Medical Terminology - Prefixes, Suffixes & Anatomical Roots Flashcards

Question 1

Prefixes: Dys- vs. A- / An-

Accepted Answer

**Dys-**: Difficult, painful, abnormal, or disordered (e.g., *Dyspnea* = shortness of breath)

**A- / An-**: Without, absence of, lacking (e.g., *Apnea* = cessation of breathing, *Anemia* = lack of red blood cells)

Question 2

Root Words: Hepat/o & Gastr/o

Accepted Answer

**Hepat/o**: Liver (e.g., *Hepatitis* = inflammation of the liver)

**Gastr/o**: Stomach (e.g., *Gastritis* = inflammation of the stomach lining)

Question 3

Prefixes: Peri-, Endo-, Exo-, & Intra-

Accepted Answer

**Peri-**: Surrounding, around (e.g., *Pericardium*)

**Endo-**: Within, inside (e.g., *Endocardium*)

**Exo-**: Outside, outward (e.g., *Exocrine*)

**Intra-**: Into, inside, within (e.g., *Intravenous*)

Question 4

Suffixes: -itis vs. -osis

Accepted Answer

**-itis**: Inflammation of a tissue or organ (e.g., *Appendicitis*)

**-osis**: Abnormal condition, disease process, or pathological increase (e.g., *Nephrosis*, *Dermatosis*)

Question 5

Root Words: Oste/o, Chondr/o, & Arthr/o

Accepted Answer

**Oste/o**: Bone (e.g., *Osteosarcoma*)

**Chondr/o**: Cartilage (e.g., *Chondromalacia*)

**Arthr/o**: Joint (e.g., *Arthroscopy*)

Question 6

Root Words: Cardi/o & Nephr/o

Accepted Answer

**Cardi/o**: Heart (e.g., *Cardiomegaly* = abnormal enlargement of the heart)

**Nephr/o**: Kidney (e.g., *Nephrology* = study and treatment of kidney diseases)

Question 7

Root Words: My/o, Neur/o, & Encephal/o

Accepted Answer

**My/o**: Muscle (e.g., *Myalgia* = muscle pain)

**Neur/o**: Nerve/Nervous system (e.g., *Neuropathy* = nerve damage)

**Encephal/o**: Brain (e.g., *Encephalopathy* = brain disease/damage)

Question 8

Root Words: Hemat/o (Hem/o) & Leuk/o

Accepted Answer

**Hemat/o** or **Hem/o**: Blood (e.g., *Hematocrit*, *Hemostasis*)

**Leuk/o**: White (e.g., *Leukocyte* = white blood cell, *Leukopenia* = abnormally low WBC count)

Question 9

Prefixes: Hyper- vs. Hypo-

Accepted Answer

**Hyper-**: Excessive, elevated, above normal (e.g., *Hypertension* = elevated blood pressure)

**Hypo-**: Deficient, decreased, below normal (e.g., *Hypoglycemia* = low blood glucose)

Question 10

Prefixes: Tachy- vs. Brady-

Accepted Answer

**Tachy-**: Fast, rapid (e.g., *Tachycardia* = resting heart rate > 100 bpm)

**Brady-**: Slow (e.g., *Bradycardia* = resting heart rate < 60 bpm)

Question 11

Surgical Suffixes: -ectomy, -otomy, & -ostomy

Accepted Answer

**-ectomy**: Surgical removal or excision (e.g., *Cholecystectomy*)

**-otomy**: Cutting into or incision (e.g., *Tracheotomy*)

**-ostomy**: Surgical creation of a permanent or semi-permanent opening (e.g., *Colostomy*)

Question 12

Suffixes: -emia vs. -uria

Accepted Answer

**-emia**: Blood condition (e.g., *Bacteremia* = presence of bacteria in blood)

**-uria**: Urine condition (e.g., *Hematuria* = presence of blood in urine)

Question 13

Surgical Suffixes: -plasty vs. -rrhaphy

Accepted Answer

**-plasty**: Surgical repair, reconstruction, or restoration (e.g., *Rhinoplasty*)

**-rrhaphy**: Surgical suturing or repair by stitching (e.g., *Herniorrhaphy*)

Question 14

Pain Suffixes: -algia & -dynia

Accepted Answer

**-algia**: Pain or painful condition (e.g., *Neuralgia* = nerve pain)

**-dynia**: Pain (e.g., *Pleurodynia* = pain in the pleural cavity/chest wall)

Question 15

Directional Terms: Anterior (Ventral) vs. Posterior (Dorsal)

Accepted Answer

**Anterior (Ventral)**: Toward the front of the body (e.g., the sternum is anterior to the heart).

**Posterior (Dorsal)**: Toward the back of the body (e.g., the esophagus is posterior to the trachea).

Question 16

Directional Terms: Proximal vs. Distal

Accepted Answer

**Proximal**: Closer to the origin of the body part or point of attachment (e.g., the elbow is proximal to the wrist).

**Distal**: Farther from the origin of the body part or point of attachment (e.g., the ankle is distal to the knee).

Question 17

Directional Terms: Medial vs. Lateral

Accepted Answer

**Medial**: Toward or at the midline of the body (e.g., the nose is medial to the cheekbones).

**Lateral**: Away from the midline; on the outer side of (e.g., the ears are lateral to the eyes).

Question 18

Directional Terms: Superior (Cranial) vs. Inferior (Caudal)

Accepted Answer

**Superior (Cranial)**: Toward the head end or upper body (e.g., the head is superior to the abdomen).

**Inferior (Caudal)**: Away from the head end; toward the lower body (e.g., the pelvis is inferior to the chest).

Question 19

Clinical Translation: Gastroenteritis

Accepted Answer

**Breakdown**: *Gastr/o* (stomach) + *enter/o* (small intestine) + *-itis* (inflammation)

**Translation**: Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine, commonly presenting with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Question 20

Clinical Translation: Cholecystectomy

Accepted Answer

**Breakdown**: *Chole-* (bile/gall) + *cyst* (sac/bladder) + *-ectomy* (surgical removal)

**Translation**: Surgical removal of the gallbladder, often performed to treat cholelithiasis (gallstones).

Question 21

Clinical Translation: Thrombophlebitis

Accepted Answer

**Breakdown**: *Thromb/o* (clot) + *phleb/o* (vein) + *-itis* (inflammation)

**Translation**: Inflammation of a vein associated with the formation of a blood clot (thrombus).

Question 22

Clinical Translation: Oliguria vs. Polyuria

Accepted Answer

**Oliguria**: *Olig/o* (scanty/few) + *-uria* (urine condition) = Abnormally diminished urine production (< 400 mL/24h).

**Polyuria**: *Poly-* (much/many) + *-uria* (urine condition) = Excessive production and excretion of urine.

Medical Terminology - Prefixes, Suffixes & Anatomical Roots

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