Exam 1 Study Guide Chapters 1 – 4

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering medical term roots, prefixes, suffixes, directional terminology, and abdominopelvic regions for Chapters 1-4.

Word root

primary meaning

Combining form

when a word root is combined with a vowel

Prefix

at beginning and usually indicates number, time, position, direction, or negation

Suffix

at end of word and alters meaning

-centesis

surgical puncture

-clasis

to break; surgical fracture

-desis

binding, fixation (of a bone or joint)

-ectomy

excision, removal

-lysis

separation; destruction; loosening

-pexy

fixation (of an organ)

-plasty

surgical repair

-rrhaphy

suture

-stomy

forming an opening (mouth)

-tome

instrument to cut

-tomy

incision

-tripsy

crushing

-gram

record; writing

-graph

instrument for recording

-graphy

process of recording

-scope

instrument for examining

-scopy

visual examination

-algia

pain

-dynia

pain

-cele

hernia/swelling

-ectasis

dilation/expansion

-emesis

vomiting

-emia

blood condition

-gen

forming/producing/origin

-genesis

forming/producing/origin

-itis

inflammation

-malacia

softening

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

tumor

-osis

abnormal condition

-pathy

disease

-penia

decrease/deficiency

-phobia

fear

-plegia

paralysis

-ptosis

prolapse/downward displacement

-rrhea

discharge/flow

-sclerosis

abnormal condition/hardening

-spasm

involuntary contraction/twitching

-stenosis

narrowing/stricture

-toxic

poison

-ac

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-eal

pertaining to

-ic

pertaining to

-ior

pertaining to

-ous

pertaining to

-tic

pertaining to

-ia

condition

-ism

condition

-iatry

medicine treatment

-ist

specialist

-y

condition

-icle

small

-ole

small

-ule

small

Endo-

in, within

Intra-

in, within

Epi-

above, upon

Hypo-

under, below

Infra-

under, below

Sub-

under, below

Inter-

between

Retro-

backward, behind

Bi-

two

Dipl-

double

Diplo-

double

Hemi-

one-half

Hyper-

excessive, above normal

Macro-

large

Micro-

small

Mono-

one

Uni-

one

Multi-

many, much

Poly-

many, much

Quadri-

four

Tri-

three

Ab-

from, away

Ad-

toward

Circum-

around

Peri-

around

Dia-

through, across

Trans-

through, across

Ecto-

outside, outward

Exo-

outside, outward

Extra-

outside, outward

Para-

near, beside; beyond

Super-

upper, above

Supra-

above, excessive; superior

Ultra-

excess, beyond

A-

without, not

An-

without, not

Anti-

against

Contra-

against

Auto-

self, own