Medical Morpheme Vocabulary – Lecture Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key medical morphemes, roots, and related terms from the lecture notes.

Adenoids

Masses of lymphoid tissue located in the upper part of the throat behind the nose.

Adenoma

A benign tumor that arises from glandular tissue.

Adenopathy

Disease or enlargement of the glands, especially the lymph nodes.

Analgesic

A drug or substance that relieves pain without causing loss of consciousness.

Neuralgia

Intense, typically intermittent pain along the course of a nerve.

Nostalgic

Characterized by sentimental longing or painful yearning for the past.

Algogenic

Causing or generating pain.

Aural

Pertaining to the ear or sense of hearing.

Aurilave

ear cleaning tool

Axillary

Relating to the armpit (axilla).

Cervicoaxillary

Pertaining to both the neck (cervix) and the armpit region.

Cervix

The neck-like lower portion of the uterus; also means ‘neck’ in general anatomy.

Cervical

Relating to the neck or to the uterine cervix.

Cervicodynia

Pain in the neck region.

Subcutaneous

Situated or applied under the skin.

Hypodermic

Introduced under the skin; often refers to an injection given beneath the dermis.

Dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin.

Taxidermy

The art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting animal skins to create lifelike effects.

Gastropod

A class of mollusks—such as snails and slugs—having a muscular ‘stomach-foot.’

Gastritis

Inflammation of the lining of the stomach.

Gastronome

A gourmet; a person devoted to refined, sensuous eating.

Gravid

Pregnant; carrying developing offspring.

Primigravida

A woman who is pregnant for the first time.

Gravidity

The total number of times a woman has been pregnant.

Gravida

A pregnant woman; often used with a number to indicate pregnancy count.

Anemia

A condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin, causing pallor and fatigue.

Hematology

The branch of medicine that studies blood and its disorders.

Hematoma

A localized collection of blood outside blood vessels; a ‘bruise.’ (bad bruise? pooling of blood under the skin)

Hemophilia

bleeding disorder that causes your blood to not clot

Hepatitis

Inflammation of the liver, often caused by viral infection or toxins.

Neuritis

Inflammation of a nerve or nerves.

Phlebitis

Inflammation of a vein.

Labret

An ornament or stud worn in a perforation of the lip.

Labium

A lip or lip-like structure.

Labiomental

Pertaining to the lip and chin area.

Labiocervical

Relating to a lip and a neck; specifically, to the labial or buccal surface of the neck of a tooth.

Labiomancy

lipreading

Lactose

The disaccharide sugar naturally found in milk.

Lactation

The production and secretion of milk by the mammary glands.

Lachrymose

Tearful or prone to weeping; causing tears.

Larynx

The voice box; organ of voice production in the throat.

Laryngitis

Inflammation of the larynx, often resulting in hoarseness or loss of voice.

Mammal

Warm-blooded vertebrate animal with hair and mammary glands that secrete milk.

Mastectomy

Surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely.

Mammoplasty

Plastic or reconstructive surgery of the breast.

Nasal

Relating to the nose.

Nephritis

Inflammation of the kidneys.

Nephrostomy

A surgical procedure that creates an opening between the kidney and the skin for drainage.

Carcinoma

A malignant tumor that arises from epithelial tissue.

Melanoma

A dangerous form of skin cancer arising from melanocytes.

Optics

The branch of physics dealing with light and vision.

Ophthalmology

The medical specialty concerned with the eye and its diseases.

Autopsy

Post-mortem examination of a body to determine the cause of death.

Biopsy

Removal and examination of tissue from a living body for diagnostic purposes.

Myopic

Nearsighted; unable to see distant objects clearly.

Exophthalmic

Characterized by protruding eyeballs (exophthalmos), often due to thyroid disease.

Ossify

To turn into bone or to become rigid and inflexible.

Osseous

Composed of, containing, or resembling bone.

Ossuary

A container or room into which the bones of dead people are placed.

Oral

Pertaining to the mouth.

Oscillate

To swing back and forth in a regular rhythm.

Oracle

A prophetic shrine or a person through whom a deity is believed to speak.

Phobia

An irrational, persistent fear of a specific object, activity, or situation.

Russophobia

An irrational fear or dislike of Russia or Russians.

Claustrophobia

An abnormal fear of confined or crowded spaces.

Agoraphobia

An abnormal fear of open or public spaces.

Hydrophobia

Extreme fear of water; also an old term for rabies.

Prophylactic

Intended to prevent disease or infection.

Pneumonia

Inflammation of the lungs usually caused by infection.

Apnea

Temporary cessation of breathing.

Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing.

Pulmonary

Relating to the lungs.

Rhinitis

Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose.

Rhinoplasty

Plastic surgery performed on the nose for cosmetic or medical reasons.

Sarcophagus

A stone coffin, literally ‘flesh-eater’ in Greek.

Arteriosclerosis

Thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries.

Antiseptic

A substance that prevents the growth of disease-causing microorganisms.

Septicemia

Serious bloodstream infection causing systemic inflammation; ‘blood poisoning.’

Sepsis

disease that occurs when infection gets into blood

Stoma

A surgically created opening on the body surface for waste elimination or breathing.

Stomatitis

Inflammation of the mouth’s mucous membrane.

Thrombosis

Formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel.

Thrombus

A blood clot that forms within a blood vessel and remains there.

Vasectomy

Surgical sterilization of a male by cutting or sealing the vas deferens.

Vascular

Pertaining to blood vessels.

Intravenous

Within or administered through a vein.

Vena

A vein; used in names such as ‘vena cava.’

Hepatoma

A tumor of the liver; often refers to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Histology

The microscopic study of tissues.

Histanoxia

Deficient oxygen supply to body tissues.

Histogenesis

The formation and development of tissues from undifferentiated cells.

Hysterectomy

Surgical removal of the uterus.

Hysteria

Exaggerated or uncontrollable emotional excitement or anxiety.

Uteralgia

Pain in the uterus.

Intrauterine

Located or occurring within the uterus.

Utopia

An imagined perfect or ideal place or state of things.

Exophthalmos

Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball from the orbit.