Medical Terminology: Combining Forms and Suffixes

Study Notes

Combining Forms

coagul/o refers to clotting, the process of blood solidifying
cyt/o denotes a cell, the basic unit of life
erythr/o and hem/o both mean blood, the red liquid that circulates in the body
kary/o indicates the nucleus, the control center of a cell
leuk/o meaning white, is often used in terms related to white blood cells
myel/o refers to bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones that produces blood cells
morph/o signifies shape or form, often used in terms describing cell structure
neutr/o signifies neutral, often used in terms related to specific types of white blood cells
sider/o refers to iron, an essential component of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells
phag/o means eat or swallow, often used in terms related to cells that engulf and destroy foreign invaders
thromb/o means clot, used in terms related to blood clotting

Suffixes

-apheresis indicates removal or carrying away, as in apheresis, a procedure to remove specific blood components
-blast refers to an immature or embryonic cell, such as a myeloblast, an immature bone marrow cell
-cytosis indicates an abnormal condition of cells, often referring to an increased number of cells
-emia signifies a blood condition, as in anemia, a condition of low red blood cells
-globin refers to protein, specifically the type found in red blood cells, hemoglobin
-lytic denotes destruction, signifying a process that breaks down or destroys something
-penia means deficiency, often used in terms related to a lack of something in the blood
-phage refers to eating or swallowing, as in macrophage, a cell that engulfs and destroys foreign invaders
-phoresis indicates carrying or transmission, as in electrophoresis, a technique that separates molecules based on their charge and size
-poiesis signifies formation or production, often used in terms related to blood cell production
-stasis means stop or control, often used in terms related to stopping or controlling a process
-oid denotes something derived from or resembling something else

Prefixes

anti- means against or opposite, as in anticoagulant, a substance that prevents blood clotting
hypo- signifies below or deficient, as in hypoglycemia, a condition of low blood sugar
macro- means large, as in macrocytic anemia, a type of anemia characterized by large red blood cells
mega- denotes abnormally large, as in megaloblastic anemia, a type of anemia characterized by abnormally large red blood cells
micro- means small, as in microcytic anemia, a type of anemia characterized by small red blood cells
mono- means one, as in monocyte, a type of white blood cell
pan- signifies all, as in pancytopenia, a condition of deficiency in all types of blood cells
poly- means many, as in polycythemia, a condition of too many red blood cells

Additional Notes

Heparin: A medication used to prevent blood clots.
Electrophoresis: A technique used to separate molecules based on their charge and size, often used to analyze blood proteins.
Thalassemia: A group of genetic blood disorders characterized by reduced production of hemoglobin.

Description

Test your knowledge of medical terminology with a focus on combining forms and suffixes related to blood and cells. This quiz covers essential terms such as coagul/o, cyt/o, and thromb/o, helping reinforce your understanding in the field of medicine. Perfect for students and professionals alike who need a quick review.