Week 1: Intro to Medical Terminology Flashcards
What are some or all of the elements that a medical word can consist of?
word root
combining form
suffix
prefix
What is a the foundation of a medical term and contains its primary meaning?
The word root (WR)
What is created when a word root is combined with a vowel?
A combining form (CF)
Usually with an o, but sometimes an i or e.
When does a CF link with a suffix?
When it begins with a consonant.
When does a WR link with a suffix without a CF?
When the suffix begins with a vowel.
What is a word element usually describes a pathology (disease or abnormality), symptom, surgical or diagnostic procedure, or part of speech?
suffix
What usually indicates a number, time, position, direction, or negation (or opposite)?
prefix
Not all medical terms have a prefix and they do not require adding a connecting vowel
What do the word roots below mean?
Arthr
Gastr
Nephr
Neur
Oste
Tonsill
Col
Mast
Nat
Splen
Hyster
Enter
Ot
Dermat
Hepat
Thromb
Rhin
Trache
Cardi
Pelv
My
Arteri
Joint
Stomach
Kidney
Nerve
Bone
Tonsils
Colon
Breast
Birth
Spleen
Uterus
Intestine
Ear
Skin
Liver
Blood clot
Nose
Trachea
Heart
Pelvis
Muscle
Artery
What do the suffixes below mean?
-ectomy
-centesis
-pathy
-desis
-clasis
-lysis
-malacia
Excision/removal
Surgical puncture
Disease
Binding, fixation (of a bone or joint)
To break; surgical fracture
Separation; destruction; loosening
Softening
What are the three steps in defining a medical word?
Use oste/o/arthr/itis as an example.
- define the suffix, or last part of the word. -itis means inflammation.
- Define the first part of the word (word root or combining form, or prefix) oste/o means bone
- Define the middle parts of the word (word root or combining form. arthr means joint
What are the three rules for building medical words?
- A word root links a suffix that begins with a vowel.
- A combining form (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant.
- A combining form (root + o) links a root to another root to form a compound word.
How is ch sometimes pronounced as?
When pn is at the beginning of a word, how is it pronounced? What about in the middle of the word?
When i is at the end of the word, it is pronounced as ee or eye? ex bronchi, nuclei
For ae and oe, one the first OR second vowel is pronounced? For example, bursae, pleurae.
When e and es form the final letter or letters of a word, they are commonly pronounced as combined OR separate syllables? Ex syncope, systole, nares.
Like a k.
P is silent. P is not silent.
Like eye.
The second!
Separate!
What are the rules for plural suffixes in the following examples.
-a example in pleura
-ax example in thorax
-en example in lumen
-is example in diagnosis
-ix example in appendix
-ex example in apex
-ma example in carcinoma
-on example in ganglion
-um example in bacterium
-us example in bronchus
-y example in deformity
Pleurae; Retain a and add e
Thoraces; Drop x and add ces
Lumina; Drop en and add ina
Diagnoses; Drop is and add es
Appendices; Drop ix and add ices
Apices; Drop ex and add ices
Carcinomata; Retain ma and add ta
Ganglia; Drop on and add a
Bacteria; Drop um and add a
Bronchi; Drop us and add i
Deformities; Drop y and add ies
Explain what each of these common suffixes associated with diagnostic procedures mean.
-gram
-graph
-graphy
-meter
-metry
-scope
-scopy
Record, writing
Instrument for recording
Process of recording
Instrument for measuring
Act of measuring
Instrument for examining
Visual examination
What do these common suffixes associated with pathological (disease) conditions mean.
-algia, -dynia
-cele
-ectasis
-edema
-emesis
-emia
-iasis
-itis
-lith
-megaly
-oma
-osis
-pathy
-penia
-phobia
-plegia
-rrhage, -rrhagia
-rrhea
-rrhexis
-stenosis
-toxic
-trophy
-esthesia
-duction
-crine
-phon
Pain (neuralgia) (otodynia (earache))
Hernia, swelling (hepatocele)
Dialation, expansion (Bronchiectasis)
Swelling (Lymphedema)
Vomitting (hyperemesis)
Blood condition (anemia)
Abnormal condition (produced by something specific, cholelithiasis)
Inflammation (gastritis)
Stone, calculus (chol/e/lith)
Enlargement (cardiomegaly)
Tumor (Neuroma)
Abnormal condition; incease (used primarily with blood cells (Cyanosis)
Disease (Myopathy)
Decrease, deficiency (erythropenia)
Fear (hemophobia)
Paralysis (hemiplegia)
Bursting (of) (Hemorrhage)
Discharge, flow (Diarrhea)
Rupture (arteriorrhexis)
Narrowing, stricture (arteriostenosis)
Poison (hepatotoxic)
Nourishment, development (dystrophy)
Feeling
Act of leading/bringing/conducting
Secrete
Sound of voice, speech, voice
Other Prefixes To Learn
A/an-
Hem-
Hemi-
Dia-, trans-
Dys-
Circum-, peri-
dipl-, diplo-
Endo-
Homo-, homeo-
Hypo-
Macro-
Micro-
Mono-, uni-
Post-
Pre-, pro-
Primi-
Retro-
Super-
Electro-
Hydr-
Without, not (anemia)
Blood
One half
Through, across
Bad, Painful, Difficult
Around
Double
Within, intrain
Same
Under, below, deficient
Large
Small
One
After, behind
Before, in front of
First
Backward, behind
Upper, above
Electricty
Water
Practice Long and Short Sounds of Vowels
a in rate/a in alone
e in rebirth/e in ever
i in isle/i in it
o in over/o in not
u in unite/u in cut
No Answer
Common suffixes denoting grammar endings are attached to word roots to create terms with adjective or noun endings in medical words.
Adjective Endings (meaning pertaining to)
-ac, -al, -ar, -ic, -ous, -tic
Noun endings (meaning condition)
-ia, -ism
-iatry (meaning medicine, treatment)
-ist (meaning specialist)
-y (meaning condition, process)
Cardiac, nasal, muscular, toxic, mucous, necrotic
Leukopenia
Thyroidism
Psychiatry
Cardiologist
Neuropathy
What do the suffixes below mean?
-pexy
-plasty
-rrhaphy
-stomy
-tome
-tomy
-tripsy
Surgical suspension or fixation (of an organ)
Surgical repair
Suture
Forming an opening (mouth)
Instrument to cut
Incision; to cut into
Crushing
What is the band of scar tissue binding anatomical surfaces that are normally separate from each other?
Adhesion
What is the protective response of body tissues to irritation, infection, or allergy?
Inflammation
What is the body’s inflammatory response to infection in which there is fever, elevated heart and respiratory rates, and low blood pressure?
Sepsis
What is the visual examination of the interior of organs and cavities with a specialized lighted instrument called an _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
Endoscopy
What is the radiographic procedure that uses a fluorescent screen instead of a photographic plate to produce a visual image from x-rays that pass through the patient, resulting in continuous imaging of the motion of internal structures and immediate serial images?
Ex. A barium swallow
Fluoroscopy
