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Medical Terminology > Unit 8 > Flashcards

Unit 8 Flashcards

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USMLE® Step 1 flashcards
1
Q

actin-

A

ray

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2
Q

-agog- , -agogue

A

inducing the flow of, expelling

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3
Q

ambly-

A

dull, blunt

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4
Q

brachy-

A

short

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5
Q

campt-

A

bent

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6
Q

cel- , celi- , coel- , -coel

A

cavity (esp. in the abdomen)

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7
Q

-cele

A

hernia, swelling

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8
Q

cente-

A

to punture

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9
Q

doch-

A

to take, to receive, to contain

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10
Q

dolich-

A

long

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11
Q

gloss- , glott- , glot-

A

tongue

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12
Q

hapl-

A

single

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13
Q

ichthy- , ichtyos-

A

fish

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14
Q

ischi-

A

hip

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15
Q

lal-

A

to talk

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16
Q

mel-

A

limb

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17
Q

my- , mys- , myos-

A

muscle

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18
Q

nem- , nemat-

A

thread

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19
Q

pen-

A

deficiency, lack

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20
Q

poie-

A

to make

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21
Q

presby-

A

old

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22
Q

pyel-

A

pelvis (esp. of the kidney)

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23
Q

rhaph- , -rrhaph-

A

to sew, to suture

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24
Q

-rrhag-

A

excessive discharge

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25
Q

stear- , steat-

A

fat

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26
Q

stern-

A

chest, breastbone

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27
Q

xer-

A

dry

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28
Q

convex-

Lat.

A

vaulted, rounded

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29
Q

hallux, halluc-

Lat.

A

big toe

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30
Q

hern- , herni-

Lat.

A

rupture

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31
Q

lumb-

Lat.

A

loin

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32
Q

plant-

Lat.

A

sole of the foot

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33
Q

radix, radic-

Lat.

A

root

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34
Q

scoli-

Gk.

A

curved, bent

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35
Q

cardio

A

cardiovascular [cardi + vascul + ar]

related to the heart and blood vessels (esp. “cardiovascular exercise”)

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36
Q

lipo

A

liposuction [lip + o + suct (Lat. “to suck”) + ion]

surgical removal of fat deposits via vacuum suction

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37
Q

mono

A

mononucleosis [mon + o + nucle + osis]

an abnormally high number of mononuclear leukocytes in the blood

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38
Q

polio

A

poliomyelitis [poli + o + myel + itis]

infection of the gray matter of the spinal column or central nervous system

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39
Q

strep

A

streptococcus [strept (Gk. “twisted”) + o + coccus (Gk. “berry”)]
a type of bacterial organism with spherical clusters linked together in a chain-like (“twisted”) series (esp. of the infection “strep throat”

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40
Q

cancer

A

[Lat. cancer, cf. karkinos, “crab”]

so-called because of the apparent resemblance of the spreading growth of tumors to the legs of a crab (cf. “canker”)

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41
Q

capillary

A

[capill + ary]

used to describe blood vessels that are similar in shape to “little hairs”

42
Q

hippocampus

A

[Gk. hippokampos, “see horse”]
a convoluted elevation of gray matter in the brain that helps with short term memory and spatial awareness; so-called because of its supposed resemblance to a sea horse

43
Q

lupus

A

[Lat. lupus, “wolf”]
name for a collection of disorders usually marked by discoloration of the skin though may also include a range of other ailments; names for the apparently voracious nature of the affliction

44
Q

pica

A

[Lat. pica, “magpie”]
compulsive eating of non-nutritive substances, such as dirt or hair; named after the magpie, a bird in the crow family, because of its remarkably wide-ranging diet; probably analogous to the Greek kitta (“jay”), which was used in antiquity to denote cravings for strange food

45
Q

polyp

A

[poly + pus}
originally “many-footed} creature, but later used to indicate a nasal tumor; now “a protruding growth from any mucous membrane”

46
Q

solar plexus

A

[sol + ar, Lat. plexus, “network”]
a complex of nerves situated at the pit of the stomach, so-called because of its “radiating” appearance, lit. “sun-like network”

47
Q

diet

A

from Gk. diata, “manner of life, behavior”, now used specifically for a manner of eating

48
Q

intoxication

A

lit. “state of having ingested a poison”; now used primarily to refer specifically to drunkenness (although it can refer to other chemicals)

49
Q

nausea

A

from Gk. nausia (or nautia), “seasickness”; now used of any feeling of sickness, esp. with an inclination to vomit; an example of generalization

50
Q

physician

A

related to Gk. physis (“nature,” from phy-, “to grow”); a physikos was a natural philosopher, one who inquired into the nature of the universe; now used of a medical doctor (cf. “physicist”)

51
Q

plague

A

from Lat. plaga, “strike, blow”: now used to refer to an infectious disease, especially that caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis; an example of specification and intensification

52
Q

Achilles tendon

A

a powerful tendon that attaches to the lower muscle of the legs to the heel; Thetis, the mother of the famous warrior Achilles, was said to have dipped her son into the River Styx while holding him by the heel so that he could become immortal, but as his heal was never immersed in the water, he died when struck by an arrow in this unprotected area (also called by the more descriptive title “calcaneal tendon,” i.e., “tendon of the heel”)

53
Q

atlas (vertebra)

A

the first or uppermost cervical vertebra, which articulated with the occipital bone above and supports the skull; so named after Atlas, the mythic giant born from the Titan Iapetus, responsible for holding up the vault of the heavens (in some accounts, a punishment for his involvement in the rebellion of the Titans against the Olympian gods)

54
Q

caput Medusae

A

dilated cutaneous veins around the umbilicus; so-called because of a perceived resemblance between the veins and the head of the snake-haired Medusa (note the genitive singular Medusae)

55
Q

hymen

A

a membranous fold that partially or wholly occludes the external orifice of the vagina; the Greek work hymen, “membrane,” maybe the same origin as the name Hymen, the Greek and Roman god of marriage, although its etymology is disputed

56
Q

mons Veneris

A

the mons pubis (“pubic mound”) of a woman, i.e., a rounded, fleshy prominence over the pubic bone; lit. “mound of Venus,” names after the Roman goddess of love and sex, corresponding generally to the Greek Aphrodite (Veneris is the genitive singular of the third-declension noun Venus)

57
Q

chimerism

A

in genetics, the presence of cells of different origin in an individual, whether by mutation, transplant, or some other process; names from the chimera, a hybrid monster depicted as an amalgam of a lion, goat, and serpent

58
Q

gigantism

A

abnormal overgrowth or excess in stature, names from the Giants (Lat. and Gk. gigantes), a race of monstrous creatures that were born from Gaia (“Earth”) and drops of blood falling from the castrated genitals of Ouranos (“Sky”); also spelled “giantism”

59
Q

hermaphrodite

A

a person or animal with both male and female sex organs, so-called because of the mythical figure Hermaphroditus, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite who became conjoined with the nymph Salmacis, after which he possessed dual sexuality

60
Q

narcissism

A

excessive self-interest of self-love; named from Narcissus, a beautiful young man who saw his reflection in a stream and was so transfixed by the sight that he could not move; depending on the version of the story he then committed suicide, or fell into the spring and drowned, or was transformed into a flower

61
Q

panic

A

acute, extreme anxiety, often leading to abnormal thinking or behavior; lit. “pertaining to Pan”; the Greek god Pan presided over mountains, forests, caved, and other places in which strange sounds could be heard, and the fear caused by such noises were associated directly with the god

62
Q

priapism

A

persistent abnormal erection of the penis, usually without any sexual desire; Priapus was a Greek god of fertility and sexuality marked by a constant ithyphallic (i.e., erect) state; he was also associated generally with prosperity (statuettes of erect penises were frequently employed as good-luck charms)

63
Q

satyriasis

A

hypersexuality in a male; lit. “the condition of being a satyr,” a hybrid (often ithyphallic) creature associated with Dionysus and known for constant cravings for wine and sex

64
Q

venereal

A

related to or transmitted by sexual contact (esp. of disease); lit. “having to do with Venus”

65
Q

ammonia

A

a colorless, water-soluble alkaline has that can be toxic in high concentrations; so-called because it was emitted by sal ammoniacus (“salt of Ammon”), a salt obtained by the Romans near the temple of Jupiter Ammon in Egypt (the Egyptian deity Amun was king of the gods and therefore associated with the Greek Zeus and the Roman Jupiter

66
Q

aphrodisiac

A

a drug that increases sexual libido; from a Greek word meaning “having to do with Aphrodite,” the goddess of love and sex

67
Q

atropine

A

a poisonous alkaloid occurring naturally in deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna); called by the name Atropos (“Inflexible”), one of the Greek Fates, the goddesses responsible for apportioning to humans their respective lifespans

68
Q

mercury

A

a metallic element that is a silvery-white liquid at room temperature; names from Mercury, the Roman messenger god presiding over commerce, travel, and boundaries (identified with the Greek Hermes); some elements known in antiquity were associated with planets, and likewise, mercury was associated with the god/planet of the name, perhaps because of its mobility (cf. the alternative name “quicksilver”); the Greek name hydrargyros (“liquid silver”) gives the element its symbol, Hg

69
Q

morphine

A

the principle alkaloid of opium, used mainly as a narcotic analgesic, so-called from Morpheus, the mythological son of Hypnos (“sleep”), on account of his ability to induce dreams

70
Q

neptunium

A

a radioactive element obtained by splitting uranium atoms with neutrons; so-called because it came directly after uranium on the periodic table, and Neptune is one planet farther out from Uranus (uranium itself had been named after the newly discovered planet; the same process was also used to label plutonium, the next element in the table after neptunium)

71
Q

sphingosine

A

an amino alcohol serving as a major base of sphingolipids in mammals; some sources claim an etymology from sphinc- (“to bind”), but the actual namesake is the Sphinx, a hybrid female monster famous for her riddles

72
Q

coron-

Lat.

A

crown

73
Q

farc- , farct-

Lat.

A

to stuff, to cram

74
Q

isch-

Gk.

A

to suppress

75
Q

lu- , lut-

Lat.

A

to wash

76
Q

mitr-

Gk.

A

bandage, waistband

77
Q

ram-

Lat.

A

branch

78
Q

thromb-

Gk.

A

clot

79
Q

Eustachian tube

A

a channel that establishes the connection between the nasopharynx and the tympanic cavity serves to adjust the pressure in the cavity to external pressure; named after the Italian anatomist Eustachius

80
Q

Fallopian tube

A

a long, slender tube that extends from the upper lateral cornu of the uterus to the regions of the ovary of the same side; named after the Italian anatomist Fallopius

81
Q

Galen vein

A

either of the internal cerebral veins or the great cerebral vein; names after Galen, the Greek physician of the 2nd century AD

82
Q

islets of Langerhans

A

microscopic structures scattered through the pancreas and compromising its endocrine part (the beta cells of this group produce insulin, from the Latin word insula, “island”); named after the 19th-century German anatomist Paul Langerhand, who was the first to describe them

83
Q

torcular Herophili

A

the confluence of the sinuses at the back of the skull; lit. “wine cellar (i.ei, cavity) of Herophilus,” the Greek doctor active in 3rd century BC who was reputed to have been the first to perform dissection on human cadavers

84
Q

Alzheimer’s disease

A

a progressive central neurodegenerative disorder marked by memory disturbance and personality changes, progressing to severe dementia; first describes by German neuropathologist and psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer

85
Q

facies Hippocratica

A

a shrunken, pale aspect of the countenance immediately before death; so-named because the description of this condition is found in Hippocratic writings

86
Q

Leishmaniasis

A

an infection caused by Leishmania, a parasitic protozoon of worldwide disruption; named after Scottish pathologist William Boog Leishman

87
Q

Listeriosis

A

an infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a widespread pathogen in humans and animals; named after Joseph Lister, who was known for his work in antiseptics

88
Q

Lou Gehrig’s disease

A

progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord; formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (i.e., hardening in the lateral spinal column associated with the lack of muscle nourishment); named after Lou Gehrig, a professional baseball player who was diagnosed with this disease

89
Q

Parkinson’s disease

A

a chronic, progressive neurological disorder marked by tremors, muscle rigidity, and slowing of voluntary movement; named after James Parkinson, an English surgeon who first described the disease in his 1817 “Essay of the Shaking Palsy”

90
Q

Rickettsiosis

A

a disease caused by Rickettsia, a genus of bacteria transmitted frequently by ticks, fleas, and lice; named after American pathologist Howard Taylor Ricketts; note that this is not the same as rickets, an interruption in bone development caused by a vitamin D deficiency

91
Q

Salmonellosis

A

an infection caused by the genus of bacteria known as Salmonella, which manifests itself most frequently in humans as food poisoning; named after American pathologist Daniel Elmer Salmon

92
Q

Cesarean section

A

delivery of a child by an incision through the walls of the abdomen when natural birth cannot take place; so-called because it was thought that an ancestor of Julius Caesar was born this way

93
Q

Heimlich maneuver

A

a method of dislodging food or other material from the throat of a choking victim, affected by the sudden application of upward thrust into the abdomen between the navel and the sternum; developed by American thoracic surgeon Henry J. Heimlich

94
Q

Pap smear

A

an exfoliative cytological staining procedure for detection and diagnosis of various conditions, esp. cancer and precancerous growths in the female reproductive tract; named very succinctly for Greek anatomist Georgios Papanicolaou

95
Q

Pasteurization

A

the process of heating foods or liquids (esp. milk) to a specific temperature for a specific time for the purpose of eliminating microorganisms that would cause spoilage; developed by French chemist Louis Pasteur

96
Q

John Surgery

A

the surgical replacement of a portion of the ulnar collateral ligament with another tendon from another part of the body, performed frequently on athletes; named after professional baseball pitcher Tommy John, the first person to undergo this procedure

97
Q

auscult- , ausculttat-

Lat.

A

to listen

98
Q

inguin-

Lat.

A

groin

99
Q

palp-

Lat.

A

to touch, to stroke

100
Q

pharynx , pharyng-

Gk.

A

throat

101
Q

tuss-

Lat.

A

cough

Medical Terminology (10 decks)

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