Intro to Medical Terminology Flashcards
Chapter 1
Combining form
A word root that has a vowel, usually the letter “o,” put on the end before the addition of another word root or suffix
Word Roots
The word parts that usually, but not always, indicate the part of the body involved
Suffixes
The word part attached at the end of word that usually, but not always, indicates the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.
Prefixes
The word part attached at the beginning of word that usually, but not always, indicates location, time, number, or status.
-algia
pain, suffering
-dynia
pain
-ectomy
surgical removal, cutting out
-gram
picture or record
hyper-
excessive, increased
hypo-
deficient, decreased
-itis
inflammation
-osis
abnormal condition, disease
-ostomy
The surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface
pre-
in front of, before
-plasty
surgical repair
-rrhage
Bleeding, abnormal excessive fluid discharge
-rrhaphy
Surgical suturing
-rreah
Flow or discharge
-sclerosis
Abnormal hardening
Abdominocentesis
surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity to remove fluid
Acute
condition that has a rapid onset, a severe course, and a relatively short duration
angiography
process of producing an x-ray, or radiographic study, of the blood vessels after the injection of a contrast medium
Appendectomy
surgical removal of the appendix
Arteriosclerosis
abnormal hardening of the walls of an artery or arteries
Arthralagia
pain in a joint or joints
Colostomy
surgical creation of an artificial excretory opening between the colon and the body surface
Cyanosis
blue discoloration of the skin caused by lack of adequate oxygen in the blood
Dermatologist
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the skin
Diagnosis (DX)
the identification of a disease
Diarrhea
the frequent flow of loose or watery stools
Edema
swelling caused by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in cells, tissues, or cavities of the body
Endarterial
pertaining to the interior or lining of an artery
Eponym
a disease, structure, operation, or procedure named for the person who discovered or described it first.
Erythrocyte
a mature red blood cell
Fissure
a groove or crack-like sore of the skin; also normal folds in the contours of the brain.
Fistula
an abnormal passage, usually between two internal organs or leading from an organ to the surface of the body.
Gastralgia
pain in the stomach
Gastritis
inflammation of the stomach lining
Gastroenteritis
inflammation of the stomach and small intestine
Gastrosis
any disease of the stomach
Hemorrhage
the loss of a large amount of blood in a short time
Hepatomegaly
abnormal enlargement of the liver
Hypertension
higher-than-normal blood pressure
Hypotension
lower-than-normal blood pressure
Infection
invasion of the body by a pathogenic organism
Inflammation
a localized response to an injury or to the destruction of tissues
Interstitial
between, but not within, the parts of a tissue.
Intramuscular
within the muscle
Laceration
a torn or jagged wound or an accidental cut
Lesion
a pathologic change of tissues due to disease or injury
malaise
a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness that is often the first indication of an infection or other disease
Mycosis
any abnormal condition or disease caused by a fungus.
Myelopathy
any injury, degeneration or disease in the spinal cord
Myopathy
any pathologic change or disease of muscle tissue.
Natal
pertaining to birth
Neonatology
the study of disorders of the newborn
Neurorrhaphy
suturing together the ends of a severed nerve
Otorhinolaryngology
study of the ears, nose, and throat.
Palpation
an examination technique in which the examiner’s hands are used to feel the texture, size, consistency, and location of certain body parts
Palpitation
a pounding or racing heart
Pathology
the study of all aspects of diseases.
Phalanges
the bones of the fingers and toes.
Poliomyelitis
a viral infection of the gray nerve tissue of the spinal cord.
Prognosis
a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease
Pyoderma
any acute, inflammatory, pus-forming bacterial skin infection such as impetigo
Pyrosis
discomfort due to the regurgitation of stomach acid upward into the esophagus
Remission
the temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a disease without having achieved a cure
Sign
objective evidence of disease, such as a fever
Supination
the act of rotating the arm so that the palm of the hand is forward or upward.
Suppuration
the formation of pus
Supracostal
above or outside the ribs.
Symptom
subjective evidence of a disease, such as pain or a headache.
Syndrome
a set of signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a specific disease process.
tenorrhaphy
surgical suturing of a tendon.
tonsillitis
inflammation of the tonsils.
trauma
wound or injury.
triage
the medical screening of patients to determine their relative priority of need and the proper place of treatment.
viral
pertaining to a virus.
cyan/o
means blue
erythr/o
means red
leuk/o
means white
melan/o
means black
poli/o
means gray
-ac
pertaining to
-al
pertaining to
-an
pertaining to
-ar
pertaining to
-ary
pertaining to
-eal
pertaining to
-ical
pertaining to
-ial
pertaining to
-ic
pertaining to
-ine
pertaining to
-ior
pertaining to
-ory
pertaining to
-ous
pertaining to
-tic
pertaining to
-ago
abnormal condition or disease
-esis
abnormal condition or disease
-ia
abnormal condition or disease
-iasis
abnormal condition or disease
-ion
abnormal condition or disease
-ism
abnormal condition or disease
-pathy
abnormal condition or disease
Pathology
the study of all aspects of diseases
path-
disease
-ology
study of
gastr/o
stomach
-megaly
enlargement
hepat/o
liver
-malacia
abnormal softening
arteri/o
artery
-necrosis
tissue death
-stenosis
abnormal narrowing
-centesis
a surgical puncture to remove fluid for diagnostic purposes or to remove excess fluid
abdomin/o
abdomen
angi/o
blood vessel
-graphy
the process of producing a picture or record
my/o
muscle
-scopy
visual examination
arthr/o
joint
hem/o
blood
ten/o
tendon
Perinatal
refers to the time and events surrounding birth; the time just before, during, and just after birth.
peri-
means surrounding
nat
means birth
ab-
away from, negative, absent
ad-
toward, to, in the direction of
dextro-
right side
sinistro-
left side
ex-
out of, outside, away from
in-
in, into, not, without
macro-
large, abnormal size, or long
micro-
small
mega- , megalo-
large, great
oligo-
scanty, few
pre-
before
post-
behind, after
dys-
bad, difficult, or painful
eu-
good, normal, well, or easy
inter-
means between or among
intra-
means within or inside
sub-
means under, less, or below
super- , supra-
above or excessive
laryng
larynx or throat
ot/o
ear
rhin/o
nose
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -a
-ae (vertebra, vertebrae)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -ex or -ix
-ices (index, indicies)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -is
-es (diagnosis, diagnoses)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -itis
-is ending is changed to -ides (meningitis, meningitides)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -nx
-x ending changed to -ges (phalanx, phalanges)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -on
-a (criterion, criteria)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -um
-a (ovum, ova)
typical plural form of a suffix ending in -us
-i (alveolus, alveoli)
differential diagnosis (D/DX)
also known as a rule out (R/O), is an attempt to determine which one of several possible diseases is causing the signs and symptoms that are present
end-
within
ather/o
plaque or fatty substance
-oma
tumor
-otomy
cutting or a surgical incision
localized
near the point of entry
systemic
affecting the entire body
exudate
any fluid, such as pus, that leaks out of an infected wound
myc/o
fungus
myel/o
bone marrow or spinal cord
pyel/o
renal pelvis, which is part of the kidney
py/o
pus
pyr/o
fever or fire
Virile
having the nature, properties, or qualities of an adult male
