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What are the basic parts of a medical word?
What are the basic parts of a medical word?
What is a root word?
What is a root word?
The primary unit of a word that carries its significance, most often a noun.
What does a combining word do?
What does a combining word do?
Inserts a vowel after the root word to facilitate pronunciation and connects the root word to the suffix.
What is a combining vowel?
What is a combining vowel?
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What is the purpose of a suffix?
What is the purpose of a suffix?
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What does -algia mean?
What does -algia mean?
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What does -ectomy refer to?
What does -ectomy refer to?
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What condition does -osis indicate?
What condition does -osis indicate?
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What does -ostomy mean?
What does -ostomy mean?
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What does -oma denote?
What does -oma denote?
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What are prefixes?
What are prefixes?
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What is abduction in medical terms?
What is abduction in medical terms?
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What does cranial refer to?
What does cranial refer to?
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What does thoracic refer to?
What does thoracic refer to?
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What does abdominal include?
What does abdominal include?
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What is edema?
What is edema?
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What does dyspnea mean?
What does dyspnea mean?
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What does tachy indicate?
What does tachy indicate?
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What is chronic?
What is chronic?
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What does palliative treatment mean?
What does palliative treatment mean?
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What does prognosis refer to?
What does prognosis refer to?
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Study Notes
Medical Word Structure
- Medical words consist of roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes.
- Root words provide the core meaning, often nouns indicating body parts or systems.
- Combining forms insert vowels for easier pronunciation and link roots to suffixes.
- Suffixes modify or extend the meaning of the root and are situated at the word's end.
- Prefixes precede the root and alter its meaning, such as "hyper" indicating excess.
Common Medical Suffixes
- -algia: Indicates pain.
- -ectomy: Denotes excision or surgical removal.
- -osis: Refers to a condition or disease.
- -ostomy: Creates a new opening in the body.
- -oma: Signifies a tumor.
- -orrhea: Indicates a flow or discharge.
- -genic: Means producing.
Anatomical Terminology
- Cranial: Relates to the brain.
- Spinal: Pertains to the spinal cord.
- Thoracic: Associated with lungs and major blood vessels.
- Abdominal: Involves digestive organs like the stomach, liver, and intestines.
- Pelvis: Defines the lower abdomen area containing reproductive organs and the bladder.
Movement Terms
- Abduction: Movement away from the body's center.
- Adduction: Movement towards the body's center.
- Adhesion: The process of sticking together.
Signs, Symptoms, and Conditions
- Sign: An observable abnormality noticed during examination.
- Symptom: An experience noted by the patient relating to their senses.
- Edema: Refers to fluid accumulation in tissues.
- Emesis: Indicates vomiting.
- Malaise: Describes a general feeling of illness.
- Anorexia: Characterizes loss of appetite.
Vital Signs and Basic Measurements
- Vital signs include body temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and pain indicators; they provide continuous patient health information.
Prefixes and Position Indicators
- peri-: Around.
- epi-: Above or over.
- sub-: Below or under.
- supra-: Upper or above.
- infra-: Beneath or below.
Skin Layers and Related Terms
- Ectoderm: Outer layer of the skin.
- Mesoderm: Middle layer of the skin.
- Endoderm: Inner layer of the skin.
Diagnostic Terms
- Diagnosis: The process of identifying an illness based on signs, symptoms, and history.
- Prognosis: The anticipated outcome of an illness, described as favorable or unfavorable.
Types of Illness
- Acute: Illness with severe symptoms and a rapid onset; examples include pneumonia.
- Chronic: Long-lasting conditions like diabetes; often require ongoing management.
Treatment Types
- Palliative: Focuses on symptom relief without curing the underlying disease.
- Prophylactic/Prophylaxis: Preventative measures to avoid disease before onset.
Additional Medical Terms
- Tachy-: Relates to fast rates (e.g., tachycardia).
- Brady-: Indicates slow rates (e.g., bradycardia).
- Cyan/o: Refers to the color blue, often indicating hypoxia.
- Leuk/o: Pertains to the color white, related to leukocytes (white blood cells).
- Erythr/o: Associated with the color red, often used in relation to red blood cells.
Miscellaneous Anatomy and Terminology
- Cheil/o: Refers to lips; cheilitis means inflammation of lips.
- Proct/o: Relates to the anus; proctitis means inflammation of the anus.
- Myel/o: Refers to the spinal cord or bone marrow.
- Phleb/o: Pertains to veins, associated with the study of venous blood flow.
- -megaly: Indicates enlargement of an organ or body part.
These notes summarize essential medical terminology, providing context for understanding anatomy, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment approaches in healthcare.
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Description
Test your knowledge of medical terminology with these flashcards! This quiz focuses on the basic components of medical words, including root words, suffixes, prefixes, and combining forms. Perfect for students or professionals aiming to enhance their understanding of medical vocabulary.
