Medical Terminology: A Short Course, 9th edition
1. When you analyze or read a medical term, always begin at the?: end of the word (suffix), then move back to
the beginning
2. Which word part gives the essential meaning of the word?: the word root 3. define combining vowel.:
connects roots to suffixes and roots to other roots. Words can have more than one combining vowel.
4. What word part do all medical terms contain?: word roots (example; sternocleidomastoid). Can have more than
one word root.
5. define combining form.: the combining vowel + word root is a combining form and words can have more than one
combining form (example; electrocardiogram). 6. define prefix.: a word part that is attached to the begining of the word. Not all
medical words have prefixes. Prefixes can change the meaning of the word.
7. define suffix: a word part that is attached to the end of the word. Not all medical words have suffixes.
8. Word building rule: rule about combining vowels and suffixes: Remember to always drop the combining vowel
before attaching a suffix if that suffix also starts with a vowel
9. Word building rule: rule about combining vowels between word roots: Remember to always KEEP the combining
vowel between word roots, even in cases where the second word root also begins with a vowel (example: gastroenterology)
10. aden/o: gland
11. arthr/o: joint
12. bi/o: life
13. carcin/o: cancer, cancerous
14. cardi/o: heart
15. cephal/o: head
16. cerebr/o: cerebrum
17. cyst/o: urinary bladder
18. cyt/o: cell
19. derm/o: skin
20. electr/o: electricity
21. encephal/o: brain
22. enter/o: intestines
23. erythr/o: red
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1. When you analyze or read a medical term, always begin at the?: end of the word (suffix), then move back to
the beginning
2. Which word part gives the essential meaning of the word?: the word root 3. define combining vowel.:
connects roots to suffixes and roots to other roots. Words can have more than one combining vowel.
4. What word part do all medical terms contain?: word roots (example; sternocleidomastoid). Can have more than
one word root.
5. define combining form.: the combining vowel + word root is a combining form and words can have more than one
combining form (example; electrocardiogram). 6. define prefix.: a word part that is attached to the begining of the word. Not all
medical words have prefixes. Prefixes can change the meaning of the word.
7. define suffix: a word part that is attached to the end of the word. Not all medical words have suffixes.
8. Word building rule: rule about combining vowels and suffixes: Remember to always drop the combining vowel
before attaching a suffix if that suffix also starts with a vowel
9. Word building rule: rule about combining vowels between word roots: Remember to always KEEP the combining
vowel between word roots, even in cases where the second word root also begins with a vowel (example: gastroenterology)
10. aden/o: gland
11. arthr/o: joint
12. bi/o: life
13. carcin/o: cancer, cancerous
14. cardi/o: heart
15. cephal/o: head
16. cerebr/o: cerebrum
17. cyst/o: urinary bladder
18. cyt/o: cell
19. derm/o: skin
20. electr/o: electricity
21. encephal/o: brain
22. enter/o: intestines
23. erythr/o: red
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