Medical Terminology Flashcards
a-, an-
no, not, without
apnea
anesthesia
not breathing
without feeling
ab-
away from
ad-
toward the center
aberrant
wandering away from
adduct
movement toward the midline
alb-
white
albino
person with abnormally white skin
ambi-
both sides
ambidextrous
able to use both hands well
ante-
before
antefebrile
before development of fever
anti-
against
antidote
works against a poison
auto-
self
autograft
graft transferred from patient’s own body
bi-
two, double
bicuspid
having two points
bio-
life
biology
study of life
brady-
slow
bradycardia
slow heart beat
chlor/o
green
chlorophyll
green pigment in plants
circum-
around; circular movement
circumference
distance around a circle
cirrh/o
yellow
con-
together, with
congenital
born with
contra-
against, opposed to
contraindicated
against what is indicated
cyan/o
blue
cyanosis
bluish color of skin
de-
from; down
descend
to come down from
dia-
through
diagnosis
knowledge through testing
dis-
free of, to undo
dislocation
undoing of any part of the body from its normal position
dys-
bad, difficult, painful
dyspnea
difficult breathing
ecto-
outside
ectopic
outside its normal location
endo-
within, inner
endoscope
instrument used to look inside the body
epi-
upon, over, above
epigastric
above the stomach
erythr/o
red
erythrocyte
mature red blood cell
ex-
out, away from
exhale
to breath out
exo-
outside, outward
exogenous
originating outside the body
extra-
outside, beyond
extrahepatic
outside the liver
glauc/o
gray/silver
glaucoma
disorder creating a gray gleam in affected eye
hemi-
half
hetero-
different
hemiplegia
paralysis on one side of body
heterogeneous
composed of different substances
homo/homeo-
same
homeogenesis
having the same origins
hydro-
water
hydrolysis
water involved in separating compounds
hyper-
above, beyond, excessive
hyperglycemia
blood glucose levels above normal
hypo-
below, under, deficient
hypoglycemia
blood glucose levels below normal
infra-
under, below
infracostal
below the rib
inter-
between
intercostal
between the ribs
intra-
within
intravenous
within a vein
jaund/o
yellow
jaundice
yellow discoloration of the skin
juxta-
near, beside
juxtapyloric
near the pylorus
leuk/o
white
leukocytes
white blood cells
macro-
large
macroscopic
large enough to be seen by the naked eye
mal-
bad, abnormal
malacia
abnormal softening of tissues
mega-
large, great
megacardia
enlarged heart
melan/o
black
melanoma
dark pigmented cancerous tumor
meso-
middle
mesoderm
middle layer of skin
meta-
beyond, after
metacarpal
bones after the carpal/wrist bone
micro-
small
microscopic
too small to be seen with naked eye
mono-
one
monochromatic
one color
neo-
new, recent
neonate
newborn infant
olig/o
small amount, few
oliguria
urinary output less than 400 ml/day
para-
beside, alongside
parahepatic
adjacent to the liver
peri-
around; about
pericardium
membrane surrounding the heart muscle
polio-
gray
poliomyelitis
inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord
poly-
many, much, excessive
polyuria
large amounts of urine
post-
after, behind
postprandial
after meals
pre-
before, in front of
presyncope
sensation that one is going to faint
primi-
first
primigravida
first pregnancy
pseudo-
false
pseudojaundice
yellow color of skin not due to elevated bilirubin
purpur/o
purple
purpura
purple skin discolorations
quadri-
four
quadriplegia
paralysis of all for extremities
re-
again or back
reactivate
to go make active again
retro-
back or behind
retronasal
back part of the nose
semi-
half
semiconscious
half conscious
sub-
under, below
subcutaneous
under the skin
supra-
above or over
supralumbar
located above the lumbar
syn-
together, joined
syndrome
group of symptoms joined by a common cause
tachy-
fast
tachycardia
rapid heartbeat
trans-
across, through
transabdominal
across the abdomen
tri-
three
triceps
a muscle having 3 heads
ultra-
beyond, excessive
ultrasound
sound waves at a very high frequency
uni-
one
uniocular
having only one eye
xanth/o
yellow
xanthoderma
yellow skin discoloration
secundi or secondo
second
tert or terti
third
-ac
pertaining to (cardiac: pertaining to the heart)
-algesia
sensitivity to pain (analgesia: without sensitivity to pain)
-algia
pain
cephalalgia
pain in the head
-ancy
condition of
pregnancy
condition of conceiving
-blast
embryonic state of development
leukoblast
immature white blood cell
-cele
swelling; herniation
cystocele
protrusion of urinary bladder through wall of another organ
-centesis
surgical puncture to aspirate or remove fluid
amniocentesis
removal of amniotic fluid
-clasis
break, fracture
osteoclasis
intentional fracture of a bone
-desis
binding, stabilization
arthrodesis
fixation of a join
-dynia
pain
cephalodynia
head pain
-ectasis/ectasia
dilation, expansion
gastrectomy
removal of stomach
gastrectasis
stretching of the stomach
-ectomy
excision
-emia
blood
hyperglycemia
excess glucose in the blood
-genesis
generating; formation
lithogenesis
form stone
-genic
producing
lithogenic
contributes to formation of stones
-gram
to record/write
cardiogram
heart beat recording
-graphy
process of recording
-gravida
pregnancy
multigravida
more than one pregnancy
electrocardiography
recording electrical activity of the heart
-ician
specialist in a field of study
-iatrist
one who treats
-ism
condition
hirsutism
condition of excessive body hair
-itis
inflammation
-lepsy
seizure, attack
narcolepsy
sudden attack of sleep
-lith
stone, calculus
rhinolith
stone in the nose
-lithiasis
formation of stones
cholelithiasis
formation of gallstones
-logy
study of
-logist
one who specializes in the study of
-lysis
destruction or detachment
-lytic
destruction
keratolytic
agent used to destoy hardened skin
-mania
a mental disorder
megalomania
mental disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur
-megaly
enlargement
cardiomegaly
enlargement of the heart
-meter
instrument used to measured
-oid
resembling
mucoid
resembling mucus
-ole
small or little
arteriole
small artery
-ology
study of; knowledge of
dermatology
knowledge of skin
-oma
tumor
hematoma
tumor filled with blood
-opia
a visual condition
-ory
pertaining to; characterized by
auditory
pertaining to hearing
-osis
condition of
cyanosis
condition of blueness
-ostomy
mouth, formation of opening
gastrostomy
formation of opening in stomach
-otomy
incision (cutting into tissue)
-oxia
oxygen
-pathy
disease
-penia
deficiency
adenopathy
disease of a gland
leukocytopenia
decrease in number of WBCs
-pexy
surgical fixation
hysteropexy
fixation of uterus
-philia
attraction to
-phobia
abnormal fear
-plasia
formation, growth
hyperplasia
excessive development
-plasty
surgical repair
-plegia
paralysis
-pnea
breathing
dyspnea
difficulty breathing
-ptosis
prolapse (sagging)
blepharoptosis
drooping of the upper eyelid