Medical Terminology Quiz

Study Notes

Directional Suffixes

-algia: Pain (e.g., neuralgia - nerve pain)
-itis: Inflammation (e.g., appendicitis - inflammation of the appendix)
-ectomy: Surgical removal (e.g., hysterectomy - removal of the uterus)
-pathy: Disease (e.g., cardiomyopathy - disease of the heart muscle)
-scopy: Visual examination (e.g., endoscopy - examination of the interior of a hollow organ)
-otomy: Cutting or incision (e.g., tracheotomy - incision in the trachea)
-plasia: Growth or formation (e.g., hyperplasia - increased cell production)

Prefixes in Medical Terminology

a-/an-: Without or absence of (e.g., anemia - lack of blood)
auto-: Self (e.g., autoimmune - immune response against self)
brady-: Slow (e.g., bradycardia - slow heart rate)
dys-: Difficult or abnormal (e.g., dysphagia - difficulty swallowing)
hyper-: Excessive or above normal (e.g., hypertension - high blood pressure)
hypo-: Below normal or deficient (e.g., hypoglycemia - low blood sugar)
inter-: Between (e.g., interstitial - between tissues)
mal-: Bad or poor (e.g., malnutrition - poor nutrition)
tachy-: Fast (e.g., tachycardia - fast heart rate)

Directional Suffixes

-algia denotes pain, exemplified by neuralgia, which refers to nerve pain.
-itis signifies inflammation; a common term is appendicitis, indicating inflammation of the appendix.
-ectomy implies surgical removal, as seen in hysterectomy, which is the procedure for removing the uterus.
-pathy indicates disease, illustrated by cardiomyopathy, a disorder affecting the heart muscle.
-scopy refers to visual examination, demonstrated in endoscopy, used for inspecting the interior of hollow organs.
-otomy means cutting or incision, represented by tracheotomy, an incision made in the trachea.
-plasia describes growth or formation, with hyperplasia signifying an increase in cell production.

Prefixes in Medical Terminology

a-/an- indicates absence, as in anemia, meaning a lack of sufficient blood.
auto- refers to self, and is used in autoimmune, which describes the immune system reacting against the body.
brady- signifies slowness, reflected in bradycardia, denoting a slower than normal heart rate.
dys- points to difficulty or abnormality; dysphagia exemplifies this with difficulty swallowing.
hyper- indicates excessive conditions, such as hypertension, which means high blood pressure.
hypo- denotes below normal or deficiency, as in hypoglycemia, referring to low blood sugar levels.
inter- conveys the idea of being between, used in terms like interstitial, which describes the space between tissues.
mal- signifies bad or poor, illustrated by malnutrition, indicating inadequate nutrition.
tachy- stands for fast, best represented by tachycardia, meaning an abnormally fast heart rate.

Common Medical Terminology Suffixes for Directions

-ad: Indicates movement toward a specific point; e.g., "cephalad" means toward the head.
-al: Relates to a particular area; e.g., "dorsal" is pertaining to the back.
-ectomy: Refers to the surgical removal of an organ or tissue; e.g., "appendectomy" means removal of the appendix.
-itis: Signifies inflammation of an organ or area; e.g., "gastritis" refers to inflammation of the stomach.
-osis: Denotes an abnormal condition or disease process; e.g., "neurosis" indicates an abnormal state of the nervous system.
-otomy: Indicates a surgical incision into an organ or body part; e.g., "tracheotomy" is an incision into the trachea.
-plasty: Refers to the surgical repair or reconstruction of tissue; e.g., "rhinoplasty" pertains to the surgical repair of the nose.
-rrhaphy: Refers to surgical suturing; e.g., "herniorrhaphy" means suturing of a hernia.
-scopy: Indicates a visual examination using an instrument; e.g., "endoscopy" involves examining the interior of the body.
-stasis: Refers to stopping or controlling a process; e.g., "homeostasis" indicates stability in the body's internal conditions.

Directional Prefixes

Anterior: Refers to the front of the body.
Posterior: Relates to the back of the body.
Superior: Indicates a position above another structure.
Inferior: Refers to a position below another structure.
Medial: Indicates proximity to the midline of the body.
Lateral: Denotes a position away from the midline of the body.
Proximal: Indicates a position closer to the point of attachment of a limb.
Distal: Refers to a position further away from the point of attachment of a limb.

Description

Test your knowledge on directional suffixes and prefixes used in medical terminology. This quiz covers essential terms that define various conditions and procedures. Perfect for students in health-related fields.