Medical Terminology and Health Sciences Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering medical term roots, prefixes, suffixes, commonly confused medical terms, diagnostic concepts, and clinical communication skills.

Medical Terminology

The specialized language used by healthcare professionals to describe the human body, diseases, symptoms, diagnostic procedures, drug administration, and treatments with precision.

Root

The core element of a medical term that carries its fundamental meaning.

Prefix

A letter or group of letters attached to the beginning of a root to modify its meaning, often indicating location, time, number, or status.

Suffix

A letter or group of letters added to the end of a root to alter or clarify its meaning, typically indicating a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.

Combining Form

The combination of a word root plus a combining vowel (usually 'o') used to facilitate pronunciation.

Gastroscopy

Visual examination of the stomach.

Adenectomy

Excision (surgical removal) of a gland.

Tracheostomy

Creation of an opening from the windpipe (trachea) to the outside of the body.

Colocolostomy

Surgical communication (anastomosis) between two unconnected parts of the large intestine.

Quadriplegia

Paralysis affecting all four limbs of the body.

Hemiplegia

Paralysis affecting one side of the body.

Bradycardia

An abnormally slow heart rate.

Tachycardia

An abnormally rapid heart rate.

Diagnosis

The act or process of identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disease or injury through evaluation of patient history, examination, and laboratory data.

Prognosis

A prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease.

Sign

Objective evidence of disease or physical manifestation of an injury or illness that can be evaluated or measured by others.

Symptom

Subjective evidence of disease or what the patient experiences regarding an injury or illness, measurable only by the patient.

Syndrome

A group of symptoms and signs that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or abnormal condition.

Eponym

A term, disease, structure, or procedure named after the person who first discovered or described it.

Acute Disease

A disease characterized by rapid onset, severe symptoms, and relatively short duration.

Chronic Disease

A disease lasting for a long period of time or marked by frequent recurrences.

Exacerbation

An increase in the severity of a disease or any of its symptoms.

Remission

A period during which the symptoms of a disease abate or subside without having achieved a cure.

Sarcoma

A cancerous tumor originating in fleshy tissue.

Carcinoma

A cancerous tumor originating in epithelial tissue.

Malignant

Tending to become progressively worse and result in death, possessing properties of anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis; a cancerous tumor that spreads.

Benign

Not malignant or recurrent; favorable for recovery; a non-cancerous tumor that does not spread.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Death of cells in an area of heart muscle due to oxygen deprivation caused by obstruction of blood supply; commonly known as a heart attack.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

An abnormal brain condition caused by occlusion or hemorrhage of blood vessels resulting in ischemia of brain tissue; commonly known as a stroke.

Ischemia

A condition in which blood supply is held back from a part of the body.

Ilium vs. Ileum

Ilium refers to one of the bones of each half of the pelvis, whereas ileum refers to the third part of the small intestine.

Intervertebral vs. Intravertebral

Intervertebral means lying between two vertebrae, whereas intravertebral means situated or occurring within a vertebra.

Peritoneum vs. Perineum

Peritoneum is the membrane surrounding and holding abdominal organs in place, whereas perineum is the area between the anus and the scrotum or vulva.

Palpation vs. Palpitation

Palpation is the diagnostic technique of touching and feeling, whereas palpitation is a throb or sensation of the heart beating too hard or fast.

Fissure vs. Fistula

A fissure is a groove or crack-like sore of the skin or normal brain contour fold, whereas a fistula is an abnormal passage between two internal organs.

Infection vs. Inflammation

Infection is the invasion of the body by a pathogenic organism, whereas inflammation is a localized tissue response to injury or destruction.

Supination vs. Suppuration

Supination is the act of rotating the arm so that the palm faces forward or upward, whereas suppuration is the formation or discharge of pus.

Ascites

The accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Soft 'c' Rule

When the letter 'c' is followed by 'e', 'i', or 'y', it is pronounced as an 's' sound; otherwise, it is pronounced as a hard 'k' sound.

Soft 'g' Rule

When the letter 'g' is followed by 'e', 'i', or 'y', it is pronounced as a soft 'j' sound; otherwise, it is pronounced as a hard 'g' sound.

Case Study Report

A document in which doctors formally describe clinical experiences, detailed symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient.

Extemporaneous Delivery

A speech delivery mode that is carefully planned, organized, and practiced using an outline containing main points, key words, phrases, and quotes while maintaining direct audience eye contact.

Paraphrasing

Borrowing the ideas of others and re-writing them in your own words while maintaining the exact original meaning.