Preparing for Clinical Practice Exam 1

4 Medical Word Elements

word root, combining form, suffix, and prefix

root

core of a medical term containing the fundamental meaning; each medical word contains at least one root; greek or latin origin; i.e. Dermatos (Greek meaning skin) and Cutane (Latin meaning skin)

Greek words

describe a disease, condition, treatment, and/or diagnosis

Latin Words

build anatomic structures

Dermat & Cutane

Skin

dermatitis

inflammation of the skin

cutaneous

pertaining to the skin

Nephr & Ren

kidney

nephroma

tumor of the kidney

renal

relating to the kidneys

Stomat & Or

Mouth

Stomatitis

inflammation of the mouth (i.e. canker sore)

oral

pertaining to the mouth

combining form

word root and vowel (usually an o but sometimes an ii)

6 common combining forms

Gastro, Hepato, Erythro, Immuno, Nephro, and Osteo

Suffixes

placed at the end of the word and changes the meaning of the word

gastr%%**itis**%% & arthr%%**itis**%%

%%**inflammation of**%% the stomach and joint

pneumon%%**ectomy**%%

%%**removal of**%% a lung

cephalo%%**megaly**%%

%%**enlarged**%% head

Prefixes

Attached to the beginning of the word and changes the meaning of the word

%%**hyper**%%thermia

%%**excessively**%% cold

%%**intra**%%muscular

%%**inside/within**%% the muscle

%%**para**%%spinal

%%**around/near**%% the spine

%%**pre**%%natal

%%**before**%% having a child

%%**micro**%%cephaly

%%**small**%% head (in size)

%%**-ly**%%

%%**condition of something**%%

hemat%%**emesis**%%

%%**vomiting**%% of blood

Gastro%%**dynia**%%

stomach %%**pain**%%

cardio%%**logy**%%

%%**study of**%% the heart

arthro%%**centesis**%%

%%**surgical puncture**%% of the joint

litho%%**tripsy**%%

%%**breaking up of** %%kidney stones via ultrasound shock waves

gastroenteritis

inflammation of the stomach and intestines

osteoarthritis

inflammation of bone and joint

encephalomeningitis

inflammation of the meninges within the brain

Masto%%**pexy**%%

%%**fixation of**%% the breast (in terms of a lift)

septo%%**plasty**%%

%%**surgical repair**%% of deviated septum

tracheo%%**tomy**%%

%%**incision** %%of the trachea

colo%%**stomy**%%

%%**forming an opening** %%of the colon

Colono%%**scope**%%

%%**instrument for visualizing**%% the colon

electrocardio%%**gram**%%

%%**record and write**%% the electrical activity of the heart

Neur%%**algia**%%

nerve %%**pain**%%

Hepato%%**cele**%%

%%**hernia/swelling**%% of the liver

Bronchi%%**ectasis**%%

%%**dilation and expansion**%% of the lungs

Lymph%%**edema**%%

%%**swelling**%% of the lymphatic channels

an**e**%%**mia**%%

%%**condition of the blood**%% not having enough hemoglobin

carcino%%**gen**%%

%%**producing/origin**%% of cancer

nephro%%**lith**%%iasis

%%**stone**%% in the kidney

cholelith%%**iasis**%%

%%**abnormal condition**%% of the presence of gallstones

Neur%%**oma**%%

%%**tumor**%% of a nerve

osteo%%**penia**%%

%%**decrease/deficiency**%% in bone density

dys%%**phagia**%%

difficulty %%**swallowing**%%

Dys%%**phasia**%%

inability to %%**speak**%%

hemo%%**phobia**%%

%%**fear**%% of blood

Dys%%**plasia**%%

%%**abnormal forming/growth**%%

spinal %%**stenosis**%%

%%**narrowing or stricture**%% of the spine

hepato%%**toxic**%%

%%**poisonous**%% to the liver

%%-**ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ical, -ile**%%

%%**pertaining to**%% something

Diur%%**esis**%%

%%**condition of**%% abnormal urine secretion

Pneumon%%**ia**%%

%%**condition of**%% the lung that relates to illness

hyperthyroid%%**ism**%%

%%**condition of**%% an overactive thyroid

Pod%%**iatry**%%

%%**specialist**%% of feet

Obstetr%%**ician**%%

%%**specialist**%% of labor and delivery of babies

hematolog%%**ist**%%

%%**specialist**%% of the blood

Ventr%%**icle**%%

%%**small vesicle**%% that is a hollow part or cavity in an organ

Arteri%%**ole**%%

%%**small/little**%% branch of an artery leading into capillaries

Ven%%**ule**%%

%%**smallest**%% vein collecting blood from a capillary

%%**Post**%%operative

%%**after**%% a surgical procedure

%%**Epi**%%dermis

%%**top**%% layer of skin

%%**Hypo**%%dermic

layer of tissue %%**under/below/(deficient)**%% the skin

%%**infra**%%mammary

boob job done %%**below/under**%% the breast

%%**sub**%%lingual

%%**under/below**%% the tongue

%%**inter**%%costal muscles

%%**between**%% **ribs**

%%**Retro**%%sternal

%%**behind**%% the sternum

%%**bi**%%lateral

divided into %%**two**%%

%%**Diplo**%%pia

%%**double**%% vision

%%**Hemi**%%plegia

paralysis of %%**half**%% the body

%%**macro**%%cyte

%%**large**%% cell

%%**uni**%%cellular

having %%**one**%% nucleus

%%**Multi**%%gravida

having %%**more than one**%% kid

%%**Multi**%%nodular

having %%**more than one**%% thyroid nodule

%%**Ab**%%duction

%%**moving away from**%% the midline of the body

%%**Ad**%%duction

%%**moving toward**%% the midline of the body

%%**Circum**%%cision

cutting %%**around**%% something

%%**Peri**%%odontal Disease

inflammation of gums %%**around**%% the tooth

%%**Dia-**%% or %%**Trans**%%thoracic biopsy

%%**across or through**%% the thoracic cavity or chest wall and into the lungs

%%**Ecto-, Exo-, Extra**%%cranial

%%**outside**%% **or towards the** %%**outward**%% **edge of** the cranial cavity

%%**Endo**%%crine

referring to the glands %%**within/in**%% the body

%%**supra**%%umbilical

%%**above**%% the umbilicus

%%**Contra**%%ceptive

%%**against/prevention**%% of pregnancy

%%**Brady**%%cardia

%%**slow**%% heart rate

%%**Dys**%%tocia

%%**bad/painful/difficult**%% childbirth

%%**Eu**%%thyroid

%%**normal**%% functional thyroid

%%**hetero**%%sexual

%%**different**%% sexes

%%**homo**%%graft/allograft

comes from the %%**same**%% species

%%**Mal**%%nutrition

bad nutrition/non-nutritious

%%**Pan**%%cytopenia

deficiency in %%**all**%% three cellular components of the blood (platelets, red cells, and white cells)

%%**Pseudo**%%gout

false/ has calcium crystals and not uric acid present

%%**leuko**%%penia

decrease in %%**white**%% cells

%%**thrombo**%%cytopenia

decrease in %%**platelets**%%

%%**syn**%%dactyly

fingers are fused or joined together naturally or as a malformation