Chapter 1 Flashcards
ilium
a part of the hip bone
ileum
refers to a part of the small intestine
urethra
the tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body
ureter
is one of two tubes, each leading from a single kidney and inserting into the urinary bladder
root
the foundation of the word
ex: hemat/o/logy
in this case hemat is the root
suffix
->the word ending
->ex: hemat/o/logy
in this case “logy” means process of study
It is useful to read the meaning of medical terms starting from the suffix and then going back to the beginning of the term
true
Electrocardiogram
- > Electr= root (electricity)
- > o= combining vowel
- > cardi= root (heart)
- > o= combining vowel
- > gram= suffix (record)
=record of electricity in the heart
gastritis
- > gastr = root (stomach)
- > itis= suffix (inflammation)
=inflammation of the stomach
gastroenterology
- > gastr = root (stomach)
- > enter= root (intestines)
- > logy= suffix (process of study)
process of study of the stomach and intestines
When a term contains two or more roots related to parts of the body, anatomic position often determines which root goes before the other. For example, the stomach receives food first, before the small intestine—so the word is formed as gastroenterology
true
3 general rules
- read the meaning of medical terms from the suffix back to the beginning of the term and across
- drop the combining vowel, usually “o”, before a suffix beginning with a vowel: gastritis…. NOT “gastroitis”
- keep the combining vowel between 2 roots
combining form
this is simply the root plus the combining vowel.
ex: Hemat/o means blood
* combining form= root + combining vowel
ex:Gastr/o means stomach
prefix
is a small part attached to the beginning of a term
-> not all medical terms contain prefixes
ex: Hypogastric
-Hypo= prefix (below)
-Gastr= root (stomach)
-Ic= suffix (pertaining to)
= pertaining to below the stomach
ex: Epigastric
-Epi= prefix (above)
-Gastr= root (stomach)
-Ic= suffix (pertaining to)
= pertaining to above the stomach
Summary: important parts of a medical term include the following
- Root: foundation of the term
- Suffix: word ending
- Prefix: word beginning
- Combining Vowel: vowel (usually o) that links the root to the suffix or the root to another root
- Combining Form: combination of the root and the combining vowel
aden/o
Meaning: gland
Example:
-adenoma: the suffix -OMA means tumor or mass
-adenitis: the suffix -ITIS means inflammation
arthr/o
Meaning: joint
Example:
-arthritis: inflammation of the joint
bi/o
Meaning: life
Example:
-biology: The suffix -LOGY is composed of the root log (study) and the final suffix -y (process or condition)
-biopsy: The suffix -OPSY means process of viewing. Living tissue is removed from the body and viewed under a microscope
carcin/o
Meaning: cancerous, cancer
Example:
-carcinoma: Cancerous tumor.
cardi/o
Meaning: heart
Example:
-cardiology
cephal/o
Meaning: head
Example:
-Cephalic: The suffix -ICK means pertaining to. A cephalic presentation describes a “head first” position for the delivery of an infant
cerebrovascular accident
Meaning: Stroke
Cerebr/o
Meaning: Cerebrum (largest part of the brain)
Example:
-cerebral: The suffix -AL means pertaining to
cis/o
Meaning: To cut
Example:
-incision: The prefix -IN means into, and the suffix -ION means process
-excision: The prefix -EX means out
crin/o
Meaning: To secrete (to form and give off)
Example:
-endocrine glands: The prefix -ENDO means within
-exocrine glands
cyst/o
Meaning: urinary bladder; a sac or a cyst (sac containing fluid)
Example:
- cystoscopy: The suffix
- SCOPY is a complex suffix that includes the root scop, meaning visual examination, and the final suffix -Y, meaning process
cyt/o
Meaning: cell
Example:
-cytology
derm/o
Meaning: skin
Example:
-dermatitis: inflammation of the skin
dermat/o
Example:
-hypodermic: The prefix -HYPO means under or below
electr/o
Meaning: electricity
Example:
-electrocardiogram: The suffix -GRAM means record.
encephal/o
Meaning: brain
Example: electroencephalogram (EEG)
enter/o
Meaning: intestines (usually the small intestine)
Example:
-enteritis: inflammation of the small intestine
erythr/o
Meaning: red
Example:
- erythrocyte: The suffix
- CYTE means cell.
gastr/o
Meaning: stomach
Example:
- gastrectomy: The suffix
- ECTOMY means excision or removal. All or, more commonly, part of the stomach is removed.
gastronomy: The suffix
- TOMY is another complex suffix, which contains the root TOM, meaning to cut, and the final suffix -Y, meaning process of.
glyc/o
Meaning: sugar
Example:
-Hyperglycemia
gnos/o
Meaning: knowledge
Example:
- diagnosis: The prefix -DIA means complete. The suffix
- SIS means state or condition of. A state of complete knowledge.
-prognosis: The prefix -PRO means before. Literally, “knowledge before”, a prognosis is a prediction about the outcome of an illness, but it is always given after the diagnosis has been determined.
gynec/o
Meaning: woman, female
Example: gynecology
hemat/o
Meaning: blood
Example: hematology
hem/o
Example:
- hematoma: In this term,
- OMA means a mass or collection of blood, rather than a growth of cells (tumor). A hematoma forms when blood escapes from blood vessels and collects as a clot in a cavity or organ or under the skin.
- hemoglobin: The suffix
- GLOBIN means protein.
hepat/o
Meaning: liver
Example: hepatitis
iatr/o
Meaning: treatment, physician
Example:
-iatrogenic: The suffix -GENIC means pertaining to producing, produced by, or produced in. Iatrogenic conditions are adverse effects that result from treatment or intervention by a physician.
leuk/o
Meaning: white
Example:
-leukocyte: white blood cell
log/o
Meaning: study of
Example:
-dermatology
nephr/o
Meaning: kidney
Example:
-nephritis
-nephrology
hyperglycemia and diabetes
Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is frequently associated with diabetes. People with diabetes have high blood sugar levels because they lack insulin (in type 1 diabetes) or have ineffective insulin (in type 2 diabetes).
Insulin is the hormone normally released by the pancreas to “escort” sugar from the bloodstream into cells. Sugar is then broken down in cells to release energy. When insulin is not present, sugar cannot enter cells and builds up in the bloodstream (hyperglycemia).
onc/o
Meaning: tumor (cancerous)
Example:
-oncology
-oncologist: The suffix -IST means one who specializes in a field or medicine
ophthalm/o
Meaning: eye
Example:
- ophthalmoscope: The suffix
- SCOPE means an instrument for visual examination.
oste/o
Meaning: bone
Example:
-osteitis: inflammation of the bone
-osteoarthritis: This condition of aging is actually a degeneration of bones and joints often accompanied by inflammation
path/o
Meaning: disease
Example:
-pathology
-pathologist: examines biopsy samples microscopically and examines dead bodies to determine the cause of death
ped/o
Example:
- pediatric
- Notice that ped/o is also in the term orthopedist. Orthopedists once were doctors who straightened (orth/o means straight) children’s bones and corrected deformities. Nowadays, orthopedists specialize in disorders of bones and muscles in people of all ages.
psych/o
Meaning: mind
Example:
-psychology
-psychiatrist
radi/o
Meaning: x-rays
Example:
-radiology: low-energy x-rays are used for diagnostic imaging
ren/o
Meaning: kidney
Example:
-renal
-Ren/o (latin) and nephr/o (greek) both mean kidney. Ren/o is used with -AL (latin) to describe the kidney.
Nephr/o is used with other suffixes such as -OSIS, -ITIS, and -ECTOMY (greek) to describe abnormal conditions and operative procedures
rhin/o
Meaning: nose
Example:
-rhinitis
sarc/o
Meaning: flesh
Example:
-sarcoma: this is a cancerous (malignant) tumor. A sarcoma grows from cells of “fleshy” connective tissue such as muscle, bone, and fat.
Whereas, a carcinoma (another type of cancerous tumor) grows from epithelial cells that line the outside of the body or the inside of organs in the body.
sect/o
meaning: to cut
example:
-resection: The prefix -RE means back. A resection is a cutting back in the sense of cutting or removal (excision). A gastric resection is a gastrectomy, or excision of the stomach
thromb/o
meaning: clot, clotting
example:
-thrombocyte: also known as platelets, these cells help clot blood.
a thrombus is the actual clot that forms, and thrombosis (-OSIS means condition) is the condition of clot formation
ur/o
Meaning: urinary tract, urine
example:
-urologist: a surgeon who operates on the urinary tract and the organs of the male reproductive system
nephrologist
is an internal medicine specialist (nonsurgical) who diagnoses and treats disorders of kidneys.
Suffix:
-ac
Meaning: pertaining to
Term: cardiac
Suffix:
-al
Meaning: pertaining to
Term: neural
Suffix:
-algia
Meaning: pain
Term: arthralgia
Suffix:
-cyte
Meaning: cell
Term: erythrocyte
Suffix:
-ectomy
Meaning: excision, removal
Term: nephrectomy
Suffix:
-emia
Meaning: blood condition
term: leukemia
Suffix:
-genic
Meaning: pertaining to producing, produced by, or produced in
Term:
-carcinogenic: cigarette smoke is carcinogenic
- pathogenic: many viruses and bacteria are pathogenic organisms
- osteogenic sarcoma: this is a malignant tumor produced in bone
Suffix:
-globin
Meaning: protein
Term: hemoglobin
Suffix:
-gram
Meaning: record
Term: electrocephalogram
Suffix:
-ic, ical
Meaning: pertaining to
Term:
-
-neurologic: Log/o means study of
Suffix:
-ion
Meaning: process
term: excision
Suffix:
-ist
Meaning: specialist
term: ophthalmologist
Suffix:
-itis
Meaning: inflammation
term: cystitis
Suffix:
-logy
meaning: process of study
term: endocrinology
Suffix:
-oma
meaning: tumor, mass, swelling
term: hepatoma. a hepatoma (hepatocellular carcinoma) is a malignant tumor of the liver
Suffix:
-opsy
meaning: process of viewing
term: biopsy. biopsy specimens are obtained and viewed under a microscope
Ophthalmologist
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating (surgically and medically) disorders of the eye.
Optometrist
a healthcare professional who examines (metr/o= to measure) eyes and prescribes corrective lenses and may treat eye diseases
Optician
a person who grinds lenses and fits glasses but does not examine eyes, prescribe corrective lenses, or treat eye diseases
Suffix:
-osis
Meaning: condition, usually abnormal (slight increase in numbers when used with white blood cells)
term:
- nephrosis
- leukocytosis: this condition, a slight increase in normal white blood cells, occurs as white blood cells multiply to fight an infection. Dont confuse leukocytosis with leukemia, which is a cancerous (malignant) condition marked by high levels of immature white blood cells.
Suffix:
-pathy
meaning: disease, condition
term:
- encephalopathy
-adenopathy: also known as lymphadenopathy, this condition refers to lymph nodes (collection of stationary cells along the path of lymph vessels) that are enlarged due to infection or during the spread of malignant (cancerous) tumors
Suffix:
-scope
meaning: instrument to visually examine
term: endoscope. -ENDO means within. A cystoscope is a type of endoscope. A periscope is a nonmedical term meaning an instrument to visually examine an area around (peri-) an obstacle.
Suffix:
-scopy
meaning: process of visually examining
- endoscopy. endoscopy is performed with an endoscope. A common endoscopic procedure is a colonoscopy (colon/o= colon or large intestine)
Suffix:
-sis
meaning: state of; condition
term: prognosis
Suffix:
-tomy
meaning: process of cutting, incision
term: osteotomy
Suffix:
-y
meaning: process, condition
term: gastroenterology
chronic traumatic encephalopathy
chronic (pertaining to over a long period of time) traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a serious brain injury associated with high-impact head trauma
Prefixes:
-a, an
meaning: no, not, without
term: anemia. Anemia is a decreased number of erythrocytes or an abnormality of the hemoglobin (a chemical) within the red blood cells. This results in decreased delivery of oxygen to cells of the body. Anemic patients look so pale that early physicians thought they were literally “without blood.”
Prefixes:
-aut, auto
meaning: self, own
term: autopsy. literally means process of viewing by oneself
Prefixes:
-dia
meaning: complete, through
term: diagnosis
Prefixes:
-endo
meaning: within
term: endocrinologist
Prefixes:
-epi
meaning: above, upon
term:
-epigastric
-epidermis
Prefixes:
-ex, exo
meaning: out, outside of, outward
term: excision, exocrine glands
Prefixes:
-hyper
meaning: excessive, above, more than normal
term: hyperthyroidism. The suffix -ISM means process or condition
Prefixes:
-hypo
meaning: deficient, below, under, less than normal
term: hypogastric. when
- HYPO is used with a part of the body, it means below
hypoglycemia. in this term,
- HYPO means deficient
Prefixes:
-in
meaning: into, in
term: incision
Prefixes:
-peri
meaning: surrounding, around
term: pericardium. The suffix -UM means a structure. The pericardium is the membrane that surrounds the heart.
Plurals
Terms ending in -is (diagnosis, prognosis) form their plural by dropping the -is and adding -es.
Hyperthyroidism
a hyperactive thyroid gland secretes a greater than normal amount of thyroxine. because thyroxine causes cells to burn fuel and release energy, signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism are increased energy levels, nervousness, tachycardia (increased heart rate), weight loss, and exophthalmos (bulging eyeballs)
Prefix:
-pro
meaning: before, forward
term: prostate gland. This exocrine gland “stands” (-STATE) before or in front of the male urinary bladder. it produces semen, which contains fluid and sperm cells
Prefix:
-re
meaning: back, backward, again
term: resection. this is an operation in which tissue is “cut back” or removed.
Prefix:
-retro
meaning: behind
term: retrocardiac
Prefix:
-sub
meaning: below, under
term: subhepatic
Prefix:
-trans
meaning: across, through
term: transhepatic
