Medical Terminology for Health Professions Practice Flashcards

This set covers the fundamental word parts (roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes) and specific examples used in the introduction to medical terminology.

Medical Terminology

The specialized vocabulary used in the healthcare field to talk about the human body, its functions, conditions, and treatments.

Acronyms

Terms formed from the initial letters or major parts of a multi-word phrase, such as AIDS or CPR.

Eponyms

Medical terms named after people who discovered or first described a condition, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Word Root

The part of a medical term that contains the basic meaning and usually (but not always) describes the part of the body involved.

Combining Form

A word root with a combining vowel (usually the letter "o") added at the end, used to make the term easier to pronounce.

Suffix

A word part always added at the end of a word to complete the term; it usually indicates a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.

Prefix

A word part added to the beginning of a word to influence meaning, usually indicating location, time, number, or status.

cyan/o

A word root or combining form meaning blue.

erythr/o

A word root or combining form meaning red.

leuk/o

A word root or combining form meaning white.

melan/o

A word root or combining form meaning black.

poli/o

A word root or combining form meaning gray.

Cyanosis

Blue discoloration of the skin caused by a lack of adequate oxygen in the blood.

Erythrocyte

A mature red blood cell.

Leukocyte

A white blood cell.

Melanoma

A type of skin cancer originating from black-pigmented cells (melan means black, and -oma means tumor).

Poliomyelitis

A viral infection of the gray nerve tissue of the spinal cord.

-ac

A suffix meaning "pertaining to."

-osis

A suffix meaning "abnormal condition or disease."

Pathology

The study of all aspects of diseases.

-algia

A suffix meaning pain and suffering.

-itis

A suffix meaning inflammation.

-megaly

A suffix meaning enlargement.

-sclerosis

A suffix meaning abnormal hardening.

-graphy

A suffix meaning the process of producing a picture or record.

-centesis

A suffix indicating a surgical puncture to remove fluid for diagnostic purposes.

-gram

A suffix meaning a picture or record.

-plasty

A suffix meaning surgical repair.

-scopy

A suffix meaning visual examination.

-rrhage and -rrhagia

Suffixes meaning bleeding, most often used to describe sudden, severe bleeding.

-rrhaphy

A suffix meaning surgical suturing to close a wound.

-rrhea

A suffix meaning flow or discharge and refers to the flow of most body fluids.

Prenatal

The time and events before birth.

Perinatal

The time and events surrounding birth.

Postnatal

The time and events after birth.

dys-

A prefix meaning bad, difficult, or painful.

hyper-

A prefix meaning excessive or increased.

hypo-

A prefix meaning deficient or decreased.

-malacia

A suffix meaning abnormal softening.

-necrosis

A suffix meaning tissue death.

-ostomy

A suffix meaning the surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface.

-otomy

A suffix meaning a surgical incision.

-stenosis

A suffix meaning abnormal narrowing.

-ectomy

A suffix meaning surgical removal.

Phalanges

The plural form of phalanx, referring to the bones of the fingers and toes.