Chapter 1 - Intro to Medical Terminology

myel/o

spinal cord OR bone marrow

neur/o

nerve

my/o

muscle

arteri/o

artery

angi/o

blood vessel

hem/o

blood

cyt/o

cell

oste/o

bone

arth/o

joint

ten/o

tendon

ather/o

plaque, fatty substance

myc/o

fungus

py/o

pus

pyr/o

fever, fire

aden/o

gland

laryng/o

larynx, throat

ot/o

ear

rhin/o

nose

hepat/o

liver

pyel/o

renal pelvis (part of kidney)

embry/o

fertilized ovum

cyan/o

blue

cyanosis

blue discoloration of skin from lack of adequate O2 in blood

erythr/o

red

erythrocyte

mature blood cell

leuk/o

white

leukocyte

white blood cell

melan/o

black

melanosis

any condition of unusual deposits of black pigment in body tissues or organs

poli/o

gray

poliomyelitis

viral infection of the gray nerve tissue of the spinal cord

\-algia

pain, suffering

gastralgia

stomach pain

\-dynia

pain

gastrodynia

stomach pain

\-itis

inflammation

gastritis

inflammation of the stomach

\-megaly

enlargement

hepatomegaly

abnormal enlargement of the liver

\-malacia

abnormal softening

arteriomalacia

 abnormal softening of the arteries or artery wall

\-necrosis

tissue death

arterionecrosis

tissue death of the arteries

\-sclerosis

abnormal hardening

arteriosclerosis

abnormal hardening of the arteries or artery wall

\-stenosis

abnormal narrowing

arteriostenosis

abnormal narrowing of the arteries

\-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid for diagnostic procedures or to remove excess fluid

abdominocentesis

surgical puncture of abdominal cavity to remove fluid

\-graphy

process of producing a picture or record

angiography

process of producing an x-ray of blood vessels

\-gram

 picture or record

angiogram

the resulting film produced by angiography

\-plasty

surgical repair

myoplasty

surgical repair of muscle

\-scopy

visual examination

arthroscopy

visual examination of internal structure of a joint

\-rrhage and -rrhagia

sudden, severe bleeding

hemorrhage

loss of a large amount of blood in a short time

\-rrhaphy

surgical suturing to close a wound including use of sutures, staples, or surgical glue

tenorrhaphy

surgical suturing of a tendon

\-rrhea

flow or discharge of body fluids

ab-

away from, negative, absent

dextro-

right side

ex-

out of, outside, away from

macro-

big, abnormal size, long

mega- or megalo-

large, great

pre-

before

ad-

toward, to, in the direction of

sinistro-

left side

in-

in, into, not, without

micro-

small

oligo-

scanty, few

post-

after, behind

dys-

bad, difficult, painful

eu-

good, easy, well

hyper-

too much

hypo-

too little

inter-

between, among

intra-

within, inside

sign

objective evidence of disease (ex. fever)

symptom

subjective evidence of disease (ex. pain, headache)

syndrome

set of signs and syndromes that occur together as part of a specific disease process

diagnosis (DX)

identification of a disease

differential diagnosis (D/DX) aka rule out (R/O)

attempt to determine which one of several possible diseases is causing the present signs and symptoms

prognosis

prediction of probable course and outcome of a disease

acute

describes condition with rapid onset, severe course, and short duration

chronic

describes condition of long duration; can be controlled but rarely cured

remission

temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a disease without having achieved a cure

disease

condition in which one or more body parts are not functioning normally

eponym

a disease, structure, operation, or procedure named for the person who discovered/described it first

\-ectomy

surgical removal

\-ostomy

surgical creation of artificial opening to body surface

\-otomy

cutting, surgical incision

fissure

groove/crack-like sore in the skin ALSO the normal folds of the brain

fistula

an abnormal passage, usually between 2 internal organs or leading from an organ to the surface of the body

ileum

last and longest portion of the small intestine

ilium

part of the hip bone

infection

invasion of the body by pathogenic organism (malaise, inflammation, chills, fever)

laceration

a torn or jagged wound or accidental cut