Health Sciences 1101
Medical Terminology
Module 8
The Reproductive
System
The Reproductive System
Overview
Excellent Youtube Video
Basic Reproductive System Terms
Gynec/o: woman or female
Gynecology/gynecologist:
Obstetrics: study of pregnancy and
childbirth
Obstetrician:
Obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN):
Nat/o: birth
Natologist or neonatologist:
Female Reproductive System
Anatomy Terms
Colp/o or vagin/o: vagina
Cervic/o: cervix
Hyster/o or uter/o or metr/o:
Uterus or womb
Perine/o: perineum
Salping/o: tube (usually
fallopian)
Vulv/o or episi/o: vulva
Oophor/o or ovari/o: ovary
Female Reproductive System
Anatomy Terms
Mamm/o or mast/o: breast
Galact/o or lact/o: milk
Lactation: The process of
producing milk for the
nourishment of the newborn
Female Reproductive System Other
Terms
Amni/o: amnion, amniotic fluid,
amniotic sac
Men/o: menses or menstruation
Estrogen and progesterone:
important hormones secreted by
the ovaries
Gravida: pregnancy (gravida 3,
gravida 6)
Para: The number of births (para 2,
para 5)
Female Reproductive System Suffixes
-arche: beginning
-cyesis: pregnancy
-gravida: pregnant woman
-para: to bear offspring
-salpinx: tube (usually referring to the fallopian tube)
-tocia: childbirth or labor
-version: turning
**Don’t forget the ones we have already talked about,
like –scopy, and –it is, and –oma, and –rrhaphy etc.
Male
Reproductive
System
Anatomy Terms
Andr/o: male
Balan/o: glans penis
Gonad/o: gonads or sex glands
Orch/o or orchi/o or orchid/o or
test/o: testis (plural: testes)
Spermat/o or sperm/i or
sperm/o: spermatozoa or
sperm cells
Varic/o: dilated vein
Vas/o: vessel or vas deferens
Vesicul/o: seminal vesicle
Prostat/o: prostate
Female Reproductive System
Pathology
Candidiasis: vaginal fungal
infection characterized by
a curdy discharge and
intense itching. Most
often caused by Candida
albicans.
Ectopic pregnancy:
implantation of the
fertilized ovum outside of
the uterine cavity
Endometriosis: presence of
endometrial tissue outside
of the uterine cavity
http://www.publichealthwatchdog.com/what-is-anectopic-pregnancy/
Female Reproductive System
Pathology
Fibroid: benign neoplasm in the
uterus that is composed largely
of fibrous tissue. Most common
tumor in women.
Leukorrhea: White vaginal
discharge
http://kitcameo.blogspot.com/2
009/04/fibroid-photos-warningvery-high-ick.html
Retroversion: turning back, or
tipped from its normal position
Sterility: inability for a woman to
get pregnant or a man to
impregnate a woman.
Female Reproductive System
Pathology
Pregnancy induced hypertension
(PIH): potentially life threatening
disorder characterized by edema
and proteinuria
Preeclampsia: nonconvulsive form
of PIH
Eclampsia: convulsive form of PIH
Toxic shock syndrome: Rare,
potentially fatal staphylococcus
infection linked to the use of some
tampons
Trichomoniasis: sexually transmitted
protozoan parasite that can infect
the vagina, urethra, and prostate
Male Reproductive System Pathology
Anorchism: Congenital absence
of one or both testes
Balanitis: inflammation of the
skin covering the glans penis
Cryptorchidism: Failure of one
or both testes to decend into
the scrotum
Epispadias: Congenital defect
in which the urethra opens on
the upper side of the penis
Male Reproductive System Pathology
Impotence: inability to
achieve or maintain a
penile erection. Often
referred to as erectile
dysfunction.
Phimosis: Stenosis or
narrowness of the
preputial orifice so that the
foreskin cannot be pushed
back.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Chlamydia: The most prevalent of
the STDs. Bacterial infection that
can cause cervicitis and other
pelvic infections in women and
urethritis in men.
Genital warts: warts in the genital
area caused by the human
papillomavirus (HPV).
Gonorrhea: Bacterial infection that
commonly affects the
genitourinary tract.
Herpes genitalis: Male or female
infection of the genital and
anorectal skin caused by the
herpes simplex virus 2
Syphilis: Infectious chronic STD that
is characterized by lesions called
chancres than may eventually
involve any organ or tissue.
Reproductive System Diagnostics and
Treatment
Vasectomy: Excision of the vas
deferens to induce sterility
Circumcision: Surgical removal of the
foreskin or prepuce of the penis,
usually performed on the male as
an infant
Transurethral resection of the
prostate (TURP): Surgical
procedure to relieve obstruction
caused by benign prostatic
hyperplasia by insertion of a
resectoscope into the penis and
through the urethra to chip away at
prostatic tissue and flush away
chips.
Reproductive System
Diagnostics and
Treatment
Amniocentesis: surgical puncture of of
the amniotic sac under ultrasound
guidance to remove amniotic fluid
Colposcopy: examniation of the vagina
and cervix with an optical magnifying
instrument
Hysterosalpingography: radiography of
the uterus and oviducts after injection
of a contrast medium
Laparoscopy: Visual examination of the
abdominal cavity with a laparoscope
through one or more small incisions in
the abdominal wall.
Reproductive System
Diagnostics and
Treatment
Mammography: radiography of
the breast, used to diagnose
tumors
Papinicalaou (Pap) test:
microscopic analysis of cells
taken from the cervix and
vagina to detect the presence
of cancer.
Ultrasonography: Imaging
technique that uses high
frequency sound waves.
Reproductive System Diagnostics and
Treatment
Lumpectomy: excision of a small
breast tumor and some of the
normal tissue that surrounds it.
Dilation and curettage (D&C):
surgical procedure that widens the
cervical canal so that the
endometrium of the uterus can be
scraped.
Cerclage: obstetric procedure where
a nonabsorbable suture is used for
holding the cervix closed to
prevent miscarriage in a woman
with an incompetent cervix
Reproductive System Diagnostics and
Treatment
Mastectomy: complete or partial excision of one or
both breasts most commonly performed to
remove a malignant tumor
Total: excision of the entire breast, nipple,
areola, and the involved overlying skin.
Sometimes called a simple mastectomy.
Modified radical: Excision of the entire breast,
including lymph nodes in the underarm.
Radical: Excision of the entire breast, all the
underarm lymph nodes, and chest wall muscles
under the breast.
Reproductive System Diagnostics and
Treatment
Reconstructive breast surgery: Reconstruction of a
breast that has been removed due to cancer or other
disease.
Tissue expansion: Common technique in which a
balloon expander is inserted beneath the skin and
chest muscle, saline solution is gradually injected to
increase size and then the expander is replaced with
a more permanent implant
Transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flap:
Surgical creation of a skin flap (using skin and fat
from the lower half of the abdomen) which is passed
under the skin to the breast area, shaped into a
natural looking breast, and sutured into place.