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What is the primary function of a root in medical terminology?
Which of the following definitions best describes a suffix in medical terminology?
What is the purpose of a combining vowel in medical terms?
Which medical term includes four roots?
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What does the term 'virile' refer to in medical terminology?
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In the term 'gastroscopy', what does the suffix '-scopy' denote?
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What is the meaning of 'colic' in a medical context?
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Which of the following terms refers to a structure within the kidney?
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How is the letter 'c' pronounced in the term 'cardiology'?
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What does the medical term 'myel/o' refer to?
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Which term describes a specialist in the treatment of the mind?
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What does the term 'euthanasia' mean?
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What structure does 'scler/o' describe?
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What does the prefix 'brady-' signify in medical terms?
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Which medical term describes the condition of paralysis in four limbs?
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What does the prefix 'hypo-' indicate in medical terminology?
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Which term refers to lack of breathing?
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The term 'diarrhea' literally means:
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Which of the following prefixes means 'against'?
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What is the meaning of the prefix 'peri-' in medical terms?
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The term 'macro-' is used to indicate what in medical terminology?
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What does the medical term 'hemigastrectomy' refer to?
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Which prefix denotes the concept of 'both'?
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What is the appropriate adjective form for the noun 'larynx'?
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What happens to the 'x' in nouns ending with 'x' when the preceding letter is a consonant?
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Which of the following terms refers to the process of identifying a disease?
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What is the meaning of a symptom in medical terms?
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What term describes a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease?
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What does the term 'eponym' refer to in medical terminology?
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What does an 'exacerbation' indicate in the context of disease symptoms?
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Which of the following describes a 'chronic disease'?
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What role does the combining vowel play in medical terminology?
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In the term 'cystoscope', what does the suffix '-scope' indicate?
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When is the combining vowel omitted in medical terminology?
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What is the correct breakdown of 'dysmenorrhea' into prefix, root, combining vowel, and suffix?
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What is the meaning of the term 'menorrhagia'?
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Which combination correctly indicates that the suffix begins with 'rh'?
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What happens when a root is added to another root that begins with a vowel?
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Which of the following medical terms does not adhere to the 'rh' rule?
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Study Notes
Medical Terminology
- Medical terminology consists of root words, prefixes, and suffixes, which modify the root's meaning.
- Roots cannot stand alone to convey a complete meaning.
- Prefixes are added to the beginning of a term and suffixes to the end to modify the root's meaning.
- A combining vowel, usually "o", is inserted between a root and a suffix or another root to ease pronunciation.
- The combining vowel is omitted if the suffix starts with a vowel.
Common Prefixes
- a-/an- means "not", example: apnea (lack of breathing)
- ante- means "before", example: antenatal (pertaining to before birth)
- anti- means "against", example: antibiotic (substances produced outside the body that inhibit bacterial growth)
- ab- means "away from", example: abnormal (away from being normal)
- ad- means "toward", example: adduct (toward the midline of the body)
- auto- means "self", example: autopsy (to determine the cause of death by examining the body)
- brady- means "slow", example: bradycardia (condition of slow heart rhythm)
- dia- means "through/complete", examples: diameter (through measurement), diarrhea (flow of watery stool through the rectum)
- dys- means "painful/difficult", "poor/abnormal", examples: dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), dysuria (condition of having painful sensation upon urination)
- endo- means "within", example: endocrine glands (glands that secrete hormones within the body and into the bloodstream)
- exo- means "outside", example: exocrine glands (glands that secrete substances out of the body)
- eu- means "easy/true", example: eupnea (normal breathing)
- hemi- means "half", example: hemigastrectomy (excision of one half of the stomach)
- hyper- means "excessive", example: hypertension (high blood pressure)
- hypo- means "less than normal", example: hypotension (low blood pressure)
- macro- means "very large", example: macroscopic (large enough to be seen without a microscope)
- mega- means "abnormally large", example: megacolon (enlargement of the colon)
- multi- means "many", example: multicellular (pertaining to many cells)
- peri- means "surrounding", example: periosteum (structure surrounding the bone)
- post- means "after", example: postnatal (pertaining to after birth)
- pre- means "before", example: prenatal (pertaining to before birth)
- pro- means "before/forward", example: prodrome (early symptom indicating the onset of a disease or illness)
- re- means "back and forth", example: resection (excision/removal)
- retro- means "behind", example: retrouterine (behind the uterus)
- sub- means "below", example: sublingual (pertaining to under the tongue)
- tachy- means "rapid", example: tachycardia (condition of having rapid heart rhythm)
- trans- means "across/through", example: transfusion (introduction of blood or blood components into the bloodstream)
- bi- means "both", example: bilateral (pertaining to both sides)
- uni- means "single", example: unilateral (pertaining to one side)
Basic Medical Terms
- Diagnosis: Identifying the nature and cause of a disease or injury through patient evaluation.
- Prognosis: Predicting the probable course and outcome of a disease.
- Sign: Objective evidence of disease, observable by the patient or others.
- Symptom: Subjective evidence of disease, experienced only by the patient.
- Syndrome: A collection of symptoms and signs that characterize a disease or condition.
- Acronym: A word formed from the first letters of a multipart term, for example, GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease)
- Abbreviation: A shortened form of a word or phrase, for example, AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction).
- Eponym: A disease, structure, or procedure named after its discoverer, for example, Marfan syndrome, Fallopian tube, Rinne Test.
- Acute disease: Rapid, severe, and short-duration disease.
- Chronic disease: Long-lasting disease, often recurrent.
- Relapse: Return of disease symptoms after partial recovery.
- Exacerbation: Increase in disease severity or its symptoms.
- Viral: Pertaining to a virus.
- Virile: Possessing masculine traits.
Pronunciation of Medical Terms
- Dys- is pronounced dis-, example: dyspnea (difficulty in breathing).
- Ph- is pronounced f-, example: pharmacy (a place for dispensing medicine).
- X- is pronounced z-, example: xyphoid (cartilage attached to the sternum).
- Ch- is pronounced k-, example: chronic (pertaining to time, as in a long-lasting disease).
Silent Letters in Medical Terms
- Rhinoplasty: the "h" is silent. (plastic repair of the nose)
- Ptosis: the "p" is silent. (drooping)
- Pneumonia: the "p" is silent. (lung infection)
- Gnathic: the "g" is silent. (pertaining to the jaw)
- Psychiatrist: the "p" is silent. (specialist in the treatment of the mind)
- Euthanasia: the "e" is silent. (painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable disease)
Soft and Hard "c"
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Soft "c"(pronounced as "s"): Cerebral, hyperglycemia, encephalogram, cytology, leukocyte, septicemia, amniocentesis, cell, incision.
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Hard "c"(pronounced as "k"): Cardiology, arthroscope, cardiac, gastric, electrical, endocrinology, pericardium, medical, pharmacology.
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The letter "c" is usually pronounced "s" when followed by "I, e, or y", otherwise it is pronounced "k".
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Description
Explore the foundations of medical terminology including root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Understand how these elements combine to alter meanings and improve your medical vocabulary. This quiz will test your knowledge of essential medical terms and their functions.
