Chapter One: Medical Terminology

Question 1

acronym

Answer 1

abbreviation formed using the first letter of each word in a phrase

Question 2

combining forms

Answer 2

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)

Question 3

compound word

Answer 3

a word that contains more than one root

Question 4

prefix

Answer 4

a word part added before a root to modify its meaning

Question 5

root

Answer 5

fundamental unit of a word

Question 6

suffix

Answer 6

word part added to the end of a root to modify its meaning

Question 7

suffixes meaning “condition of”

Answer 7

• ia; dementia
• ism; racism
• sis; thrombosis
• y; atony

Question 8

suffixes for medical specialties

Answer 8

• 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)

Question 9

suffixes meaning “pertaining to,” “like,” or “resembling”

Answer 9

• ac
• al
• ar
• ary
• form
• ic
• ical (ic + al)
• ile
• oid
• ory
• ous

Question 10

singular and plural endings

Answer 10

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

Question 11

prefixes for numbers

Answer 11

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

Question 12

prefixes for colors

Answer 12

cyan/o: blue
erythr/o: red
leuk/o: white; colorless
melan/o: black; dark
xanth/o: yellow

Question 13

negative prefixes

Answer 13

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

Question 14

prefixes for direction

Answer 14

ab: away from
ad: toward, near
dia: through
per: through
trans: through

Question 15

prefixes for degree

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

prefixes for size and comparison

Answer 16

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

Question 17

prefixes for time and/or position

Answer 17

ante: before
pre: before, in front of
pro: before, in front of
post: after, behind

Question 18

prefixes for position

Answer 18

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