Gastrointestinal Root Words Quiz

Gastrointestinal Root Words

• -abdomin/o: Abdomen
• amyl/o: Starch
• -antr/o: Relationship to an antrum
• appendic/o: Appendix
• ase-: Enzyme
• bilirubin/o: Bilirubin
• celi/o: Belly, abdomen
• cheiol/o: Saliva
• chol/e, bil/i: Gall, bile
• cholecyst/o: Gallbladder
• choledoch/o: Common bile duct
• col/o, colon/o: Colon
• dent/o, odont/o: Teeth
• duoden/o: Duodenum
• enter/o: Small intestine
• esophag/o: Esophagus
• gastr/o: Stomach
• gingiv/o: Gums
• -gloss/o: Tongue
• gluc/o, glyc/o: Sugar
• glycogen/o: Glycogen, animal starch
• hepat/o: Liver
• ile/o: Ileum
• iasis-: Abnormal condition
• jejun/o: Jejunum
• labi/o, cheil/o: Lip
• lingu/o, gloss/o: Tongue
• lip/o, steat/o: Fat, Lipids
• or/o: Mouth, oral
• palat/o: Palate
• pancreat/o: Pancreas
• peritone/o: Peritoneum
• pharyng/o: Pharynx, throat
• -polyp: A tumor with a pedicle, meaning "many footed"
• prandial-: Meal
• proct/o: Anus, rectum
• pylor/o: Pylorus
• rect/o: Rectum
• sial/o: Saliva
• sialladen/o: Salivary gland
• sigmoid/o: Sigmoid colon
• spleen/o: Spleen
• stomat/o: Mouth
• submaxill/o: Lower jaw
• tonsill/o: Tonsil

Common Gastrointestinal Prefixes and Suffixes

• -dys: Bad, difficult, painful
• -re: Back
• -retro: Backward, back
• -sub: Under, below
• ase-: Enzyme
• clysis-: Irrigation, washing
• ectomy-: Surgical removal
• flux-: Flow
• gram-: Record
• iasis-: Abnormal condition
• ist-: A specialist
• itis-: Inflammation
• lithiasis-: Calculus or stone
• lytic-: Destruction or breakdown

Common Gastrointestinal Terms

• megaly-: Enlargement
• orrhaphy-: Surgical fixation or suturing
• ostomy-: Creation of an artificial opening
• plasty-: Repair
• plegia-: Eating, swallowing
• prandal-: Meal
• rrhaphy-: Suturing in place
• scope-: Instrument for examining
• spasm-: Sudden involuntary muscle contraction

Common Gastrointestinal Conditions

• Anorexia: Lack of appetite
• Anorexia nervosa: Psychiatric disorder; an abnormal fear of becoming obese
• Aphagia: Inability to swallow
• Aphthous stomatitis: Canker sores in the mouth
• Ascites: Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity caused by cirrhosis, tumors, and infection
• Borborygmus: Rumbling, gurgling sound made by moving of gas in the intestine
• Bruxism: Grinding the teeth involuntarily, often while sleeping
• Cathartic: Strong laxative
• Cholelithiasis: Condition of having gallstones
• Cleft palate: Congenital split in the roof of the mouth or upper lip
• Constipation: Difficult or delayed defecation caused by low peristalsis movement, by over-absorption of water as its contents sit too long in the intestine, or by dehydration
• Dental carries: Cavities in the teeth (caries means “decay”)
• Diarrhea: Frequent discharge of liquid stool (fe..