Medical Terminology Quiz

Combining Word Parts

• -emesis means vomiting, such as in the word emesis, meaning the act of vomiting.
• contra- means against, as in contraception, which means preventing conception.
• -iasis indicates a condition, formation, or presence of something, for example, dermatitis, which refers to inflammation of the skin.
• trans- signifies through, across, or beyond, such as in transfusion, meaning the transfer of blood from one person to another.
• brady- means slow, like in bradycardia, which is a slow heart rate.
• -ectasis refers to expansion, for instance, bronchiectasis, meaning the dilation of the bronchi (airways in the lungs).
• cyt- relates to a cell, evident in cytology, the study of cells.

Identifying Specific Body Parts

• odont- means tooth, like in odontitis, which is inflammation of the tooth.
• leuk- signifies white, for example, leukemia, meaning a cancer of the white blood cells.
• -esthesia refers to sensation or feeling, as in anesthesia, which is the absence of sensation.
• cantho- indicates the angle at the end of the eyelid, visible in canthal, which describes something related to this angle.
• sten- means narrow or contracted, as in stenosis, which is the narrowing of a passage.
• cheil- refers to the lip, such as in cheilitis, inflammation of the lips.

Understanding Medical Terminology

• -cele indicates a hernia, tumor, or swelling, as in encephalocele, a protrusion of brain tissue.
• benign signifies mild or not cancerous, such as a benign tumor.
• semen refers to a seed, particularly the male reproductive fluid.
• celio- means abdomen, for example, celiotomy, a surgical incision into the abdomen.
• erythro- signifies red, evident in erythrocytes, the red blood cells.
• vaso- means vessel, like in vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels.
• melan- refers to black, as in melanin, a pigment that gives skin its color.
• cauda- means tail, such as in cauda equina, a bundle of nerves in the lower spinal cord.
• lingua- signifies tongue, for example, lingual, which describes something related to the tongue.
• myring- means eardrum, like in myringitis, inflammation of the eardrum.
• spondyl- refers to the spinal column or vertebra, as in spondylitis, inflammation of the vertebrae.

Test your knowledge of medical terminology by identifying symbols, prefixes, and suffixes related to various bodily conditions and functions. This quiz will help you understand the meanings of parts of medical terms commonly used in healthcare. Challenge yourself and see how many you can get right!