Chapter 1 Learning Terminology, Word Roots, and Combining Forms

Karkinos

Ancient word for cancer

Ligament

The modern term for the Latin ligamentum

Kardia

The historical derivation of the modern cardi/o

Tendo

The historical derivation of the modern tendon

Nerve

The modern term for the Latin nervus

Arteria

The historical derivation of the modern artery

Vein

The modern term for the Latin vena

Cella

The historical derivation of the modern cell

Sinus

The historical derivation of the modern sinus

Hernia

The modern term for hernia

Ligament

Sheet of fibrous tissue connecting and supporting bones

Tendo

Fibrous band that connects muscle to bone or other structures

Nerve

Bundle of neurons that bear electrical messages to the organs and muscles of the body

Arteria

A thick-walled blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart

Vein

Any of various blood vessels carrying deoxygenated blood toward the heart

Sinus

Hollow cavity, especially either or two cavities on the sides of the nose

Hernia

Abnormal protrusion of tissue through muscle that contains it

Gynecology

Medical specialty that diagnoses and treats disorders of the female reproductive system

Hepatitis

Inflammation or disease of the liver

Pulmonary

One of two arteries that carry blood that is low in oxygen from the heart to the lungs

Bilateral

Referring to both sides of the body

Eponyms

Terms formed from names, such as Parkinson disease

Hyperthermia

Increased temperature

Osteoarthritis

Arthritis with loss of cartilage

Metastasis

Spread of a cancer form a localized area

Splenomegaly

Enlarged spleen

Word Root

A word root is a portion of the word that contains its basic meaning. Usually indicate a body part or system

Combining Form

Combining forms are the word root and a combining vowel that connects or links two parts whenever two consonants come together to aid pronunciation

Prefixes

Prefixes are word parts attached to the beginning of a word or word root that modify its meaning. Usually indicate a location, direction, quality, or quantity

Suffixes

Suffixes are word parts attached to the end of a word or word root that modify its meaning. May include a test, procedure, specialty, function, or disorder. May indicate a test, procedure, specialty, function, or disorder

Pericolic

Around the colon

Dentalgia

Tooth pain or toothache

Dysmenorrhea

Painful menstruation

Hepatomegaly

Enlarged liver

Hypotension

Chronic condition with blood pressure below normal

Epigastric

Area of the body immediately above the stomach

Phlebotomy

Drawing blood from a vein via a small incision

Retroperitoneum

The space between the peritoneum and the posterior abdominal wall

Disinfection

The act of disinfecting

aer/o

air, gas

ather/o

plaque, fatty substance (inside of a blood vessel)

blast/o

immature cells

calc/o, calci/o

calcium

chondrio, chondro

cartilage, grainy, gritty

chyl/o

chyle, a digestive juice

chym/o

chyme, a semifluid production of chyme in the stomach

cyst/o, cysti

bladder, cyst, cystic duct

cyt/o

cell

ethm/o

ethmoid bone

gli/o

glue

gluc/o

glucose

glyc/o

sugars

hydr/o

hydrogen, water

ket/o, keton/o

ketone, acetone

lip/o

fat (outside of a blood vessel)

nucle/o

nucleus

plasma, plasmo

formative, plasma

salping/o

tube

sider/o

iron

somat/o

body

squam/o

scale, squamous (meaning scaly)

syring/o

tube

spider/o

iron

somat/o

body

squam/o

scale, squamous (meaning scaly)

syring/o

tube

hydrocephaly

excessive fluid accumulation in the brain

chondrocyte

a cartilage cell

syringitis

inflammation of the eustachian tube

salpingectomy

the removal of the fallopian tube

nucleotoxin

a poison that acts upon a cell nucleus

atheroma

a tumor from a fatty deposit inside a vessel

ethmonasal

relating to the ethmoid and nasal bones

aerogen

a gas-producing microorganism

somatogenic

originating in the body

glucogenic

producing glucose

glycopenia

a sugar deficiency

calcipenia

calcium deficiency

lipoblast

and embryonic fat cell (outside a vessel)

glioblastoma

a growth consisting of immature neural cells

plasmapheresis

the separation of blood into parts

cytoarchitecture

the arrangement of cells in tissue

sideropenia

an abnormally low level of iron in the blood

cystoid

bladder-shaped

ketogenesis

the metabolic production of ketones

chylopoiesis

the production of chyle in the intestine

chymopoiesis

the production of chyme

squamofrontal

relating to the squamous part of the frontal bone

algesi/o, algi/o, alg/o

pain

cry/o

cold

dips/o

thirst

esthesi/o

sensation, perception

kin/o, kine

movement, motion

kinesi/o, kines/o

motion

phon/o

sound, voice, speech

phot/o

light

son/o

sound

therm/o

heat

cryocautery

destruction of tissue by freezing

photometer

relates to movements caused by light