Medical Terminology Quiz - General Concepts

Medical Terminology (1) - General

• Medical terminology is a system of words used in medicine.
• Some terms are decodable, meaning they can be broken down into parts to understand their meaning.
• Non-decodable terms are individual terms that cannot be broken down further.
• Examples of non-decodable terms include: "angina" (heart pain).
• Eponyms are terms named after the individual who discovered or identified the condition.
• Example of an eponym: Alzheimer's disease was named after Alois Alzheimer.
• Abbreviations are shortened versions of longer terms.
• Examples of abbreviations: MI (Myocardial Infarction).
• Symbols are graphic representations, such as those for "male" and "female."
• A decrease in value is represented by an arrow downward.

Word Parts

• Prefixes come at the beginning of a word and have meaning related to number, amount, size, location, and color.
• Roots are in the middle of a word and relate to parts of the body.
• Suffixes are at the end of a word and give meaning related to amount and location.

Prefixes (Size and Amount)

• Macro means large (visible to the naked eye).
• Example: Macroscopic.
• Micro means small.
• Example: Microscopic.
• Hyper means above normal.
• Example: Hyperglycemia (increased blood glucose).
• Hypo means below normal.
• Example: Hypoglycemia (decreased blood glucose).
• Eu/normo- means normal.
• Example: Euglycemia (normal blood glucose).

Prefixes (Absence)

• A-/an- means absence of.
• Example: Anemia.
• Megalo- means large.
• Example: Megaloblastic.

Prefixes (Numerical)

• Mono- means single.
• Example: Monotherapy (treatment by one drug).
• Di- means two.
• Example: Diplegia (paralysis affecting two same limbs).
• Tri- means three.
• Example: Tricuspid (heart valve with three cusps).
• Quad- means four.
• Example: Quadriplegia (paralysis affecting four limbs).
• Poly- means many.
• Example: Polycythemia (increased number of red blood cells).
• Oligo- means few.
• Example: Oligospermia (low sperm count).

Prefixes (Speed)

• Tachy- means rapid.
• Example: Tachycardia (increased heart rate).
• Brady- means slow.
• Example: Bradycardia (decreased heart rate).

Prefixes (Location)

• Circum- means around.
• Example: Circumference.
• Intra- means inside.
• Example: Intracellular.
• Extra- means outside.
• Example: Extracellular.
• Inter- means between.
• Example: Intercellular.
• Juxta- means nearby.
• Example: Juxtaglomerular (nearby the glomeruli).

Prefixes (Movement)

• Ab- means away.
• Example: Abduction (movement of a limb away).
• Ad- means toward.
• Example: Adduction (movement of a limb toward the body).
• Dis- means to separate.
• Example: Displace (separating things).

Prefixes (Colors)

• Leuko- means white.
• Example: Leukocytes (white blood cells).
• Erythro- means red.
• Example: Erythrocytes (red blood cells).
• Cyano- means blue.
• Example: Cyanosis (bluish color of the skin).
• Melan- means black.
• Example: Melanoma (black tumor).
• Flav- means yellow.
• Chromo- means color.

General Terms

• Homo- means body.
• Cephalo- means head.
• Cerv- means neck.
• Thoraco- means chest.
• Abdomino- means abdominal.
• Pelvo- means pelvis.
• Derm- means skin.
• Neuro- means nerve.
• Hemo-/ Hemato- means blood.
• Arterio-/Angio- means arteries.
• Veno- means venous.
• Vasculo- means vascular.
• Musculo-/Myo- means muscle.
• Skelet- means skeleton.
• Osteo- means bone.