10 Questions
What is the directional term for 'toward the side, away from the midline'?
Lateral
Which term means 'near, closest to the origin (toward the trunk)'?
Proximal
What does 'Cranial' refer to in directional terms?
Toward the head
Which term means 'back, behind, after, toward the rear'?
Posterior
'Erythr/o' in the blood system refers to which color?
Red
What directional term refers to 'near upper surface, back'?
Dorsal
What does 'Distal' mean in directional terms?
Farthest from the origin (trunk)
'Caudal' in directional terms refers to movement towards which part of the body?
Back or tail
'Hemat/o' is a combining form referring to which component of the body?
Blood
'Erythr/o' in the blood system refers to which color?
Red
Study Notes
Medical Terminology
- Medical terminology is a language used to describe anatomical structures, procedures, conditions, processes, and treatments in the medical field.
Medical Word Parts
- Medical terms are built from four word parts: prefix, word root, suffix, and combining vowel.
- Prefix:
- Appears at the beginning of a medical term.
- Indicates location, direction, type, quality, or quantity.
- Root:
- Gives a term its essential meaning.
- Nearly all medical terms contain at least one root.
- A vowel (usually "o") may be added to the root to aid in pronunciation.
- The root and vowel together are called the combining form.
- Suffix:
- Appears at the end of a term.
- May indicate a specialty, test, procedure, function, disorder, or status.
- Defines whether the word is a noun, verb, or adjective.
Language Origins
- The majority of medical terms are based on Latin or Greek language.
Test your knowledge of basic medical terminology used to describe anatomical structures, procedures, conditions, and treatments in the medical field. Learn about word parts including prefix, word root, suffix, and combining vowel.
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