Medical Terminology 350 Pretest Notes

Medical Terminology

Prefixes:

• gastr-: stomach

• cardi-: heart

• megal-: enlarged, large

• -itis: inflammation

• dermat-: skin

• plast-: surgical repair

• cerebr-: cerebrum

• path-: disease

• -ectomy: surgical removal, excision

• enter-: intestine

• -osis: process abnormal condition

• -otomy: cutting into, incision

• aden-: gland

• angi-: vessel (blood)

• -oma: tumor

• nephr-: kidney

• hepat-: liver

• arthr-: joint

• blephar-: eyelid

• -ologist: specialist

• rhin-: nose

• gingiv-: gums

• -malacia: softening

• -ology: study of

• spasm: involuntary contraction

• -algia: pain

• crani-: skull

• end-: inside, within

• hemi-: half

• -oid: resembling

• hyper-: excessive, high

• cyst-: bladder, sac

• chole-: bile, gall

• hypo-: deficient, low

• -scop-: instrument for viewing

• hyster-: uterus

• -ostomy: surgical opening

• para-: beside, near

• -lysis: destruction, to break down, dissolve

• cervic-: neck, cervix

• chondr-: cartilage

• cyan-: blue

• hem(at)-: blood

• ost-: bone

• psycho-: mind

• lip-: fat

• my-: muscle

• lith-: stone

• ophthalm-: eye

• opt-: eye, vision

• proct-: anus, rectum

• cost-: rib

• -gram: record, writing

• acro-: extremities, tip

• -rrhexis: rupture

• carcin-: cancer

• -penia: deficiency

• gen-: producing, originating

• burso-: bursa (fluid sac near joints)

• retr(o)-: backward, behind

• trip-: to crush

• strept-: twisted chains

• -desis: binding, surgical fixation

• mani-: excessive preoccupation

• glosso-: tongue

• -trophy: nourishment, development

• supra-: above, over

• -ptosis: drooping, sagging

• -dyn: pain

• mast-: breast

• -rrhaphy: suture

• dent-: tooth

• cephal-: head

• auto-: self

• epi-: upon, above

• hydro-: water

• lobo-: lobe

• -emesis: vomiting

• contra-: against, opposite

• -iasis: abnormal condition

• trans-: across, through

• brady-: slow

• -ectasis: dilation, expansion

• cyt-: cell

• odont-: tooth

• leuk-: white

• -esthesia: sensation, feeling

• cantho-: canthus (corner of the eye)

• steno-: narrow, constricted

• cheil-: lip

• -cele: hernia, swelling

• benign: not malignant, favorable for recovery

• semen: seed, sperm

• celio-: abdomen

• erythro-: red

• vaso-: vessel (blood)

• melan-: black

• cauda-: tail

• lingua-: tongue

• myring-: eardrum

• spondyl-: vertebra

• ovar-: ovary

• -centesis: surgical puncture to remove fluid

• oto-: ear

• bili-: bile

• squam-: scale

• mening-: meninges (membrane around brain/spinal cord)

• cec-: cecum

• macul-: spot

• -pexy: surgical fixation

• onco-: tumor

• or-: mouth

• sub-: below, under

• spiro-: breathe, coil

• lacrim-: tear, lacrimal gland

• viscero-: internal organs

• lact-: milk

• onych-: nail

• thorac-: chest, thorax

• pyle-: portal vein

• vesic-: bladder

• sphenic-: sphenoid bone

• myel-: spinal cord, bone marrow

• anti-: against

• myco-: fungus

• hallux: great toe

• physio-: nature, physical

• bucc(o)-: cheek

• palpebr-: eyelid

• -plasia: formation, growth

• rug-: wrinkle, fold

• aur-: ear

• acoust(i)-: hearing

• colp(o)-: vagina

• phon-: sound, voice

• leio-: smooth

• cor: pupil

• ren-: kidney

• orchi-: testicle

• encephal-: brain

• thalam-: thalamus

• plexus: braid

• cilia: eyelash, hairlike processes

• dendr-: tree-like, branching

• phleb-: vein

• pilo-: hair

• histo-: tissue

• stoma-: mouth, opening

• tympan-: eardrum

• umbilic-: umbilicus, navel

• salpingo-: fallopian tube

• helio-: sun

• astr-: star

• -asthenia: weakness

• fascia: band, sheet

• pneum-: air, lung

• phage: to eat, swallow

• phren-: diaphragm, mind

• corne-: cornea

• Plak-: plate

• iris: iris

• kerat-: cornea

• tarso-: ankle

• -tope: place, position

• pod-: foot

• malign-: bad, harmful

• adnexa: accessory parts

• ocul-: eye

• lapar-: abdominal wall

• dacry-: tear, lacrimal gland

• pulmon-: lung

• ptyal-: saliva

• alveol-: air sac, alveolus

• oophor-: ovary

• oment-: omentum

• sedat-: quiet, calm

• furca-: fork-shaped

• radic-: nerve root

• radi-: radiation, radius

• ment-: mind

• part-: to give birth

• scler(a)-: hard, sclera (white of eye)

• somato-: body

• trachel-: neck, cervix

• sinus: sinus

• hypno-: sleep

• fistul-: fistula, abnormal passage

• edema: swelling

• dactyl-: finger, toe

• metabol(e)-: change, metabolism

• pariet-: wall

• ependym-: lining of brain ventricles

• gravid: pregnant

• aer-: air, gas

• glyco-: sugar, sweet

• sept-: septum

• scirr(h)-: hard, indurated

• antr-: cavity, antrum

• -crine: secrete

• dura: hard, dura mater

• neo-: new

• vuls: pull, twitch

• en-: in, within

• tarso-: ankle

• cheir-, chir-: hand

• calc-: calcium, stone

• cine-: movement

• digit: finger, toe

• dors-: back

• gangli-: ganglion

• gemin-: twin, double

• grad-: walk, step

• gran-: grain, granular

• labi-: lip

• micr-: small

• peps-: digestion

• pleur-: pleura (lining of lung)

• mamm-: breast

• colla-: glue, gelatinous

• later-: side

• rachi-: spine

• phob-: fear

• phot-: light

• dys-: difficult, painful

• cut-: skin

• peri-: around

• pro-: before, forward

• mechano-: mechanical

• dynam-: power, energy

• osmo-: odor, impules

• traumat-: wound, injury

• trich-: hair

• maxill-: upper jaw

• an-, a-: without, absence of

• phak-: lens

• pre-: before

• strict-: to draw tight, narrow

• turbin-: scroll-shaped

• ameb-: change, transforming

• semi-: half

• hormone: to excite, releasing factor

• therm-: heat

• syn-, sym-: together, with

• post: after, behind

• metr-: uterus

• tegument: covering, skin

• pan-: all, entire

• poly-: many, much

• ramus: branch

• neuro-: nerve

• thromb-: clot

• ab: away from

• -plegia: paralysis

• ante-: before, forward

• thel-: nipple

• ex-: out, away from

• lien-: spleen

• tumor: swelling, mass

• vestibule: entrance

• puer-: child, childbirth

• sarc-: flesh, muscle

• proli-: bearing offspring

• macro-: large, long

• lal: speech, babbling

• intra-: within

• inter-: between

• infra-: below, beneath

• cryo-: cold

• mal-: bad, abnormal

• glom-: ball, cluster

• tens-: to stretch

• spas-: pull, draw

• somm: sleep

• pharmac-: drug

• lumbo-: lumbar region, lower back

• arter-: artery

• appendic-: appendix

• thyro-: thyroid gland

• splen-: spleen

• ovario-: ovary

• adreno-: adrenal gland

• basi-: base

• pelvi-: pelvis

• vena-: vein

• urethr-: urethra

• utero-: uterus

• sacro-: sacrum

• pharyng-: pharynx, throat

• duodeno-: duodenum (first part of small intestine)

• ureter-: ureter

• laryng-: larynx, voice box

• bronch-: bronchus

• col: colon

• esophag-: esophagus

• bi-: two, twice

• tri-: three

• ile-: ileum (last part of small intestine)

• Ill lig-: to tie, bind

• therap-: treatment

• ventr-: front, abdomen

• vert-: turn

• eu-: good, normal

• ambi-: both, both sides

• amphi-: both, double

• brachy-: short

• capit-: head

• cau-: burn, heat

• clas-: to break

• duct-: to lead, carry

• fiss-: to split

• ger-: old age

• heter-: different

• infer-: below, under

• hom-: same

• olfact-: smell

• orth-: straight, normal

• gyn-: woman, female

• pachy-: thick

• phrag-: partition, wall

• poster-: back, behind

• cata-: down, lower

• platy-: flat, broad

• pseud-: false

• schiz-: split, division

• proxim-: nearest

• scol-: crooked, bent

• apo-: away from

• di-: two, double

• dia-: through, between

• eury-: wide, broad

• pect-: chest

• necr-: death

• mi-: smaller, less

• morph-: shape, form

• dis-: apart, away

• fac-: face

• lept-: thin, slender

• lymph-: lymph

• meta-: change, after

• -rrhag: bursting forth

• sta-: stand, stop

• ton-: tension, tone

• volv-: to roll, turn

• splanchn-: viscera, internal organs

• -rrhe: flow, discharge

• med-: middle

• xer-: dry

• per-: through, excessive

• blast-: developing cell, germ