Med Term Unit 2 Full Word List 2024 Flashcards
abdominal
pertaining to the abdomen (belly)
abrupt
sudden
acute
occuring suddenly (cf. chronic or insidious)
afebrile
without fever
alert
in a state of vigilance
anatomical
pertaining to anatomy
anatomy
body structure
anterior
toward the front (in humans, same as ventral)
antrum
body cavity
auscultation
the act of listening through a stethoscope
benign
not harmful
bilateral
on two sides (cf. unilateral)
cardiovascular
pertaining to the heart and blood vessels
caudal
towards the tail (buttocks)
chronic
occurring over a long time (cf. acute)
contralateral
on the opposite side
coronal
anatomical plane that divides the body into front and back (same as frontal)
cranial
toward or pertaining to the head
degeneration
the process of falling apart
diagnosis
the recognition of a disease from its signs and symptoms
differential
separating one thing from another
discharge
releasing from the hospital
disease
condition of being unwell (literally, “without ease”)
disposition
frame of mind; outcome
distal
further away from the point of attachment (generally used only for extremities; cf. proximal)
dorsal
pertaining to the back
dorsum
the back
dyslipidemia
condition of abnormal fats in the blood
endocrinology
study of internal secretions (i.e. hormones)
epidemiology
study of a disease in a population
epigastric
on top of the stomach
etiology
study of the origins of an illness
exacerbation
the process of getting worse
febrile
with a fever
frontal
anatomical plane that divides the body into front and back (same as coronal)
genetic
pertaining to birth; a condition you are born with
hereditary
passed down through the genes
homeostasis
balance in body systems (literally, “keeping things the same”)
horizontal
anatomical plane that divides the body into top and bottom (same as transverse)
hypertension
abnormal condition of blood pressure that is too high
hypochondriac
below the rib cartilage
hypogastric
below the stomach
hypotension
abnormal condition of blood pressure that is too low
hypoxia
abnormal condition of oxygen concentration in the blood that is too low
ictal
occurring suddenly
idiopathic
without obvious cause; a disease that seems to come out of nowhere
iliac
pertaining to the flank
impression
initial observations made by a clinician
indolent
not causing pain; low priority for treatment
inferior
toward the bottom
inguinal
pertaining to the groin
insidious
slow and “sneaky” onset of a disease
ipsilateral
on the same side
lateral
toward the side (away from the midline, cf. medial)
lesion
damage or injury
lethargic
appearing to be drowsy
localized
in one place, not widespread
lumbar
pertaining to the back
malaise
disease, sickness
malignant
harmful
marked
especially noticeable (pronounced “mark-ud”)
medial
toward the midline (away from the side, cf. lateral)
metastasis
movement from one place to another
microscope
device for seeing small things
morbidity
pertaining to disease
mortality
pertaining to death
noncontributory
not relevant to the patient’s illness
observation
watching the patient to assess further development of signs or symptoms
occult
hidden; in an unexpected place
oriented
a patient knows where, when, and who they are
palliative
care not designed to cure, but to make the patient more comfortable
palmar
towards or pertaining to the palm
palpation
examining by touching
pathogen
an organism that gives rise to disease
pathology
study of disease
pathophysiology
study of body dysfunction in disease
pending
waiting for results
percussion
examining by tapping
physiology
study of body function
plantar
towards or pertaining to the underside of the foot
posterior
toward the back (in humans, same as dorsal)
prognosis
predicting the future of a disease
progressive
getting worse over time
prone
face down (cf. supine)
prophylaxis
treatment to prevent or discourage disease
proximal
closer to the point of attachment (generally used only for extremities; cf. distal)
radiographic
making an image using X-rays or other radiation
reassurance
to give encouragement to help a patient’s progress
recurrent
happening over and over again
remission
process of a disease going away
reproductive
to bring into existence again; pertaining to the process of creating children
rostral
toward the nose
sagittal
anatomical plane that divides the body into left and right
sequelae
things that come out one after another; result of an illness (pronounced “sequel-ay”)
skeletal
pertaining to the bones of the body
sterile
unable to reproduce (of individuals or of micro-organisms)
superior
toward the top
supine
face up (cf. prone)
supportive
lifting up
symptom
abnormal feelings reported by the patient (cf. signs, which are the result of objective clinical tests)
syndrome
symptoms which occur together
systemic
pertaining to an entire organ system or the entire body
transverse
anatomical plane that divides the body into top and bottom (same as horizontal)
umbilical
pertaining to the navel (“belly-button”)
unilateral
on one side (cf. bilateral)
unremarkable
not prominent; not important
vasodilation
increase in the diameter of a blood vessel
ventral
pertaining to the abdomen (belly)