Medical Terms

Vocabulary flashcards based on medical terms lecture notes.

Etiology

The study of the cause of disease.

Pathology

The study of disease.

Pathophysiology

Changes in function caused by disease.

Histology

The study of tissues.

Histopathology

The study of diseased tissues.

Epidemic

Widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time, above normal level.

Systemic

Affecting an entire body system or the entire body.

Idiopathic

Disease with an unknown cause.

Iatrogenic

Disease caused by treatment.

Lesion

An abnormality in tissue, a deviation from the normal.

Neoplasia

New formation.

Neoplasm

Tumor.

Oncology

Study of neoplasia.

-carcinoma

Malignant tumor of epithelial tissue.

-sarcoma

Malignant tumor of connective tissue.

Abscess

Accumulation of pus, WBCs, and cellular debris.

Lith

Rock.

Anhidrosis

Unable to sweat.

Phobia

Fear.

Stasis

Motionlessness or stoppage of flow.

Homeostasis

To maintain metabolic body parameters within a narrow range.

Hemostasis

To stop bleeding.

A-/an-

Absence of; not.

Dys-

Poor, painful.

Extra-

Outside of.

Intra-

Within.

Inter-

Between.

Peri-

Around.

Para-

Near, next to.

Circum-

Around.

Syn-, sym-

Union or association.

Iso-

The same, equal.

Supra-

Above, over.

Infra-

Below.

Hyper-

Above, beyond, or excessive.

Hypo-

Under, beneath, or deficient.

Ab-

Away From

Ad-

Toward, next to.

Incise

Cut into.

Excise

Cut out.

Excrete

The passage of waste products out of a cell or out of the body.

Secrete

The passage of a useful substance out of a cell or out of the body.

Pre-

Before.

Ante-

Before.

Post-

After, behind.

Anti-

Against.

Retro-

Behind or backward.

Ecto, ex/o

Outside.

Endo-

Inside.

Oligo-

Few, little.

Poly-

Many.

Mono-

One.

Uni-

One.

Bi-

Two.

Bifurcation

Branching, forking.

Di/Diplo-

Two, double.

Tri-

Three.

Quad-

Four.

Penia-

Decrease.

Philia-

Attraction or tendency.

Cytosis

Excess number.

Leuk/leuko-

White.

Cyan-

Blue.

Eryth-

Red.

Melan/o

Black, dark, melanin.

Micro-

Little.

Macro-

Big.

TPR

Temperature, pulse rate and character, respiratory rate and character.

Clinical signs

Abnormal behavior or events that can be observed in a patient.

Symptoms

Characteristics of a disease sensed by the patient.

Syndrome

A combination of clinical signs that appear together.

Zoonosis

A disease of animals that may be transmitted to people.

Epidemiology

Study of relationships that determine frequency and distribution of disease.

Moribund

Near death.

Nosocomial

Disease acquired while in the hospital.

Morbidity rate

% of a population that gets sick.

Mortality rate

% who die.

Mean

Average.

Median

50% percentile.

Pyrexia

Fever.

Palpation

To examine by touching or feeling parts of the body.

Auscultation

To listen to the sounds of the body.

Percussion

Tapping body wall while auscultating.

Speculum

Tool used for examining body cavities.

Venipuncture

Drawing blood.

Patent

Open, unobstructed.

Emaciation

Extremely thin.

Cachexia

Extreme emaciation.

Fluctuant

Soft, elastic consistency, gives under pressure.

Cyst

Fluid-filled sac.

Hernia

Protrusion of a tissue through an abnormal opening.

Foreign body

An object in the body that does not belong there.

Edema

Swelling due to fluid leaking out of vessels into interstitial space.

Ascites

Abnormal fluid accumulation in the abdomen.

Inflammation

Response of the body to injury.

Enzyme

Protein molecule that acts as a catalyst in biochemical reactions.

Antigen

Anything the immune system recognizes as being foreign.

Antibody

Proteins made by the patient's body used by the immune system against antigens.

Allergy

Hypersensitivity reaction acquired through exposure, then re-exposure to an allergen.

Allergen

Substance (antigen) capable of causing an allergic reaction.