the esophagus; location for three sets of tonsils (adenoids, palatine tonsils, and lingual tonsils); auditory (Eustachian) tube, which opens with each swallow to equalize air pressure in the middle ear, connects the middle ear to the pharynx; commonly call the throat

Question 9

paranasal sinuses

sinus/o = sinus

Answer 9

air-filled cavities located within the facial bones and connected to the nasal cavity; lined with mucous membrane; act as an echo chamber for sound production

Question 10

trachea

trache/o = trachea

Answer 10

tube that carries air from the larynx to the lungs; lined with a mucous membrane that warms, moisturizes, and cleanses air; commonly called the windpipe