Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professions

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering root words, anatomical terminology, body planes, cavities, and all organ systems from Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professions.

Combining Form

A word root combined with a combining form vowel (most commonly 'o', but sometimes 'i' or 'e') used to join word parts and ease pronunciation.

Anatomical Position

The standard body reference position of standing upright, with the feet at shoulder width and parallel, toes forward, upper limbs held out to each side, and palms facing forward.

Sagittal Plane

A two-dimensional, vertical plane that divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides.

Serous Membrane

An epithelial membrane composed of mesodermally derived epithelium (mesothelium) supported by connective tissue that lines closed body cavities (pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal) and covers organs within them.

Lingual Papillae

Raised epithelial structures on the tongue that house taste buds for gustatory transduction, categorized as circumvallate, foliate, filiform, and fungiform.

Anosmia

The loss of the sense of smell, often caused by blunt force trauma shearing olfactory nerve axons, respiratory infections, allergies, or certain medications.

Glaucoma

A condition in which increased intraocular pressure leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss, commonly due to fluid backup in the eye.

Epidermis

The avascular, outermost protective layer of the skin composed of keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium arranged in four or five layers.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The second most common skin cancer, affecting the keratinocytes of the stratum spinosum and commonly presenting as an aggressive lesion on the scalp, ears, hands, or nose.

Axial Skeleton

The central vertical axis of the body consisting of $80$ bones in the adult, including the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage.

Diarthrosis

A freely mobile joint, such as the synovial joints of the limbs (e.g., knee or shoulder).

Osteoporosis

An age-related disorder characterized by a decrease in bone mass and density occurring when the rate of bone resorption exceeds the rate of bone formation, often leading to fractures.

Kyphosis

An excessive posterior curvature of the thoracic region of the vertebral column; also called humpback.

Skeletal Muscle

Striated, multinucleated muscle tissue responsible for voluntary movements, maintaining posture, and generating body heat.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

A progressive genetic neuromuscular disease primarily affecting boys, caused by the inability of the body to produce dystrophin, leading to muscle weakness and wasting.

Astrocyte

A star-shaped glial cell type of the central nervous system that provides structural and metabolic support for neurons and contributes to the blood-brain barrier.

Broca's Area

A region in the lateral frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex associated with motor commands and speech production; damage causes expressive (non-fluent) aphasia.

Wernicke's Area

A region situated at the posterior end of the lateral sulcus responsible for language and speech comprehension; damage causes receptive (fluent) aphasia.

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

A heart attack caused by the interruption of blood flow to a region of the myocardium, leading to hypoxia and death of cardiac muscle cells.

Common ECG Abnormalities

Disruptions in the heart's electrical conduction system visible on electrocardiograms, including partial block, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and third-degree block.

Hematocrit

A diagnostic measurement of whole blood representing the percentage of the total sample volume that is composed of erythrocytes, normally averaging around $45\%$.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that protect the body against pathogens and mutated cells, categorized into granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils) and agranulocytes (lymphocytes, monocytes).

Hemostasis

The three-step physiological process by which the body seals a ruptured blood vessel to prevent further blood loss, consisting of vascular spasm, platelet plug formation, and coagulation.

Atherosclerosis

A specific type of arteriosclerosis characterized by the buildup of fatty, calcified plaque within arterial walls, leading to vessel narrowing and impaired blood flow.

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID)

A rare, complex inherited disorder caused by genetic defects that severely impair both B cell and T cell arms of the adaptive immune response.

Alveoli

Microscopic grape-like sacs within alveolar sacs of the lungs where gas exchange with the pulmonary capillaries takes place.

Eupnea

Quiet breathing that occurs at rest and does not require conscious cognitive control, utilizing contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles.

Peristalsis

Sequential, rhythmic, alternating waves of contraction and relaxation of alimentary smooth muscle that propel food and liquid along the digestive tract.

Gallbladder

A muscular organ situated on the posterior surface of the liver that stores, concentrates, and expels bile via the cystic duct into the common bile duct.

Cirrhosis

A chronic, progressive liver disease in which damaged liver cells are irreversibly replaced by non-functional scar tissue, often resulting from hepatitis or chronic alcoholism.

Endocrine Gland

A ductless gland that secretes regulatory chemicals (hormones) directly into surrounding extracellular fluid and the bloodstream to target distant organs.

Acromegaly

An endocrine disorder in adults resulting from hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) after bone growth has ceased, causing enlargement of bones in the face, hands, and feet.

Nephron

The structural and functional unit of the kidney, consisting of a renal corpuscle and a continuous renal tubule that filters blood, reabsorbs solutes, and produces urine.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

The total volume of filtrate formed by both kidneys per minute, averaging approximately $125\,\text{mL/min}$ in men and $105\,\text{mL/min}$ in women.

Nitrogen Wastes

Toxic nitrogenous products derived from the deamination of amino acids during normal protein breakdown, including ammonia ($\text{NH}_3$), urea, and uric acid.

Spermatogenesis

The formation and production of sperm cells occurring continuously within the seminiferous tubules of the testes from puberty onwards.

Endometriosis

A painful disorder characterized by the abnormal presence and proliferation of endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterine cavity.

Apgar Score

A clinical assessment performed at $1$ and $5$ minutes after birth to assess newborn transition and physical wellbeing across five criteria: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.

Preeclampsia

A pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorder occurring at or after $20$ weeks of gestation, characterized by blood pressure at or above $140/90\,\text{mm\,Hg}$, edema, and proteinuria.

Zygote

A diploid single cell resulting from the successful fertilization and fusion of genetic material from an egg and a sperm.