Chapter One: Medical Terminology Flashcards
acronym
abbreviation formed using the first letter of each word in a phrase
combining forms
word root combined with vowel that links the root with another word part (suffix +root; root + root)
combining forms are shown with a slash between the root and the vowel (neur/o)
compound word
a word that contains more than one root
prefix
a word part added before a root to modify its meaning
root
fundamental unit of a word
suffix
word part added to the end of a root to modify its meaning
suffixes meaning “condition of”
- ia; dementia
- ism; racism
- sis; thrombosis
- y; atony
suffixes for medical specialties
- ian; specialist in a field of study (physician)
- iatrics; medical specialty (pediatrics)
- iatry; medical specialty (psychiatry)
- ics; medical specialty (orthopedics)
- ist; specialist in field of study (podiatrist)
- logy; study of (physiology)
suffixes meaning “pertaining to,” “like,” or “resembling”
- ac
- al
- ar
- ary
- form
- ic
- ical (ic + al)
- ile
- oid
- ory
- ous
singular and plural endings
singular: a en ex, ix, yx is ma nx (anx, inx, ynx) on um us
plural: ae ina ices es mata nges a a i
prefixes for numbers
prim/i: first mon/o: one uni: one hemi: half; one sided semi: half; partial bi: two; twice di: two, twice dipl/o: double tri: three quadr/i: four tetra: four multi: many poly: many; much
prefixes for colors
cyan/o: blue erythr/o: red leuk/o: white; colorless melan/o: black; dark xanth/o: yellow
negative prefixes
a-, an: not, without, lack of, absence anti: against contra: against, opposite, opposed de: down, without, removal, loss dis: absence, removal, separation in-, im: not (in or into) non: not un: not
prefixes for direction
ab: away from
ad: toward, near
dia: through
per: through
trans: through
prefixes for degree
hyper: over, excess, abnormally high, increased
hypo: under, below, abnormally low, decreased (may also indicate position)
oligo/o: few, scanty
pan: all
super: above, excess (may also indicate position)
prefixes for size and comparison
equi: equal, same
eu: true, good, easy, normal
hetero: other, different, unequal
homo-, homeo: same, unchanging
iso: equal, same
macro: large, abnormally large
mega-, megal/o: large, abnormally large
micro: small
neo: new
normo: normal
ortho: straight, correct, upright
poikilo: varied, irregular
pseudo: false
re: again, back
prefixes for time and/or position
ante: before
pre: before, in front of
pro: before, in front of
post: after, behind
prefixes for position
dextr/o: right sinistr/o: left ec-, ecto: out, outside ex/o: away from, outside end/o: in, within mes/o: middle syn-, sym: together tel/e-, tel/o: end, far, at a distance
