Medical Terminology Comprehensive Study Guide: Chapters 1–6, 8, 9 & 10

SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY (CHAPTERS 1 & 2)

Language Origins and Word Parts

Medical terminology is primarily derived from Greek and Latin, providing a standardized language for healthcare professionals. Understanding the structure of medical terms is essential for accurate communication and interpretation.

• Word Root: The core foundation of a term, containing its fundamental meaning. Example: derm (skin).

• Prefix: Added at the beginning of a word root to modify its meaning. Example: pre- (before).

• Suffix: Added at the end of a word root to modify its meaning. Example: -itis (inflammation).

• Combining Vowel: Connects word parts, most commonly "o". Example: oste/o (bone).

Term Categories

• Built from Word Parts: Terms analyzed by breaking down roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combining vowels. Example: hypotension (hypo- + tens + -ion).

• Not Built from Word Parts: Includes eponyms (named after a person/place), acronyms (initials), and modern English terms. Example: Alzheimer's disease (eponym), CPR (acronym).

Common Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example
pre-	Before	Preoperative
post-	After	Postpartum
anti-	Against	Antibiotic
hypo-	Under, deficient	Hypotension
epi-	On, upon, over	Epidermis
intra-	Within	Intravenous
sub-	Under, below	Subcutaneous
dys-	Abnormal, difficult	Dyspnea

Common Suffixes & Plurals

Suffix	Meaning	Example
-itis	Inflammation	Dermatitis
-ectomy	Surgical removal	Onychectomy
-logy	Study of	Dermatology
-pathy	Disease	Myopathy
-oma	Tumor, mass	Osteoma
-plasty	Surgical repair	Dermatoplasty

Plural Rules

Singular Ending	Plural Ending	Example
-um	-a	Bacterium → Bacteria
-is	-es	Diagnosis → Diagnoses
-us	-i	Bronchus → Bronchi

SECTION 2: INTEGUMENTARY & MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEMS (CHAPTERS 3 & 4)

Integumentary System

The integumentary system is the medical term for the skin, which serves as the body's protective barrier and regulates temperature.

• 4 Skin Components/Layers:

  1. Epidermis: Outermost layer, provides protection.

  2. Dermis: Middle layer, contains blood vessels, nerves, and glands.

  3. Subcutaneous layer (Hypodermis): Deepest layer, stores fat and insulates.

  4. Sebaceous & Sudoriferous Glands: Produce oil (sebum) and sweat.

Musculoskeletal System

The musculoskeletal system includes bones, muscles, and joints, providing structure, movement, and protection.

• Total bones in body: 206

Thoracic Spine Disorders & Body Movements

Condition/Movement	Definition & Description
Kyphosis	Abnormal outward curvature of the thoracic spine (hunchback).
Lordosis	Abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar spine (swayback).
Scoliosis	Abnormal lateral side-to-side curvature of the spine (S-shaped curve).
Abduction / Adduction	Movement away from midline / Movement toward midline.
Flexion	Bending a joint to decrease the angle between bones.

Combining Forms & Pathologies

Combining Form	Meaning	Sign/Symptom/Pathology	Definition
Carcin/o	Cancer	Crepitus	Rubbing/grating sound of bones together
Derm/o	Skin	Arthralgia	Pain in a joint
Onych/o	Nail	Osteoma	Tumor in the bone
Seb/o	Oil / Sebum	Osteoporosis	Degeneration and thinning of bones/joints
Cost/o	Ribs	-plasty	Surgical repair
Patell/o	Knee / Kneecap	-iasis	Abnormal condition
Phalang/o	Fingers & toes	-ism	State of / condition
Mandibul/o	Lower jaw	-ectomy	Surgical removal
Cervic/o	Neck / Cervix	Biopsy	Removal of living tissue for exam
Myel/o	Spine / Bone marrow	Diaphoresis	Profuse sweating
Oste/o	Bone	Necrosis	Abnormal tissue death
Arthr/o	Joint	Keratosis	Abnormal horny skin growth

SECTION 3: CARDIOVASCULAR, BLOOD, & LYMPHATIC SYSTEMS (CHAPTERS 5 & 6)

Blood Components

Blood is composed of four primary components, each with distinct functions in oxygen transport, immunity, and clotting.

• Erythrocyte: Red blood cell, carries oxygen.

• Leukocyte: White blood cell, fights infection.

• Plasma: Liquid portion, transports nutrients and waste.

• Thrombocyte/Platelets: Clotting fragments, prevent bleeding.

Cardiovascular Combining Forms & Pathologies

Combining Form	Meaning	Medical Term	Definition
Cardi/o	Heart	Cardiac	Pertaining to the heart
Angi/o	Vessel	Cardiomegaly	Enlargement of the heart
Myocardi/o	Heart muscle	Tachycardia	Abnormally fast heart rate
Ven/o	Vein	Myocarditis	Inflammation of the heart muscle
Hemat/o, Hem/o	Blood	Arrhythmia	Irregular heartbeat / abnormal rhythm
Coagul/o	Clotting	Thrombus	Blood clot
Phag/o	Eat, swallow	Hypotension	Low blood pressure
Lymph/o	Lymph / Node	Ischemia	Deficiency of blood supply & oxygen to tissue

Cardiovascular Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
CPR	Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
MI	Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
HTN	Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
CVA	Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke)

SECTION 4: DIGESTIVE SYSTEM (CHAPTER 8)

Digestive System Key Facts

The digestive system processes food for nutrient absorption and waste elimination. It consists of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and accessory organs.

• GI Tract Length: 20–30 feet, from mouth to anus.

• Permanent Teeth: 32 adult teeth; 20 baby teeth.

• Peristalsis: Wavelike muscular contractions moving food through the GI tract.

• Chyme: Pulpy acidic fluid from stomach to small intestine.

• Feces: Waste matter discharged after digestion.

• Ascites: Fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity.

• Jaundice: Yellowing of skin/eyes due to elevated bilirubin.

Digestive Combining Forms, Prefixes & Suffixes

Word Part	Meaning	Word Part	Meaning
Or/o	Mouth	Cheil/o, Labi/o	Lip
Chol/e	Bile or gall	re-	Back, again
Col/o	Colon / Large intestine	per-	Through
Gastr/o	Stomach	ex-	Out, away from
Bucc/o	Cheek	sub-	Under, below
Enter/o	Small intestine	-emesis	Vomiting
Gloss/o, Lingu/o	Tongue	-orexia / -pepsia	Appetite / Digestion
-lithiasis	Abnormal condition of stones	-al, -ac, -ic, -ior	Pertaining to

Digestive Medications, Pathologies & Procedures

Category	Term	Definition/Meaning
Medications	Anorexiant	Suppresses appetite for weight loss
Medications	Antacid	Neutralizes stomach acid for heartburn/indigestion
Medications	Laxative	Treats constipation by encouraging bowel movements
Medications	Antiemetic	Prevents or treats nausea and vomiting
Pathologies	Melena	Black stool (contains blood)
Pathologies	Pyrosis	Severe heartburn
Pathologies	Cleft lip	Congenital anomaly
Pathologies	Hemorrhoids	Varicose veins in the rectum
Pathologies	Cholelithiasis	Presence/formation of gallstones in gallbladder or bile ducts
Pathologies	Cirrhosis	Chronic degenerative liver disease with scarring (fibrosis)
Pathologies	Polyps	Small tumor-like growths projecting from mucous membrane
Pathologies	Ileus	Intestinal blockage or lack of movement (paralysis)
Procedures	Paracentesis	Abdominal procedure to drain fluid in ascites
Procedures	Lavage	Washing out of the stomach
Procedures	Lower GI series	Barium enema examination
Procedures	Fecal occult blood	Stool guaiac test
Surgeries	Gingivectomy	Removal of gum tissue
Surgeries	Appendectomy	Removal of appendix
Surgeries	Cholecystectomy	Removal of gallbladder (Cholelithotomy = stone removal)
Surgeries	Colectomy	Removal of colon

Nutrition Routes, Bariatric Surgeries & Abbreviations

• Feeding Routes:

  1. Intravenous IV / TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition)

  2. Nasogastric tube (NG tube - nose to stomach)

  3. Gastrostomy tube (G-tube - surgically in stomach)

• 4 Bariatric Procedures: Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Sleeve Gastrectomy, Adjustable Gastric Band (Lap-band), Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch.

Abbreviation	Meaning
BM	Bowel Movement
BaE	Barium Enema
IBS	Irritable Bowel Syndrome
EGD	Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
NG tube	Nasogastric Tube
GERD	Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
TPN	Total Parenteral Nutrition
UGI	Upper Gastrointestinal

SECTION 5: URINARY & REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS (CHAPTERS 9 & 10)

Urinary System Key Facts

The urinary system filters blood, removes waste, and regulates fluid balance. It includes kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

• Kidney Excretion Rate: ~30 mL/hour (~500–2000 mL/day).

• Male Urethra Dual Functions: Excretion of urine and ejaculation of semen.

• Releasing Urine Terms: Micturition, Voiding, Urination.

• Common UTI Cause: Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Urinary System Terms & Pathologies

Category/Combining Form	Meaning/Term	Definition
Cyst/o, Vesic/o	Bladder	Cystic / Vesical: Pertaining to urinary bladder
Nephr/o, Ren/o	Kidney	Renal: Pertaining to kidney
Urin/o, Ur/o	Urine	Urinary: Pertaining to urine | Meatal: Pertaining to meatus
Urethr/o	Urethra	Anuria: Absence of urine production (<100 mL/day)
-lith	Stone / calculus	Azotemia: Nitrogenous compounds (urea) in blood
-lysis	Separation / breakdown	Bacteriuria: Bacteria in urine
-ptosis	Prolapse / drooping	Hematuria: Blood in urine
-uria	Urine / urination	Dysuria / Urethralgia: Burning / painful urination

Urinary Procedures & Matching

Procedure	Meaning
Catheter	Tube inserted into bladder to drain fluid
Lithotripsy	Crushing of stones (calculi) using shockwaves
Cystoscopy	Visual examination of the urinary bladder
Hemodialysis	Procedure that removes waste products from the blood

Female Reproductive System

The female reproductive system includes organs for ovum production, fertilization, and childbirth.

Organ/Prefix	Combining Form/Meaning	Suffix/Pathology	Meaning
Vagina	Vagin/o, Colp/o	-arche	Beginning (e.g., menarche)
Uterus	Hyster/o, Metr/o, Uter/o	-cyesis	Pregnancy
Ovary	Oophor/o, Ovari/o	-partum / -tocia	Birth, labor / Childbirth, labor
Breast	Mamm/o, Mast/o	Dysmenorrhea	Painful menstruation
Ante- / Pro-	Before / Before, in front of	PID	Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Contra-	Against	Endometriosis	Uterine tissue growing outside uterus
Primi-	First	Fibrocystic breast disease	Benign cysts in breast tissue

Male Reproductive System

The male reproductive system produces sperm and delivers it for fertilization.

Description/Combining Form	Term/Meaning	Suffix	Meaning
Pertaining to penis	Penile	-cele	Hernia, swelling, or tumor
Pertaining to testes	Testicular	-cide	Killing or agent that kills
Pertaining to sperm	Spermatic	-gen	That which produces / origin
Pertaining to prostate	Prostatic	-oid	Resembling, like
Andr/o	Male
Genit/o	Reproduction / Genitalia
Orch/o, Orchid/o	Testes, testicle
Phall/o	Penis

Urinary & Reproductive Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Full Meaning
GU	Genitourinary
UTI	Urinary Tract Infection
UA	Urinalysis
KUB	Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder (X-ray)
LMP	Last Menstrual Period
GYN	Gynecology
PID	Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
PMS	Premenstrual Syndrome
BPH	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
DRE	Digital Rectal Examination
ED	Erectile Dysfunction
TUR / TURP	Transurethral Resection (of Prostate)