Etymology of the word carotid

karotides Greek, the arteries of the neck < karos heavy sleep <

karoun to choke, to stupefy.

Ancient Greek physicians named the principal arteries of the neck as the carotid arteries with that adjective because they thought pressing hard on these arteries made mammals and humans become sleepy or lose consciousness. The two carotid arteries are the main blood supply to the head and neck from the heart. If they are obstructed, brain tissue loses oxygen with a damaging, sometimes fatal result.

When a blood clot lodges in the carotid arteries that supply blood to the brain, the result is a stroke. In martial arts, there are two places on the neck where, if sufficient pressure is applied on a carotid artery, the victim may lose consciousness.

Note that in Russian sonnaya arteriya is ‘carotid artery.’ Sonnyy means ‘sleepy,’ so sonnaya arteriya is literally the ‘sleepy artery.’

Taking the carotid pulse is a common diagnostic procedure.

Etymology of the word artery

arteria Greek, airpipe < aerterion air duct < aer air + terein to carry; now in medicine, any of the large vessels that carry blood away from the heart

Some medical word origins show us the mistakes of early anatomists. Ancient Greek doctors thought arteries carried air, instead of blood being circulated away from the heart. They erred because most ancient anatomy lessons had to be learned from corpses. But, after death, arteries are nearly empty, most post mortem blood being found in veins. In arterial bleeding, arterial blood spurts and is bright red. Venous blood, on the other hand, having lost most of its oxygen, is a darker red and flows rather than spurts.

Other Medical Terms Related to Artery

ABGs

Arterial Blood Gases

Laboratory determination of the blood pH and of levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in arterial blood are important in diagnosis and treatment of diseases like emphysema.

What is pH? (from Wikipedia)

pH is a measure of the activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution and, therefore, its acidity or alkalinity. The pH value is a number without units, usually between 0 and 14, that indicates whether a solution is acidic (pH < 7), neutral (pH = 7), or basic/alkaline (pH > 7).

The p stands for the German word Potenz, meaning power or potency, and the H for the hydrogen ion (H+). Sometimes it is referred as Latin pondus hydrogenii (the 'weight' of hydrogen).

Examples of pH readings:

Gastric acid 2.0

Lemon juice 2.4

Vinegar 2.9

Beer 4.5

Coffee 5.0

Acid rain <5.6

Pure water 7.0   neutral pH value

Human saliva 6.5 - 7.4

Blood 7.34 – 7.45

Sea water 8.0

Hand soap 9.0 – 10.0

Household ammonia 11.5

Bleach 12.5

Household lye 13.5

arteri-ola

arteria + -ola noun suffix indicating smallness

An arteriola or ateriole is the smallest branch of an artery, leading to a network of capillaries.

arterio-gram

arteria + gramma Greek: letter, something written, something drawn, picture, then with the modern meaning of ‘recorded or x-rayed or digitized image’

An arteriogram is an x-ray of an artery that has been injected with a radiopaque contrast medium (dye) so that the possibly clogged lumen of the artery will show up on the x-ray.

arterio-scler-osis

arteria + skleros Greek, hardened + -osis diseased condition

Arteriosclerosis is hardening of the arteries, which may accompany old age or be symptomatic of diseases like hypertension. The arterial walls lose their elastic quality and calcium salts accumulate in arterial tissue so that blood flow to the brain and the arms and legs is severely reduced.

In this somewhat cheesy graphic, the word femoral is misspelled.

The major arteries are shown. The vascular system is a network of blood vessels including arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries carry oxygen and nutrients to the body; veins return blood from the tissues to the heart. Vascular disease refers to changes that can occur in blood vessels affecting the normal flow of blood. These disorders can be life- or limb-threatening and can run in families.

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