Medical Terminology Basics

These flashcards cover key medical terms, their meanings, and anatomical terms important for understanding medical terminology.

aden (adeno)

gland

carcin (carcino)

cancer

cardi (cardio)

heart

cyt (cyto)

cell

derma (dermato)

skin

enter (entero)

small intestine

gastr (gastro)

stomach

gyne (gyneco)

female

hema (hemato)

blood

hydr (hydro)

water

necr (necro)

death

path (patho)

disease

somat (somato)

body

nulli-

none

hemi-

half

semi-

half or partial

uni-

one

mono-

one

bi-

two

tri-

three

tetra-

four

quad-

four

poly-

many

multi-

many

-ac, -al, -an, -ar, -ary, -eal, -iac, -ic, -ical, -ile, -ior, -ory, -ose, -ous, -tic

pertaining to

-algia

pain

-cise

cut

-cyte

cell

-ectasis

dilation

-ectomy

surgical removal of

-genic

produces, produced by

-gram

picture or recording of

-graph

instrument for recording

-graphy

process of recording

-ia

state, condition

-iasis

abnormal condition

-ism

state of

-itis

inflammation of

-lysis

destruction, break down

-megaly

enlargement

-meter

instrument for measuring

-metry

process of measuring

-ology

study of

-oma

tumor, mass

-osis

abnormal condition

-ostomy

surgically created opening

-otomy

cutting into

-pathy

disease

-plasia/plasm

growth or formation

-plasty

surgical repair of

-rrhage

excessive or abnormal flow

-rrhea

discharge or flow

-sclerosis

hardening

-scope

instrument for viewing

-scopy

process of viewing

-stenosis

narrowing

-trophy

development

abduction

movement away from the midline

adduction

movement toward the midline

anterior

toward the front

posterior

toward the back

superior

above

inferior

below

medial

toward the midline

lateral

toward the side

proximal

near the midline or point of reference

distal

away from the midline or other point of reference

deep

toward the inside of the body

superficial

toward the outer surface of the body