47 Key Verbs

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and their definitions from the lecture notes.

ALGIA

Pain; the base meaning shown in neuralgia (nerve pain).

AUDIO / AUDI

Hearing or to hear; example term audiometer (device that measures hearing).

BIO

Life; biology is the study of life.

CAU / CAUS

To burn; caustic substances burn; causalgia is a burning pain.

ESTHES/IA, -PHORO

To physically feel; anesthesia is loss of physical sensation.

FISS / SCHIZ

To split; fission is the act of splitting; schizophrenia is a split mind.

FLEX / FLEC

To bend; reflex is bending again.

FLU / FLUX

To flow; affluent means flowing toward; fluxion is the act of becoming fluid.

CENTESIS

To puncture; pneumocentesis is puncturing the lung.

CLAS / CLAST / CLASIS

To smash or break; cytoclasis is breaking down a cell.

DUCT / DOCH

To draw; a ductal is a canal or vessel that draws fluids.

DYNIA

Pain (e.g., thoracodynia = chest pain).

ECTA / ECTIS

To dilate or widen; examples include dilation of vessels (vasectasis) or airways (bronchiectasis).

EDEM

To swell; edema is swelling; lymphedema is swelling of lymph tissues.

GEN

To produce; genesis is the beginning of something.

Ex: CARCINOGENESIS = The process of producing cancerous growths

IATRO / IATR / THERAPY

To treat or cure (e.g., iatro- ” in medical terms). Ex: pediatrics

KINE / KINO / KINESIO / PRAXIA

To move; kinesiology studies movement; pharmacopraxia relates to drug movement in the body; praxis means action or practice.

LIGA / DESIS

To bind; ligaments bind bone; arthrodesis is binding of a joint.

OLOGY

To study; cardiology studies the heart; many other -ology terms exist.

LYSIS / LY

To break down or dissolve; autolysis is self-destruction of cells.

MORPH / MORPHO

Form or shape; amorphous means without a defined shape.

OLFACT / OSMIA

To smell; olfactory/osmia relate to smelling; olfactophobia is fear of smells.

PHRAGM

Fence or wall; diaphragm is a muscular wall separating thoracic and abdominal cavities.

PLAS / PLASM / PLASTY

To form, shape, repair, or grow; used in terms like rhinoplasty or plastic/plasty procedures.

PLEG

Paralysis (e.g., quadriplegia).

PNEA

To breathe; apnea is absence of breathing.

PHONO

Voice or sound; aphonia is a lack of voice.

POIE

To make or produce; hematopoiesis = making blood cells.

PTOSIS

Droop or fall; examples include nephroptosis and splanchnoptosis.

ORRHAGIA

To burst forth or pour; menorrhagia is heavy menstrual bleeding.

ORRHAPHY

Suture or surgical fixation; nephrorrhaphy = suturing the kidney.

ORRHEA

To flow or discharge; leukorrhea = white vaginal discharge.

ORRHEXIS

To rupture; enterorrhexis = rupture of intestines.

-op, -opt-opto, -opsy

vision. Myopia is nearsightedness. Hyperopia is farsigthedness

palpit-

to flutter. Palpitation is an abnormal heartbeat that may feel like a fluttering or pounding in the chest.

-par, -part, -partus, -toci-

to labor. Parturition is the process of giving birth.

-pep-

to digest. dyspepsia is a condition of impaired digestion. -pex

-pexy, -pexia

to fix. Nephropexy is a surgical procedure to fix a floating or movable kidney.

-phago, -phago-

to eat. Phagocytosis is the process by which cells engulf and digest particles or microorganisms.

-phas-

to speak. dysphasia is difficulty speaking.

-phil-

to love or attract. An example is a hemophiliac, a person who loves or has an affinity for blood, often leading to bleeding disorders.

therapy

heal or treat. Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses chemicals to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells.

-tomy

to cut. appendectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the appendix.

-troph-, -trophy

to nourish and develop. Hypertrophy is the increase in the size of an organ or tissue through the enlargement of its cells.

-volvo-

to turn. volvulus is a twisting of the intestine that can cause obstruction.

-vulvo-

to cover. The vulva is the covering or sheath of the female genitalia.

-phob-

to fear. Acrophobia is an intense fear of heights.