Medical Terminology and Body Systems Review

A comprehensive vocabulary list covering anatomical root words, suffixes, prefixes, and major body system terminology based on lecture notes.

$$\text{Bi/o}$$

Root word for life

$$\text{Cry/o}$$

Root word for cold

$$\text{Cyan/o}$$

Root word for blue

$$\text{Ichthy/o}$$

Root word for scaly

$$\text{Necr/o}$$

Root word for death

$$\text{Rhytid/o}$$

Root word for wrinkle

$$\text{Suffix}$$

Attaches at the end of a root word

$$\text{-algia}$$

Suffix meaning pain

$$\text{-cele}$$

Suffix meaning hernia or protrusion

$$\text{-cyte}$$

Suffix meaning cell

$$\text{-ectasis}$$

Suffix meaning dilation

$$\text{-ism}$$

Suffix meaning state of

$$\text{-malacia}$$

Suffix meaning abnormal softening

$$\text{-megaly}$$

Suffix meaning enlargement or large

$$\text{-rrhexis}$$

Suffix meaning rupture

$$\text{Prefix}$$

Makes the root word more specific by expanding on location, frequency, number, color, or negativity

$$\text{An-}$$

Prefix meaning without

$$\text{Brady-}$$

Prefix meaning slow

$$\text{Dys-}$$

Prefix meaning painful or difficult

$$\text{Hetero-}$$

Prefix meaning different

$$\text{Tachy-}$$

Prefix meaning rapid or fast

$$\text{Anatomical position}$$

Standing erect facing forward, palms of hands facing forward, thumbs outward

$$\text{Anterior}$$

Front surface of the body

$$\text{Superior}$$

Above another structure

$$\text{Ipsilateral}$$

Same side of the body

$$\text{Contralateral}$$

Opposite side of the body

$$\text{Proximal}$$

Near the point of attachment to the trunk

$$\text{Prone}$$

Lying on the belly

$$\text{Flexion}$$

Bending the joint, occurring in the sagittal plane

$$\text{Abduction}$$

Moving away from the median plane

$$\text{Frontal plane}$$

Also known as the coronal plane, it divides the body vertically into anterior and posterior portions

$$\text{Sagittal plane}$$

Divides the body into left and right sides

$$\text{Crural region}$$

Lower extremity region

$$\text{Integumentary system}$$

Includes the skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and nerve receptors

$$\text{Dermatology}$$

The study of skin

$$\text{Melanin}$$

One of the pigments that contributes to skin color

$$\text{Acne vulgaris}$$

A chronic inflammatory disease characterized by pustule eruptions, mostly caused by overproduction of sebum

$$\text{Onychia}$$

Inflammation of the bed of the fingernail or toenail where the nail typically falls off

$$\text{Gangrene}$$

Death of tissue caused by loss of circulation to an area

$$\text{Vitiligo}$$

Results from a destruction of the melanocytes causing irregular patches of white skin

$$\text{Hirsutism}$$

Presence of excessive body and facial hair in women usually occurring in a male pattern

$$\text{Ecchymosis}$$

Commonly called a bruise

$$\text{Petechia}$$

Very small hemorrhages less than $2\,mm$ in diameter

$$\text{Fascia}$$

Tough connective tissue that groups and binds muscle fibers together

$$\text{Origin}$$

The bone attachment point closest to the body at the immovable end of a muscle

$$\text{Insertion}$$

The bone attachment at the point at the movable end of a muscle

$$\text{Fasciitis}$$

Inflammation of the fascia

$$\text{Myasthenia gravis}$$

A chronic autoimmune disease affecting the neuromuscular junction, causing weakness of voluntary muscles

$$\text{Atrophy}$$

Wearing away of muscle fibers because of disuse

$$\text{Hemiplegia}$$

Total paralysis on one side of the body

$$\text{Axial skeletal system}$$

Composed of the skull, spinal column, hyoid bone, ossicles, and rib cage, totaling $80$ bones

$$\text{Appendicular skeletal system}$$

Refers to the $126$ bones of the upper and lower appendages

$$\text{Cervical vertebrae}$$

The first seven vertebrae ($C1-C7$) that protect the cervical spinal nerves of the neck

$$\text{Periosteum}$$

The surrounding lining of the bone

$$\text{Synovial joints}$$

Joints that allow a wide range of motion and contain a synovial capsule and fluid

$$\text{Ankylosis}$$

Loss or absence of mobility in a joint because of disease, injury, or surgical procedure

$$\text{Osteoarthritis}$$

Degenerative joint disease associated with wear and tear from overuse or aging

$$\text{Gout}$$

Form of arthritis caused by deposits of uric acid crystals in a joint

$$\text{Scoliosis}$$

Abnormal lateral or sideways curvature of the spine

$$\text{Rickets}$$

Deficiency of vitamin D required to maintain calcium and phosphorus levels resulting in problematic bone growth

$$\text{Comminuted fracture}$$

Fracture where the bone is crushed or splintered into small pieces

$$\text{Myeloma}$$

Cancer occurring in blood-making cells found in the red bone marrow

$$\text{Pineal gland}$$

Gland in the central portion of the brain shaped like a pinecone that secretes melatonin

$$\text{Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)}$$

Stimulates growth and secretions of the adrenal cortex

$$\text{Oxytocin (OXT)}$$

Stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth

$$\text{Acromegaly}$$

Chronic disease involving enlargement of the hands and feet caused by too much growth hormone after puberty

$$\text{Graves’ disease}$$

Immune system attack on the thyroid causing excessive thyroid hormone production, often resulting in a goiter

$$\text{Type 1 diabetes}$$

Autoimmune insulin deficiency disorder caused by destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells

$$\text{Arteries}$$

Large blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart

$$\text{Sinoatrial node (SA node)}$$

Part of the heart's electrical system designated as the natural pacemaker

$$\text{Erythrocytes}$$

Red blood cells (RBC) produced in the red bone marrow for oxygen transport

$$\text{Pulmonary circulation}$$

Flow of blood between the heart and the lungs

$$\text{Systolic pressure}$$

Highest pressure of blood on the artery wall occurring when ventricles contract

$$\text{Ischemia}$$

Insufficient supply of oxygen in the tissues due to restricted blood flow

$$\text{Myocardial infarction}$$

Heart attack caused by occlusion of one or more coronary arteries

$$\text{Asystole}$$

A flat line indicating a complete lack of electrical activity in the heart

$$\text{Aneurysm}$$

A weak spot in an artery that balloons out and carries a risk of bursting

$$\text{Hypertension}$$

High blood pressure, starting when pressure is greater than $120/80\,mmHg$

$$\text{Epiglottis}$$

Protective device that covers the opening to the trachea when swallowing

$$\text{Alveoli}$$

Structures where oxygen and carbon dioxide are transferred between the respiratory system and blood

$$\text{Emphysema}$$

Long-term loss of lung function characterized by a decrease in the number and destruction of the walls of the alveoli

$$\text{Eupnea}$$

Normal breathing

$$\text{Bradypnea}$$

Abnormally slow breathing rate typically $10$ breaths per minute or less

$$\text{Anoxia}$$

Absence of oxygen from body tissues and organs despite sufficient blood flow

$$\text{Lymph nodes}$$

Small bean-shaped filtering nodes that contain lymphocytes to destroy pathogens

$$\text{Natural killer cells}$$

Lymphocytes that play an important role in killing cancer cells and cells infected by viruses

$$\text{Thymus gland}$$

Lymphoid tissue above the heart that stimulates maturation of lymphocytes into T cells

$$\text{Passive immunity}$$

Also known as natural immunity

$$\text{Anaphylactic shock}$$

A potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction

$$\text{Mastication}$$

Technical term for chewing

$$\text{Peristalsis}$$

Wave-like contractions of smooth muscles that move food forward in the digestive system

$$\text{Chyme}$$

Name for ingested food after it is broken down by gastric juices

$$\text{GERD}$$

Gastroesophageal reflux disease; the upward flow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus

$$\text{Bulimia}$$

Emotional disorder involving distortion of body image and bouts of overeating followed by purging

$$\text{Ascites}$$

Abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in the peritoneal cavity due to liver disease

$$\text{Nephron}$$

Microscopic functional cell of the kidney

$$\text{Uremia}$$

Toxic condition resulting from renal failure where waste products build up in the body

$$\text{Renal colic}$$

Acute pain in the kidney area caused by the passage of a kidney stone

$$\text{Nocturia}$$

Frequent and excessive urination during the night

$$\text{Seminiferous tubules}$$

Site within each testicle where sperm are formed