Medical Terminology Flashcards

Prefixes and Their Meanings

• dist/o: Refers to something being distant.
• dolich/o: Indicates a long structure.
• dolor/o: Pertains to pain, often used in medical terminology.
• drom/o, -drome: Relates to running or a course, often used in describing movement.
• duct/o: Means to lead or carry, often seen in anatomical terms.
• dors/o: Refers to the back side of the body.
• duoden/o: Specifically refers to the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.
• dynam/o: Signifies power or strength, connected to force or energy.

Medical Terms Related to Conditions

• dynia: Denotes pain, similar to dolor/o.
• dys-: Represents something bad, painful, or difficult, often prefixing disorders.
• ec-, ecto-: Indicates something external or outside.
• echin-: Describes spiny or prickly features, often in biological terms.
• echo: Refers to a reverberating sound, used in diagnostic imaging (e.g. echocardiogram).
• eco: Relates to the environment, highlighting ecological aspects.

Conditions and Processes

• -ectasis, -ectasia: Indicates dilation or expansion of an organ or structure.
• ectr/o: Refers to congenital absence, a term used in genetic conditions.
• -edema: Relates to swelling, typically fluid accumulation in tissues.
• ele/o: Means oil, used in biochemical contexts.
• electr/o: Relates to electricity, often seen in electrical activity in tissues.

Vascular and Developmental Terms

• embol/o: Refers to an embolus or blockage in the bloodstream.
• embry/o: Pertains to an embryo, the early stage of development.
• -emesis: Indicates vomiting, commonly used in clinical settings.
• -emia: Refers to a condition related to blood, such as anemia.
• emmetr/o: Denotes the correct measure or proportion, relevant in optics.

Conditions of Blockage or Opposition

• -emphraxis: Refers to stoppage or obstruction, often associated with blockages in pathways.
• en-, endo-: Signifies something inside or within, used frequently in anatomical terms.
• enanti/o: Indicates opposite or opposed, relevant in discussions of symmetry and asymmetry.
• encephal/o: Refers to the brain, an important structure in neurology.
• enter/o: Specifically refers to intestines, often the small intestine in clinical contexts.