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RVT > Prefixes & Suffixes > Flashcards

Prefixes & Suffixes Flashcards

1
Q

-ALGIA (diagnostic)

A

Pain

Ex: neuralgia (nerve pain)

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2
Q

-DYNIA (diagnostic)

A

Pain

Ex: gastrodynia (pain in the stomach)

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3
Q

-EMIA (diagnostic)

A

Blood condition

Ex: leukemia (cancer of white blood cells)

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4
Q

-IA (diagnostic)

A

Condition, disease

Ex: polyuria (excessive urination)

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5
Q

-LEPSY (diagnostic)

A

Seizure or attack

Ex: epilepsy (disease of the nervous system marked by seizures)

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6
Q

-MALACIA (diagnostic)

A

Softening

Ex: chondromalacia (softening of the cartilage)

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7
Q

-MEGALY (diagnostic)

A

Enlargement

Ex: cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart)

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8
Q

-OMA (diagnostic)

A

Tumor, mass

Ex: sarcoma (cancerous tumor of connective tissue)

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9
Q

-OSIS (diagnostic)

A

Abnormal condition

Ex: dermatomycosis (fungal skin infection)

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10
Q

-PATHY (diagnostic)

A

Disease

Ex: myopathy (disease of muscle tissue)

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11
Q

-PENIA (diagnostic)

A

Deficiency

Ex: leukopenia (deficient number of white blood cells)

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12
Q

-PLEGIA (diagnostic)

A

Paralysis

Ex: quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs)

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13
Q

-SCLEROSIS (diagnostic)

A

Hardening

Ex: arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

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14
Q

-RRHAGE (diagnostic)

A

Bursting forth

Ex: hemorrhage (excessive bleeding)

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15
Q

-RRHEA (diagnostic)

A

Flow, discharge

Ex: menorrhea (normal menstrual flow)

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16
Q

-RRHEXIS (diagnostic)

A

Breaking open

Ex: cardiorrhexis (rupture of the heart)

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17
Q

-IC, -ICAL (adjectival)

A

Characteristic of/pertaining to
Ex: hypothermic (person suffers from low body temperature)
Ex: nephric (pertaining to the kidney)
Can function as both NOUNS and ADJECTIVES
Ex: one can have an epileptic (adj) seizure and also be an epileptic (noun)

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18
Q

-ID

A

Body or particle

Ex: plasmid (specialized ring of DNA) or chromatid (part of a chromosome strand)

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19
Q

-INE (adjectival)

A

Relating/pertaining to
Ex: equine (pertaining to, characteristic of, or derived from the horse)
Also means “chemical substance”
I.e. Many chemicals and medications also end with it

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20
Q

-IAC and -IAN

A

Relating to
Ex: cardiac (relating to the heart) and avian (relating to birds)
** not every suffix with -IA in it denotes a disease**

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21
Q

-ITE

A

Chemically it describes “salt or ester of an acid with a name ending in -OUS”
Ex: nitrate is “a salt or ester of nitrous acid”
Biologically it describes ”segment of a body part”
Ex: dendrite is “characteristic of apart of a nerve cell”
Most -ITIC words do NOT derive from -ITE, they derive from -ITIS

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22
Q

-ITIS (diagnostic)

A

Inflammation
Ex: laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx)
Adjective form = -ITIC (as in arthritic) means “characterized by inflammation” only when it comes from-ITIS
Incredibly common in medical terminology
** other than arthritic, the adjective form of -ITIS isn’t common, but BEWARE OF CONFUSING IT WITH WORDS THAT DERIVE FROM -ITE**

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23
Q

-PNEA (diagnostic)

A

Breathing
Ex: apnea (temporary cessation of breathing)
This suffix only refers to a body process (breathing)
depends on a prefix like A- or DYS- to supply diagnosis
Is a diagnostic suffix

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24
Q

What are diagnostic suffixes?

A

Suffixes that tell us that something about the body is not the way that it’s supposed to be
May indicate an abundance or deficiency ora presence or an absence

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25
What are procedural suffixes?
Suffixes to describe medical procedures
26
-CENTESIS (procedural)
Puncture and aspiration | Ex: abdominocentesis (puncture of abdominal cavity and aspiration to remove fluid)
27
-ECTOMY (procedural)
Surgical removal | Ex: appendectomy (surgical removal of appendix)
28
-GENIC (procedural)
Producing, forming | Ex: teratogenic (causing birth defects)
29
-GRAPHY (procedural)
Process of recording | Ex: electrocardiography (process of recording electrical activity of the heart)
30
-LYSIS (procedural)
Separation | Ex: dialysis (separation of waste materials from the blood)
31
-OPSY (procedural)
View of, vision | Ex: biopsy (removal of living tissue for examination)
32
-PLASTY (procedural)
Surgical repair | Ex: rhinoplasty (plastic surgery of the nose)
33
-SCOPY (procedural)
Visual examination | Ex: arthroscopy (visual examination of the joints)
34
-STOMY (procedural)
Opening | Ex: tracheostomy (cutting an air/drainage opening to the trachea)
35
-TOMY (procedural)
Incision, cutting | Ex: blepharotomy (surgical incision of an eyelid)
36
What are adjectival suffixes?
Describe anatomy of the body and time periods in life Most of these suffixes mean one thing: pertaining to **Sometimes the context of the word makes a "pertaining to" suffix more of a "characteristic of" suffix** Ex: the word plastic in medical terminology denotes "capability of being molded or developed" or "tending to build up tissues"
37
-AC, -IAC (adjectival)
Pertaining to | Ex: iliac (pertaining to the ilium)
38
-AL, -EAL, -IAL (adjectival)
Pertaining to | Ex: neonatal (pertaining to the first week after birth)
39
-AR (adjectival)
Pertaining to | Ex: ventricular (pertaining to the ventricles of the heart or brain)
40
-ARY (adjectival)
Pertaining to | Ex: pulmonary (pertaining to the lungs)
41
-ELLA (adjectival)
Small | Ex: patella (kneecap)
42
-IATRIC (adjectival)
Medical treatment | Ex: pediatric (treatment and care for children)
43
-OID (adjectival)
Resembling | Ex: sinusoid (resembling a sinus)
44
-OUS (adjectival)
Characteristic of | Ex: cartilaginous
45
-PLAST (adjectival)
Cell, living substance | Ex: chloroplast (the photosynthetic unit of a plant cell)
46
-PLASTY (adjectival)
Formation, plastic repair of | Ex: otoplasty (plastic surgery of the ear)
47
-ULAR (adjectival)
Pertaining to | Ex: scapular (pertaining to the scapula)
48
-VOROUS (adjectival)
Eating | Ex: carnivorous (meat-eating)
49
What is a "what" prefix?
The answers to questions attempting to quantify or qualify the condition, procedure, or relationship bein described Ex: answering things like: how many? Too many? Too few? What percentage is the whole? Is it too fast? Too slow? Too big? Too small? What color is it? What does it do to something else? **Can think of these as the answers to abig medical conference about the root and suffix in question**
50
A- (what)
No, not, without | Ex: ataxia (without coordination)
51
AN- (what)
No, not, without | Ex: analgesic (without pain)
52
ANA- (what)
Up, apart | Ex: anabasis (the stage of increase in a disease)
53
ANTI- (what)
Against | Ex: antibody (immune body that fights foreign substances)
54
AUTO- (what)
Self | Ex: autoimmune (body produces antibodies against itself)
55
BI- (what)
Two | Ex: bilateral (pertaining to both sides)
56
BRADY- (what)
Deficient, under | Ex: bradycardia (heartbeat under/less than the normal rate)
57
CHLORO- (what)
Green | Ex: chloroma (green-colored tumor)
58
CHROMO- (what)
Color | Ex: chromhidrosis (secretion of sweat that changes color)
59
CO- (what)
With, together | Ex: comorbidity (one medical condition present together with another medical condition)
60
COM- (what)
With, together | Ex: communicability (ability to spread from infected to susceptible hosts)
61
CON- (what)
With, together | Ex: contagious (capable of being transmitted host to host)
62
CYANO- (what)
Blue | Ex: cyanosis (bluish skin and mucosal discoloration)
63
DE- (what)
Down, lack of | Ex: dehydration (lack of water)
64
DECI- (what)
One-tenth | Ex: deciliter (one-tenth of a liter)
65
DI- (what)
Two | Ex: diataxia (affecting both sides of the body)
66
DIA- (what)
Through, between, apart, across, completely | Ex: diarrhea (rapid movement of fecal matter through the intestine)
67
DYS- (what)
Bad, painful | Ex: dysphasia (difficulty in swallowing)
68
ERYTHRO- (what)
Red | Ex: erythrocyte (red blood cell)
69
HEMI- (what)
Half | Ex: hemiparesis (weakness on half/one side of the body)
70
HEXA- (what)
Six | Ex: hexavitamin (preparation of six vitamins)
71
HYPER- (what)
Excessive, above | Ex: hypertension (blood pressure above normal)
72
HYPO- (what)
Below, deficient | Ex: hypoglycemia (blood sugar level below normal)
73
LEUKO- (what)
White | Ex: leukoencephalitis (inflammation of the while brain substance)
74
MACRO- (what)
Large | Ex: macroglossia (excessive size of the tongue)
75
MAL- (what)
Bad | Ex: malignant (tending to worsen and cause death)
76
MELANO- (what)
Black | Ex: melanotrichia (abnormal increased pigmentation of the hair)
77
META- (what & locational)
Change, beyond Ex: metamorphosis (change of structure or shape) Ex: metacarpal (bones beyond the wrist)
78
MICRO- (what)
Small | Ex: micromastia (abnormal smallness of the mammary gland)
79
MULTI- (what)
Many | Ex: multiarticular (pertaining to or affecting many joints)
80
NEO- (what)
New | Ex: neonate (a newborn animal)
81
PAN- (what)
All | Ex: pandemic (a widespread epidemic)
82
PENT- (what)
Five | Ex: pentadactyl (having five digits)
83
POLY- (what)
Many, much | Ex: polychromatic (many-colored)
84
PSEUDO- (what)
False | Ex: pseudopregnancy (false pregnancy)
85
QUADR- (what)
Four | Ex: quadrilocular (having four cavities)
86
SUB- (what & locational)
Less than, beneath Ex: submandibular (beneath the manible) Ex: subcutaneous (under the skin)
87
SYM-, SYN- (what)
With, together | Ex: symbiosis (mutually reinforcing)
88
TACHY- (what)
Fast | Ex: tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeat)
89
TRI- (what)
Three | Ex: tribrachus (having three forelimbs)
90
ULTRA- (what)
Beyond | Ex: ultrasonic (beyond the audible range)
91
XANTH- (what)
Yellow | Ex: xanthemia (presence of yellow-colored matter in the blood)
92
What is a "where" or locational prefix?
Functions to describe location or direction | Answers the question of "where?"
93
AB- (locational)
Away from | Ex: abduct (to draw away from)
94
AD- (locational)
Toward, near | Ex: adduct (to draw toward)
95
ANTE- (locational)
Before; forward | Ex: antemortem (performed or occurring before death)
96
DIA- (locational)
Through | Ex: diarrhea (rapid discharge of fecal matter through intestines)
97
DIS- (locational)
Apart, away from | Ex: dissect (cut apart)
98
EC-, ECTO- (locational)
Outside | Ex: ectopic (located away from the normal position)
99
ENDO- (locational)
Within, in, inner | Ex: endocrine (secreting internally)
100
EPI- (locational)
Above, upon | Ex: epidermis (outermost layer of skin)
101
EX- (locational)
Out | Ex: excision (removal by cutting out)
102
EXTRA- (locational)
Outside of | Ex: extrapulmonary (not connected with the lungs)
103
IN- (locational)
In, into | Ex: incision (cutting into)
104
INFRA- (locational)
Below, beneath | Ex: infraclavicular (below the clavicle)
105
INTER- (locational)
Between | Ex: intercostal (between two ribs)
106
INTRA- (locational)
Within | Ex: intravenous (within a vein)
107
PARA- (locational)
Near, alongside | Ex: parametrial (near the uterus)
108
PERI- (locational)
Surrounding | Ex: perilaryngitis (inflammation of the tissues around the larynx)
109
POST- (locational)
After, behind | Ex: postpartum (occurring after a delivery)
110
PRE- (locational)
Before | Ex: prenatal (before birth)
111
PRO-, PROS- (locational)
Before, forward | Ex: prognosis (forecast of likely course of disease)
112
RE- (locational)
Back, again | Ex: relapse (return of the disease)
113
RETRO- (locational)
Behind, backward | Ex: retromandibular (behind the lower jaw)
114
SUPRA- (locational)
Above, under | Ex: suprapelvic (above the pelvis)
115
TRANS- (locational)
Across, through | Ex: transverse (extending through a structure from side to side)

RVT (2 decks)

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