Advanced Medical Terminology Pre-Test Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering all prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, anatomical structures, diagnostic tests, and clinical terms presented in the advanced medical terminology pre-test review.

Spleen

The largest lymphatic organ in the body.

fet/o

Fetus or unborn offspring; 'young' is the closest test option.

Lumbar vertebrae

The five vertebrae that bear much of the spine's weight in the lower back.

gravid-

Pregnant (as seen in gravida and multigravida).

psych/o

Mind.

Hyperdipsia

Excessive thirst.

Shunt

A tube or passage that redirects the flow of fluid.

Homeopathy

Literally means like or similar disease or suffering, where homeo- means similar and -pathy refers to disease.

surg-

Working by hand (the literal origin of the word part in surgery and surgeon).

kyph/o

Humpback or an outward curvature of the spine (as in kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis).

Diverticulosis

The presence of small outpouchings, usually in the colon.

Stomatitis

Inflammation of the mouth.

lacrim/o and dacry/o

Tears or tearing.

Mantoux skin test

A diagnostic skin test used to look for Tuberculosis (TB) infection.

Thyroxine (T4)

A thyroid hormone associated with the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.

Parathormone (PTH)

A hormone that helps regulate blood calcium.

Colonoscopy

Visual examination of the colon, or large intestine.

Ophthalmoscope

An instrument used to look inside the eye.

Defibrillation

An electrical shock delivered to the heart to stop a shockable rhythm.

contra-

Against.

xanth/o

Yellow (as in xanthoderma and xanthoma).

Prim- (primo-, prim/i)

First (as in primigravida).

audi-

To hear (as in audiology and audiogram).

ventr/o

Belly (as in ventral and ventricle).

Beriberi

Body weakness caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.

-cytosis

An increase in cell numbers (as in leukocytosis and thrombocytosis).

lingu/o and gloss/o

Tongue.

Hydrocele

A buildup of fluid around a testicle within the scrotal sac.

ana-

Apart or up (as in anatomy and anaphase).

candid-

Literally means white.

Diuretic

An agent that increases urine output.

Laparoscopy

Visual examination of the abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall.

Insulin

A hormone that helps regulate blood glucose by lowering it.

-penia

Decrease or deficiency (as in erythropenia and leukopenia).

an-

Without or lack of (as in anemia and anorexia).

Polydipsia

Literally means excessive thirst, where poly- means much or many and -dipsia refers to thirst.

Hormone

A chemical messenger secreted by an endocrine gland.

Urinary bladder

A hollow muscular organ that temporarily stores urine; also called the urinary vesicle.

spir/o

Breathing (as in spirometry).

mal-

Bad or poor (as in malignant and malnutrition).

Prosthesis

An artificial replacement for a missing body part.

-poiesis

To produce or form (as in hematopoiesis and erythropoiesis).

pan-

All.

carcin/o

Literally comes from crab; refers to cancer in modern medical terms.

ile/o

Historically associated with flank; refers to the ileum (the last part of the small intestine) in current medical terms.

volv- and volvul/o

To twist or turn (as in volvulus).

e-

Out or outward (as in eversion).

onc/o

Tumor (as in oncology).

sarc/o

Flesh or fleshy (as in sarcoma).

olig/o

Scanty or few (as in oligospermia, oligomenorrhea, and oliguria).

in-

A prefix that can mean into or not, depending on the word.