Medical Terminology and Anatomy Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering medical terminology components, anatomical positions, organ systems, pathophysiology, and medical record documentation headers from the Chapter 1 lecture.

Word root

The part of a medical term that provides its primary meaning.

Combining form

A word root combined with a vowel (most commonly "o," but sometimes "i" or "e") to facilitate the addition of other word parts.

Prefix

A word part at the beginning of a medical term that often indicates location, time, or number.

Suffix

A word part at the end of a medical term that often indicates a disease condition, procedure, test, or part of speech.

Hyper-

A prefix meaning excessive or abnormally high.

Tachy-

A prefix meaning rapid or fast.

Brady-

A prefix meaning slow.

Ab-

A prefix meaning away from (e.g., abduction).

Ad-

A prefix meaning toward or near (e.g., adduction).

Sub-

A prefix meaning beneath or under.

-itis

A suffix meaning inflammation.

-otomy

A surgical suffix meaning an incision or cutting into a body part.

-ectomy

A surgical suffix meaning excision or the surgical removal of a body part.

-ostomy

A surgical suffix meaning the creation of an opening (stoma) to the outside or between organs.

-rrhaphy

A surgical suffix meaning surgical repair by suturing or stitching.

-centesis

A suffix meaning puncture or tap.

-tripsy

A suffix meaning crushing.

Anatomical Position

The standard reference position where the person is standing upright, arms at sides, palms forward, legs together, and feet pointing forward.

Proximal

Directional term meaning nearer to the point of attachment or a reference point.

Distal

Directional term meaning farther from the point of attachment or a reference point.

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

A plane that divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) portions.

Connective tissue

Tissue that supports and connects body structures, such as fat and bone.

Lymphatic system

The body's immune system, which houses white blood cells (lymphocytes) and includes the bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes.

Cytology

The study of cells, including their formation, structure, and function.

Thoracic (chest) cavity

The space containing the heart, lungs, esophagus, trachea, bronchi, and thymus.

Abdominal cavity

The space containing the liver, stomach, intestines, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and ureters.

Meninges

The three connective tissue membranes within the dorsal cavity that protect the brain and spinal cord: the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.

Homeostasis

The body's normal internal state of balance maintained by constantly changing regulatory processes.

Pathophysiology

The study of what goes wrong when normal physiology is disrupted by disease, including development and functional effects of illness.

Etiology

The determination of the source or cause of an illness.

Morbidity

Refers to disease, illness, or a diseased condition.

Signs

Observable or measurable findings of disease detected by a healthcare provider (objective findings).

Symptoms

Changes felt or reported by the patient that indicate disease (subjective findings).

Prognosis

The predicted course and outcome of a disease.

Palliative treatment

Medical care intended to alleviate symptoms or reduce discomfort without necessarily curing the underlying disease.

Palpation

Examination of the body by touch to determine organ size, condition, or tenderness.

Auscultation

Listening to body sounds, often using a stethoscope, to examine the heart and lungs.

SOAP format

The most common medical record format consisting of Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan.

Chief complaint

The description of why the patient is presenting for healthcare services; the reason for the visit.

Operative report

A detailed note produced by a healthcare professional immediately after a procedure, summarizing finding, the procedure performed, and diagnoses.