Chapter 1: Introduction To Medical Terminology

Front 1

COMMON COMBINING FORMS

Back 1

Some commonly used word roots in their combining form, their measuring, and examples of their use follow.

Front 2

Aden/o

Back 2

Gland

Hint 2

Adenopathy
(gland disease)

Front 3

Carcin/o

Back 3

Cancer

Hint 3

Carcinoma
(cancerous tumor)

Front 4

Cardi/o

Back 4

Heart

Hint 4

Cardiac
(pertaining to the heart)

Front 5

Chem/o

Back 5

Chemical

Hint 5

Chemotherapy
(treatment with chemicals)

Front 6

Cis/o

Back 6

To Cut

Hint 6

Incision
(process of cutting into)

Front 7

Dermat/o

Back 7

Skin

Hint 7

Dermatology
(study of the skin)

Front 8

Enter/o

Back 8

Small Intestine

Hint 8

Enteric
(pertaining to the small intestine)

Front 9

Gastr/o

Back 9

Stomach

Hint 9

Gastric
(Pertaining to the stomach)

Front 10

Gynec/o

Back 10

Female

Hint 10

Gynecology
(study of females)

Front 11

Hemat/o

Back 11

Blood

Hint 11

Hematic
(pertaining to the blood)

Front 12

Hydr/o

Back 12

Water

Hint 12

Hydrocele
(protusion of water in the scrotum)

Front 13

Immun/o

Back 13

Immune

Hint 13

Immunology
(study of immunity)

Front 14

Laryng/o

Back 14

Voice Box

Hint 14

Laryngeal
(pertaining to the voice box)

Front 15

Morph/o

Back 15

Shape

Hint 15

Morphology
(study of shape)

Front 16

Nephr/o

Back 16

Kidney

Hint 16

Nephromegaly
(enlarged kidney)

Front 17

Neur/o

Back 17

Nerve

Hint 17

Neural
(pertaining to the heart)

Front 18

Opthalm/o

Back 18

Eye

Hint 18

Ophthalmic
(pertaining to the eye)

Front 19

Ot/o

Back 19

Ear

Hint 19

Otic
(pertaining to the ear)

Front 20

Path/o

Back 20

Disease

Hint 20

Pathology
(study of disease)

Front 21

Pulmon/o

Back 21

Lung

Hint 21

Pulmonary
(pertaining to the lungs)

Front 22

Rhin/o

Back 22

Nose

Hint 22

Rhinoplasty
(surgical repair of the nose)

Front 23

Ur/o

Back 23

Urine, urinary tract

Hint 23

Urology
(study of the urinary tract)

Front 24

PREFIXES

Back 24

A new medical term is formed when a prefix is added to the front of the term.Prefixes frequently give information about the location of an organ, the number of parts, or the time.

Front 25

A-

Back 25

without, away from

Hint 25

Aphasia
(without speech)

Front 26

An-

Back 26

without

Hint 26

Anoxia
(without oxygen)

Front 27

Ante-

Back 27

before, in front of

Hint 27

Antepartum
(before birth)

Front 28

Anti-

Back 28

against

Hint 28

Antibiotic
(against life)

Front 29

Auto-

Back 29

self

Hint 29

Autograft
(a graft from one's own body)

Front 30

Brady-

Back 30

slow

Hint 30

Bradycardia
(slow heartbeat)

Front 31

Dys-

Back 31

painful, difficult

Hint 31

Dyspnea
(diffilculty breathing)

Front 32

Endo-

Back 32

within, inner

Hint 32

Endoscope
(instrument to view within)

Front 33

Epi-

Back 33

upon, over

Hint 33

Epigastric
(upon or over the stomach)

Front 34

Eu-

Back 34

normal, good

Hint 34

Eupnea
(normal breathing)

Front 35

Hetero-

Back 35

different

Hint 35

Heterograft
(a graft from anothers person's body)

Front 36

Homo-

Back 36

same

Hint 36

Homozgous
(having two identical genes)

Front 37

Hyper-

Back 37

over, above

Hint 37

Hypertrophy
(overdevelopment)

Front 38

Hypo-

Back 38

under, below

Hint 38

Hypoglossal
(under the tongue)

Front 39

Infra-

Back 39

under, beneath, below

Hint 39

Infraorbital
(below, under the eye socket)

Front 40

Inter-

Back 40

among, between

Hint 40

Intervertebral
(between the vertebrae)

Front 41

Intra-

Back 41

within, below

Hint 41

Intravenous
(inside, within a vein)

Front 42

Macro-

Back 42

large

Hint 42

Macrocephalic
(having a large head)

Front 43

Micro-

Back 43

small

Hint 43

Microcephalic
(having a small head)

Front 44

Neo-

Back 44

new

Hint 44

Neonate
(newborn)

Front 45

Pan-

Back 45

all

Hint 45

Pancarditis
(inflammation of all the heart)

Front 46

Para-

Back 46

bedide, beyond, near

Hint 46

Paranasal
(near or alongside the nose)

Front 47

Per-

Back 47

through

Hint 47

Percutaneous
(through the skin)

Front 48

Peri-

Back 48

around

Hint 48

Pericardial
(around the heart)

Front 49

Post-

Back 49

after

Hint 49

Postpartum
(after birth)

Front 50

Pre-

Back 50

before, in front of

Hint 50

Prefontal
(in front of the frontal bone)

Front 51

Pseudo-

Back 51

false

Hint 51

Pseudocyesis
(false pregnancy)

Front 52

Retro-

Back 52

backward, behind

Hint 52

Retrograde
(movement in a backward direction)

Front 53

Sub-

Back 53

below, under

Hint 53

Subcutaneous
(under, below the skin)

Front 54

Super-

Back 54

above, excess

Hint 54

Supernumerary
(above the normal number)

Front 55

Supra-

Back 55

above

Hint 55

Suprapubic
(above the pubic bone)

Front 56

Tachy-

Back 56

rapid, fast

Hint 56

Tachycardia
(fast heartbeat)

Front 57

Trans-

Back 57

through, across

Hint 57

Transurethral
(across the urthra)

Front 58

Ultra-

Back 58

beyond, excess

Hint 58

Ultrasound
(high-frequency sound waves)

Front 59

NUMBER PREFIXES

Back 59

Some common prefixes pertaining to the number of items or measurement, their meanings, and examples of their use follow.

Front 60

bi-

Back 60

two

Hint 60

Bilateral
(two sides)

Front 61

hemi-

Back 61

half

Hint 61

Hemiplegia
(paralysis of one side/half of the body)

Front 62

Mono-

Back 62

one

Hint 62

Monoplegia
(paralysis of one extremity)

Front 63

Multi-

Back 63

many

Hint 63

Multigravida
(woman pregnant more than once)

Front 64

Nulli-

Back 64

none

Hint 64

Nulligravida
(woman with no pregnancies)

Front 65

Poly-

Back 65

many

Hint 65

Polyuria
(large amounts of urine)

Front 66

Quad-

Back 66

four

Hint 66

Quadriplegia
(paralysis of all four extremities)

Front 67

Semi-

Back 67

partial, half

Hint 67

Semiconscious
(partially conscious)

Front 68

Tri-

Back 68

three

Hint 68

Triceps
(muscle with 3 heads)

Front 69

Uni-

Back 69

one

Hint 69

Unilateral
(one side)

Front 70

COMMON SUFFIXES

Back 70

Some common suffixes, their meanings.

Front 71

-Algia

Back 71

pain

Front 72

-Cele

Back 72

hernia, Protusion

Front 73

-Cise

Back 73

cut

Front 74

-Cyte

Back 74

cell

Front 75

-Dynia

Back 75

pain

Front 76

-Ectasis

Back 76

dilation

Front 77

-Gen

Back 77

that which produces

Front 78

-Genesis

Back 78

produces, generates

Front 79

-Genic

Back 79

producing, produced by

Front 80

-ia

Back 80

State, condition

Front 81

-Iasis

Back 81

abnormal condition

Front 82

-Ism

Back 82

state of

Front 83

-Itis

Back 83

inflammation

Front 84

-Logist

Back 84

one who studies

Front 85

-Logy

Back 85

study of

Front 86

-Lysis

Back 86

destruction

Front 87

-Malacia

Back 87

abnormal softening

Front 88

-Megaly

Back 88

enlargement, large

Front 89

-Oma

Back 89

tumor, mass

Front 90

-Osis

Back 90

abnormal condition

Front 91

-Pathy

Back 91

disease

Front 92

-Plasia

Back 92

development, growth

Front 93

-Plasm

Back 93

formation, development

Front 94

-Ptosis

Back 94

drooping

Front 95

-Rrhage

Back 95

excessive, abnormal flow

Front 96

-Rrhea

Back 96

discharge, flow

Front 97

-Rrhexis

Back 97

rupture

Front 98

-Sclerosis

Back 98

harndening

Front 99

-Stenosis

Back 99

narrowing

Front 100

-Therapy

Back 100

treatment

Front 101

-Trophy

Back 101

nourishment, development

Front 102

SURGICAL SUFFIXES

Back 102

The following suffixes indicate surgical procedures

Front 103

-centesis

Back 103

puncture to withdraw fluid

Front 104

-ectomy

Back 104

surgical removal

Front 105

-ostomy

Back 105

surgically create an opening

Front 106

-otomy

Back 106

cutting into

Front 107

-pexy

Back 107

surgical fixation

Front 108

-plasty

Back 108

surgical repair

Front 109

-rrhaphy

Back 109

suture

Front 110

-gram

Back 110

record or picture

Front 111

-graph

Back 111

instrument for recording

Front 112

-graphy

Back 112

process of recording

Front 113

-meter

Back 113

instrument for measuring

Front 114

-metry

Back 114

process of measuring

Front 115

-scope

Back 115

instrument for viewing

Front 116

-scopy

Back 116

process of visually examining

Front 117

-graph

Back 117

instrument for recording

Front 118

-graphy

Back 118

process of recording

Front 119

-meter

Back 119

instrument for measuring

Front 120

-metry

Back 120

process of measuring

Front 121

-scope

Back 121

instrument for viewing

Front 122

-scopy

Back 122

process of visually examining

Front 123

MEDICAL RECORD

Back 123

Medical record or chart documents the details of a patient's hospital stay.

Front 124

History and Physical

Back 124

Written or dictated by the admitting M.D; details the patient's history, results of the M.D examination, initial diagnoses, and M.D plan of treatment.

Front 125

Physician's Orders

Back 125

Complete list of the care, medications, test, and treatments the M.D orders for the PT.

Front 126

Nurse's Notes

Back 126

Record of the PT stay throughout the day.

Front 127

Physician's Progress Notes

Back 127

M.D daily record of the PT

Front 128

Consultation Reports

Back 128

Reports given by specialist whom the M.D has asked to evaluate the PT.

Front 129

Ancillary Reports

Back 129

Reports from various treatmeants and therapies the PT has received , such as rehabilitation, social services, or respiratory therapy.

Front 130

Diagnostic Reports

Back 130

Results of test performed on the PT, principally from the clinical lab

Front 131

Informed Consent

Back 131

Document voluntarily signed by the PT or responsible party that clearly describes the purpose, methods, procedures, benefits, and risk of a diagnostic or treatment procedure.

Front 132

Operative Report

Back 132

Reports from the surgeon

Front 133

Anesthesiologist Report

Back 133

Relates the details regarding the substances(such as medications)given to the PT, the PT response to anesthesia, and vital signs during surgery.

Front 134

Pathologist Report

Back 134

Given by the pathologist who studies tissue removed from the PT(for example, bone marrow, blood, or tissue biopsy)

Front 135

Discharge Summary

Back 135

Comprehensive outline of the PT entire hospital stay.

Front 136

HEALTHCARE SETTINGS

Back 136

HEALTHCARE SETTINGS

Front 137

Specialty Care Hospitals

Back 137

provide care for very specific types of dieases

Front 138

Physicians Office

Back 138

provide diagnostics and treatmeant service in a private office setting

Front 139

Health Maintenance Organization(HMO)

Back 139

wide range of services by a group of primary care M.D

Front 140

Rehabilitation Centers

Back 140

provides intensive physical and occupational therapy

Front 141

Hospice

Back 141

provides supportive treatment to terminally ill patients and their families.