Medical Terminology Basics and Specialties

Comprehensive flashcards covering word roots, suffixes, prefixes, surgical procedures, and medical positions based on the lecture transcript.

A word root is the main body of a word and is generally of __________ or Latin origin.

Greek

To form a combining form from the word root oste, you add a vowel to create __________.

oste/o

The scientific name for the skin is __________, derived from the Greek word derma.

dermis

The medical term __________ means inflammation of the skin.

dermatitis

The combining vowel is __________ if the suffix begins with a vowel such as a, e, i, o, or u.

dropped

When combining anti- with acid, the result is __________, which is an exception to standard prefix rules.

antacid

The term hypocalcemia refers to decreased __________ in the blood.

calcium

The term __________ means pertaining to the area around a joint.

periarticular

Names derived from a person’s name, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are known as __________.

Eponyms

The plural form of the singular noun Patella is __________.

Patellae

The plural form of the singular noun Pharynx is __________.

pharynges

An __________ is the surgical removal of the appendix.

appendectomy

The combining forms nas/o and __________ both refer to the nose.

rhin/o

The suffix __________ indicates one who studies, such as a psychologist.

-logist

The specialist for the elderly is indicated by the combining form __________.

geront/o

The suffix -centesis refers to a surgical __________ to aspirate or remove fluid.

puncture

The surgical procedure __________ involves the surgical crushing of a stone.

lithotripsy

Blepharoptosis refers to the drooping of the upper __________.

eyelid

The suffix __________ denotes a hernia or protrusion of an organ through a wall.

-cele

The suffix __________ indicates a condition of the blood, such as in the word hypocalcemia.

-emia

The suffixes -algia and __________ both mean pain.

-dynia

The prefix __________ and tetra- both signify the number four.

quadri-

The prefix __________ means through or by.

per-

Cyanosis is a bluish discoloration of the skin caused by a deficiency of __________ in the blood.

oxygen

The combining form __________ refers to the color yellow.

xanth/o

The medical abbreviation __________ stands for 'nothing by mouth'.

NPO

In the __________ position, the head of the bed is at $90$ degrees.

High-Fowler's

The __________ position involves a surface inclined $45$ degrees with the head at the lower end.

Trendelenburg

The combining form __________ means hidden, as in a cryptic remark.

crypt/o

The term __________ refers to localized tissue death in response to disease or injury.

Necrosis