Dean Vaughn Lesson 2 Flashcards

Medical Root Words and Their Meanings

• -algia: Refers to pain; commonly used in medical terminology to indicate pain in specific areas (e.g., neuralgia means nerve pain).
• Crani-: Indicates the skull; used in terms like craniotomy, which is a surgical opening of the skull.
• End-: Means within; frequently used in words describing internal conditions (e.g., endoscopy).
• hemi-: Denotes half; utilized in terms like hemiplegia, referring to paralysis on one side of the body.
• -Oid: Signifies 'like'; seen in words such as humanoid, describing things resembling humans.
• Hype-: Implies above or more than normal; used in terms like hypertension, which means high blood pressure.
• Cyst-: Refers to a sac containing fluid; found in medical terms like cystitis, which is inflammation of the urinary bladder.
• Chole-: Relates to bile; used in terms such as cholecystitis, referring to inflammation of the gallbladder.
• Hypo-: Indicates under or below normal; used in terms like hypothyroidism, meaning underactive thyroid function.
• -Scop: Means to observe; involved in diagnostic procedures like endoscopy.
• Hyster-: Refers to the uterus; used in terms like hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of the uterus.
• -Ostomy: Denotes a surgical opening; seen in terms like colostomy, which is an opening created in the colon.
• Para-: Means beside or beyond; used in terms like parathyroid, which refers to glands adjacent to the thyroid.
• -Lysis: Implies destruction; used in words like hemolysis, referring to the breakdown of blood cells.
• Cervic-: Refers to the neck; applied in terms such as cervical vertebrae, which are the bones of the neck.
• Chondr-: Indicates cartilage; found in terms like chondritis, which is the inflammation of cartilage.
• Cyan-: Refers to the color blue; commonly seen in medical terminology to describe a bluish discoloration, particularly of the skin (cyanosis).
• Hem(at)-: Relates to blood; found in terms like hematology, the study of blood.
• Ost-: Indicates bone; used in terms such as osteopenia, which refers to low bone density.
• Psycho-: Refers to the mind; seen in psychological terms like psychology, the study of the mind and behavior.
• Lip-: Relates to fat; used in terms like liposuction, a procedure to remove fat.
• My-: Refers to muscle; evident in terms like myopathy, which indicates muscle disease.
• Lith-: Indicates stone; commonly used in the context of urolithiasis, which refers to stones in the urinary system.
• Opthalm-: Pertains to the eye; used in terms such as ophthalmologist, a specialist in eye care.
• Proct-: Refers to the anus; seen in terms like proctologist, a specialist in disorders of the rectum and anus.