Module 1 – Introduction to Medical Terminology (Key Vocabulary)

Flashcards cover essential vocabulary of Module 1, including word roots, prefixes, suffixes, procedural endings, contrasting prefixes, double R suffixes, and key linguistic concepts used in medical terminology.

Word Root

Core part of a medical term that contains its primary meaning, usually indicating a body part, organ, or system.

Combining Form

A word root plus a combining vowel (e.g., cardi(o)-) that allows easy attachment of suffixes or other roots.

Combining Vowel

Usually the letter “o”; inserted between a word root and suffix/another root to aid pronunciation when the next part begins with a consonant.

Prefix

Word element placed at the beginning of a term to modify meaning, often indicating number, position, time, or status.

Suffix

Word element added to the end of a term, usually indicating a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.

alg(o)- / alge- / algesi(o)-

Combining form meaning pain (e.g., myalgia – muscle pain).

arthr(o)-

Combining form meaning joint (e.g., arthritis – joint inflammation).

bacteri(o)-

Combining form meaning bacteria (e.g., bacteriuria – bacteria in urine).

blephar(o)-

Combining form meaning eyelid (e.g., blepharoptosis – drooping eyelid).

cerebr(o)-

Combining form meaning cerebrum/brain (e.g., cerebrovascular – related to brain vessels).

cyan(o)-

Combining form meaning blue (e.g., cyanosis – bluish discoloration).

dermat(o)- / derm(o)-

Combining form meaning skin (e.g., dermatologist – skin specialist).

erythr(o)-

Combining form meaning red (e.g., erythrocyte – red blood cell).

gluc(o)-

Combining form meaning sugar/glucose (e.g., glucosuria – sugar in urine).

leuk(o)-

Combining form meaning white (e.g., leukemia – white-cell cancer).

melan(o)-

Combining form meaning black/dark (e.g., melanocyte – pigment cell).

myel(o)-

Combining form meaning spinal cord or bone marrow (context dependent; e.g., myelopathy – spinal-cord disease).

ophthalm(o)-

Combining form meaning eye (e.g., ophthalmologist – eye specialist).

pancreat(o)-

Combining form meaning pancreas (e.g., pancreatitis – pancreas inflammation).

phon(o)-

Combining form meaning voice/sound (e.g., dysphonia – voice impairment).

poli(o)-

Combining form meaning gray (e.g., poliomyelitis – inflammation of gray matter of spinal cord).

peri-

Prefix meaning around (e.g., pericardium – sac around the heart).

epi-

Prefix meaning above or upon (e.g., epigastric – above the stomach).

poly-

Prefix meaning many/much (e.g., polyneuritis – inflammation of many nerves).

hemi-

Prefix meaning half (e.g., hemiplegia – paralysis of one side).

endo-

Prefix meaning inside/within (e.g., endocrine – secreting internally).

exo-

Prefix meaning outside (e.g., exocrine – secreting externally).

intra-

Prefix meaning inside/within (e.g., intracellular – inside a cell).

extra-

Prefix meaning outside/beyond (e.g., extracellular – outside a cell).

ab-

Prefix meaning away from (e.g., abduct – move away from midline).

ad-

Prefix meaning toward (e.g., adduct – move toward midline).

dys-

Prefix meaning bad, difficult, abnormal (e.g., dyspnea – difficult breathing).

eu-

Prefix meaning good, normal, well (e.g., euphoria – state of well-being).

hyper-

Prefix meaning excessive, above normal (e.g., hypertension – high blood pressure).

hypo-

Prefix meaning below, deficient (e.g., hypotension – low blood pressure).

pre-

Prefix meaning before (e.g., prenatal – before birth).

post-

Prefix meaning after (e.g., postmortem – after death).

tachy-

Prefix meaning fast (e.g., tachycardia – fast heartbeat).

brady-

Prefix meaning slow (e.g., bradycardia – slow heartbeat).

-megaly

Suffix meaning enlargement (e.g., cardiomegaly – enlarged heart).

-algia

Suffix meaning pain (e.g., gastralgia – stomach pain).

-itis

Suffix meaning inflammation (e.g., tonsillitis – inflammation of tonsils).

-ectomy

Suffix meaning surgical removal (e.g., tonsillectomy – removal of tonsils).

-cele

Suffix meaning hernia or protrusion (e.g., myocele – muscle hernia).

-emesis

Suffix meaning vomiting (e.g., hyperemesis – excessive vomiting).

-lysis

Suffix meaning destruction/breakdown (e.g., hemolysis – red-cell destruction).

-malacia

Suffix meaning softening (e.g., osteomalacia – bone softening).

-necrosis

Suffix meaning tissue death (e.g., arterionecrosis – artery tissue death).

-osis

Suffix meaning abnormal condition (e.g., gastrosis – stomach disorder).

-oma

Suffix meaning tumor (e.g., carcinoma – malignant tumor).

-pathy

Suffix meaning disease (e.g., myopathy – muscle disease).

-ptosis

Suffix meaning drooping/sagging (e.g., blepharoptosis – eyelid droop).

-sclerosis

Suffix meaning hardening (e.g., arteriosclerosis – artery hardening).

-stenosis

Suffix meaning narrowing (e.g., arteriostenosis – artery narrowing).

-centesis

Procedure suffix meaning surgical puncture to remove fluid (e.g., abdominocentesis).

-gram

Procedure suffix meaning a record or picture (e.g., electrocardiogram).

-graphy

Procedure suffix meaning process of recording (e.g., coronary angiography).

-ostomy

Procedure suffix meaning creation of an artificial opening (e.g., colostomy).

-otomy

Procedure suffix meaning cutting into/incision (e.g., phlebotomy).

-plasty

Procedure suffix meaning surgical repair (e.g., valvuloplasty).

-scopy

Procedure suffix meaning visual examination (e.g., laparoscopy).

-rrhage / -rrhagia

“Double R” suffix meaning bursting forth; sudden severe bleeding (e.g., hemorrhage).

-rrhaphy

“Double R” suffix meaning surgical suturing (e.g., myorrhaphy – suturing of a muscle).

-rrhea

“Double R” suffix meaning flow/discharge (e.g., amenorrhea – absence of menstrual flow).

-rrhexis

“Double R” suffix meaning rupture (e.g., myorrhexis – muscle rupture).

Abbreviation

Shortened form of a word or phrase (e.g., Dr. for Doctor).

Acronym

Word formed from initial letters of a phrase and pronounced as one word (e.g., AIDS).

Symbol

Letter(s) or sign representing an object, function, or process (e.g., Na for sodium).

Eponym

Medical term derived from a person’s name (e.g., Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Antonym

Word that has the opposite meaning of another word (e.g., hyper- vs hypo-).

Synonym

Word or phrase with the same or nearly the same meaning as another (e.g., shinbone vs tibia).

Irregular Plural –a → -ae

Rule converting words like vertebra to vertebrae.

Irregular Plural –is → -es

Rule converting words like diagnosis to diagnoses.

Irregular Plural –um → -a

Rule converting words like serum to sera.

Osteonecrosis (analysis)

Osteo (bone) + necrosis (tissue death) = death of bone tissue; example of term analysis.

Medical Terminology Structure

In medical terms the descriptors (e.g., inflammation) become suffixes (-itis), eliminating the English word “of.”