calculi

DEFINITION of calculi

calculi are typically formed when mineral salts—such as calcium, oxalate, or uric acid—precipitate out of a body fluid (like urine, bile, or saliva) and crystallize into solid masses. These stones can vary in size from microscopic grains to several centimeters and often cause pain or infection when they block the natural flow of fluids through ducts or narrow passages.

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ETYMOLOGY of calculi

latin The term comes from the Latin calculus, meaning “small stone” or “pebble”. It is a diminutive of calx (genitive calcis), meaning “limestone” or “lime,” which is also the root for the element calcium and the word chalk. In ancient times, Romans used small pebbles on counting boards to perform arithmetic, which is why the same word eventually gave rise to the mathematical field of calculus.

Related terms

• Lithiasis: The process or condition of forming stones in the body (e.g., nephrolithiasis for kidney stones).
• -lith: A suffix meaning “stone” (from Greek lithos), used in terms like sialolith or phlebolith.​
• Concretion: A general term for any solid mass of mineral or organic material formed in the body.
• Crystallization: The chemical process by which a solid forms, where the atoms or molecules are highly organized into a structure known as a crystal.

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DERIVATIONS of calculi

TABLE definition AS Definition
FROM #medterm 
WHERE length(filter(roots, (word) => econtains([[]].roots, word))) > 0 AND file.name != [[]].file.name
SORT file.name ASC

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Query functionality

TABLE definition AS Definition
FROM #medterm 
WHERE length(filter(definition, (word) => econtains([[]].definition, word))) > 0 AND file.name != [[]].file.name

Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms