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Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of medical roots in terminology?
What is the primary function of medical roots in terminology?
Which suffix type is primarily used to describe invasive surgical procedures?
Which suffix type is primarily used to describe invasive surgical procedures?
When is a combining vowel used in medical terminology?
When is a combining vowel used in medical terminology?
What does the suffix '-pathy' denote in medical terminology?
What does the suffix '-pathy' denote in medical terminology?
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Which of the following is an example of a combining form?
Which of the following is an example of a combining form?
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Which combining vowel is most commonly used in medical terminology?
Which combining vowel is most commonly used in medical terminology?
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Which of the following suffixes indicates a diagnostic procedure?
Which of the following suffixes indicates a diagnostic procedure?
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What does the root 'hem-' refer to in medical terminology?
What does the root 'hem-' refer to in medical terminology?
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Study Notes
Medical Terminology
- The language used to describe the human body, its functions, and medical procedures
- Also known as the language of healthcare
- Composed of basic elements: roots, prefixes, and suffixes
Roots
- Provide the core meaning of a medical term
- Usually of Greek or Latin origin
- Can appear anywhere in the term
- Multiple roots can have the same meaning (e.g., pulmon- and pneumon- both refer to lungs)
- Combining a root with a combining vowel creates a combining form
Combining Forms
- Roots are often joined to other roots or suffixes beginning with consonants using a combining vowel
- Example:
- Pneum- means air (pneum/o)
- -Thorax means chest
- Pneum/o + -thorax = pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity)
- Combining vowel is not used when joining a root word with a suffix that starts with a vowel
- Any vowel (a, e, i, o, or u) can be used as a combining vowel
Suffixes
- Groups of letters positioned at the end of a medical term
- Can have multiple meanings
- A combining vowel is used if a suffix starts with a consonant
Types of Suffixes
Diagnostic Suffixes
- Form medical terms related to diagnosis, procedures, or tests to identify diseases
- Examples: -crit, -gram, -graph, -lysis, -oma, -rrhage
Surgical Suffixes
- Produce medical terms that describe invasive surgical procedures performed on the body
- Examples: -centesis, -ectomy, -plasty, -stomy, -tripsy
Pathologic Suffixes
- Result in medical terms that describe symptoms or signs of a disease process
- Examples: -algia, -ectasis, -edema, -emesis, -genesis, -itis, -oma, -osis, -pathy, -penia
Adjectival Suffixes
- 28 suffixes that all mean "pertaining to"
- Examples: -ac, -al, -ale, -alis, -ar, -aris, -ary, -atic, -ative, -eal, -ent, -etic, -ial, -ic, -ica, -ical, -ine, -ior, -iosum, -ious, -istic, -ius, -nic, -ous, -tic, -tiz, -tous, -us
Noun Suffixes
- Don't fall under other categories but maintain the root as a noun
- Examples: -iatry, -ician
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Description
Explore the essential components of medical terminology, including roots, combining forms, and suffixes. This quiz will help you understand the foundational language of healthcare, providing insights into how terms are formed and their meanings.
