chapter 5

Flashcards for vocabulary terms related to medical terminology.

Medical Terminology

Foundational anatomical and medical terms and abbreviations used in written and oral communication with colleagues and other health care professionals.

Medical Terminology for EMTs

Key terms, symbols and abbreviations

Determine the meaning of an unknown word by:

Understanding how terms are formed. Learning the definitions for parts of a term.

Components of medical terms

Word root, prefix, suffix, combining vowels.

Word root

Main part or stem of a word, conveys the essential meaning, frequently indicates a body part.

Prefixes

Appear at the beginning of a word, usually describe location or intensity, give the word root its specific meaning.

Suffixes

Appear at the end of words, usually indicate a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech.

Combining vowels

Connects word root to suffix or other word root. Most cases, it’s an o; may also be an i or e. Used when joining a suffix that begins with a consonant or another word root.

Prefix

At the beginning of a term

Suffix

At the end of a term.

Using a combining vowel when:

When the suffix begins with a consonant (to ease pronunciation) or a term has more than one word root.

Number Prefixes

Uni-, dipl-, null-, primi-, multi-, bi-

Color Word Roots

cyan/o, leuk/o, erythr/o, cirrh/o, melan/o

Positions and directions Prefixes

ab-, ad-, de-, circum-, peri-, trans-, epi-, supra-

Superior

Nearer to the head.

Inferior

Nearer to the feet.

Lateral (outer)

Body parts that lie farther from the midline.

Medial (inner)

Body parts that lie closer to the midline.

Proximal

Closer to the trunk

Distal

Farther from the trunk/nearer to the free end of the extremity.

Superficial

Means closer to or on the skin.

Deep

Means farther inside the body/tissue, and away from the skin.

Ventral

Refers to the belly side of the body, or the anterior surface of the body.

Dorsal

Refers to the spinal side of the body, or the posterior surface of the body.

Anterior

Front surface of the body

Posterior

Back surface of the body

Palmar surface

Front region of the hand (the palm).

Plantar surface

Bottom of the foot.

Apex (apices)

Tip(s) of a structure

Flexion

Bending of a joint.

Extension

Straightening of a joint.

Adduction

Motion toward the midline.

Abduction

Motion away from the midline.

Bilateral

Both sides of midline; structures inside the body also appear on both sides of midline.

Unilateral

Only one side of the body.

Prone

Lying face down.

Supine

Lying face up.

Fowler position

Semi-reclining with head elevated.

Semi-Fowler

Patient sits at a 45-degree angle.

High-Fowler

Patient sits at a 90-degree angle.

Nephropathy

disease of the kidney

Dysuria

painful urination

Hyperemesis

excessive vomiting

Analgesic

Pertaining to no pain.