Medical Terminology Glossary: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Definitions, Quizzes of Medical Sciences

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TERM 1 Ana- DEFINITION 1 Up, toward, apart TERM 2 Homo- DEFINITION 2 Same TERM 3 Iso- DEFINITION 3 Equal TERM 4 Macro- DEFINITION 4 Large TERM 5 Micro- DEFINITION 5 Small TERM 6 Pro- DEFINITION 6 Before TERM 7 Trans- DEFINITION 7 Through, across, beyond TERM 8 Aden/o DEFINITION 8 Gland TERM 9 Aut/o DEFINITION 9 Self TERM 10 Bacter/o, bacteri/o DEFINITION 10 Bacteria TERM 21 Path/o DEFINITION 21 Disease TERM 22 Plas/o DEFINITION 22 Change TERM 23 Poikil/o DEFINITION 23 Irregular TERM 24 Septic/o DEFINITION 24 Putrefying TERM 25 Splen/o DEFINITION 25 Spleen TERM 26 Staphyl/o DEFINITION 26 Grape-like clusters, Staphylococcus (bacterium) TERM 27 Strept/o DEFINITION 27 Twisted or gnarled, Streptococcus (bacterium) TERM 28 Therm/o DEFINITION 28 Heat TERM 29 Thromb/o DEFINITION 29 Clot TERM 30 Thym/o DEFINITION 30 Wart-like, thymus gland TERM 31 Tox/o, toxic/o DEFINITION 31 Poison TERM 32 Vir/o DEFINITION 32 Virus TERM 33 -Crit DEFINITION 33 To separate TERM 34 -Cyte DEFINITION 34 Cell TERM 35 -Emia, -hemia DEFINITION 35 Condition of blood TERM 46 Bacteria DEFINITION 46 Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus and are much smaller in size than human cells; some species are pathogenic (cause disease) and many are beneficial TERM 47 Erythrocytes DEFINITION 47 Blood cells that specialize in transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide; also called red blood cells (RBCs) TERM 48 Leukocytes DEFINITION 48 Blood cells that specialize in fighting infection; also called white blood cells (WBCs) TERM 49 Lymphocytes DEFINITION 49 A form of agranular leukocytes that are the key players in fighting infection; include two types: T cells and B cells TERM 50 Monocytes DEFINITION 50 A form of agranular leukocytes that are actively phagocytic and may transform to macrophages TERM 51 Phagocytosis DEFINITION 51 The cellular process of engulfing foreign substances; performed by neutrophils, monocytes, and eosinophils TERM 52 Thrombocytes DEFINITION 52 Formed elements that are fragments of whole cells; also known as platelets; perform a primary role in coagulation to form blood clots TERM 53 Erythrocytes DEFINITION 53 Red blood cells, which are the most abundantly formed elements of blood; provide transport of oxygen due to the presence of the protein hemoglobin within the cells TERM 54 Hematopoiesis DEFINITION 54 The process of blood-cell formation within the red bone marrow TERM 55 Hemoglobin DEFINITION 55 An abundant protein in red blood cells that has a high- bonding affinity for oxygen and carbon dioxide TERM 56 Immunity DEFINITION 56 The status of being immune or successfully resistant to infection TERM 57 Immune response DEFINITION 57 The series of mechanisms the body uses to defend from infection TERM 58 Lymph DEFINITION 58 A yellowish fluid channeled through lymphatic capillaries, vessels, and trunks; similar in composition to plasma TERM 59 Lymph nodes DEFINITION 59 Pea-sized organs filled with white blood cells that filter out foreign materials from the lymph; nodes that are actively fighting an infection often swell, producing swollen glands that can be felt to aid in a diagnosis TERM 60 Lymphatic capillaries DEFINITION 60 Microscopic, blind-ended vessels into which interstitial fluid diffuses; present in most tissues are often in parallel to blood capillaries TERM 71 Toxin DEFINITION 71 A poisonous substance produced by a cell or tissue; affects various parts of the body TERM 72 Virus DEFINITION 72 A particle consisting of a protein coat enclosing RNA or DNA that is capable of infecting living cells and controlling their DNA to produce new virus particles TERM 73 Anisocytosis DEFINITION 73 Presence of red blood cells of unequal size TERM 74 Bacteremia DEFINITION 74 Presence of bacteria in the bloodstream TERM 75 Erythropenia DEFINITION 75 Abnormally reduced number of red blood cells TERM 76 Hemolysis DEFINITION 76 Rupture of the red blood cell membrane TERM 77 Hemorrhage DEFINITION 77 Loss of blood from the circulation TERM 78 Macrocytosis DEFINITION 78 Abnormally large-sized red blood cells TERM 79 Poikilocytosis DEFINITION 79 Large, irregularly shaped red blood cells TERM 80 Polycythemia DEFINITION 80 Abnormal increase in the number of erythrocytes in the blood TERM 81 Splenomegaly DEFINITION 81 Abnormal enlargement of the spleen TERM 82 Toxemia DEFINITION 82 Presence of toxins in the blood TERM 83 AIDS DEFINITION 83 Acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which disables the immune response by destroying mainly helper T cells (which are needed for activation of B cells); the loss of immune function allows opportunistic infections to proliferate and eventually cause death TERM 84 Allergy DEFINITION 84 Response to an allergen, which is an antigen that produces a hypersensitivity reaction that includes immediate inflammation but does not elicit other immune responses; allergies are of many types, the most common of which are allergic rhinitis (hay fever), which affects the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity and throat, and allergic dermatitis, which affects the skin where it has made contact with the allergen TERM 85 Anaphylaxis DEFINITION 85 An immediate reaction to an antigen that includes rapid inflammation and systemwide smooth muscle contractions TERM 96 Hodgkin's disease DEFINITION 96 Cancer of lymphatic tissue; characterized by the progressive enlargement of lymph nodes, fatigue, and deficiency of the immune response TERM 97 Immunodeficiency DEFINITION 97 Condition that results from a defective immune response TERM 98 Immunosuppression DEFINITION 98 Reduction of an immune response caused by disease or, in the case of organ transplants, by the use of chemical, pharmacologic, physical, or immunologic agents TERM 99 Infection DEFINITION 99 Multiplication of disease-causing microorganisms within the body TERM 100 Inflammation DEFINITION 100 A swelling of body tissue caused by the movement of plasma into the extracellular space to produce edema, or fluid accumulation, in tissue; the protective response of body tissues to irritation or injury; symptoms include swelling, redness, heat, and pain TERM 101 Influenza DEFINITION 101 Viral disease characterized by a temporary inflammation of mucous membranes and fever; commonly called "the flu", the virus is highly contagious and is capable of mutating to escape detection by white blood cells TERM 102 Iron deficiency anemia DEFINITION 102 Anemia that is caused by a lack of iron, which results in smaller red blood cells containing deficient levels of hemoglobin TERM 103 Leukemia DEFINITION 103 Cancer of the red bone marrow, which is the blood-forming tissues; characterized by an increased number of white blood cells, many of which are abnormal and nonfunctional TERM 104 Lymphadenitis DEFINITION 104 Inflammation of the lymph nodes TERM 105 Lymphadenopathy DEFINITION 105 Literally, disease of the lymph nodes; this general term is often applied to a syndrome, lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS), which is a persistent swelling of the lymph nodes that often precedes the onset of AIDS TERM 106 Lymphoma DEFINITION 106 Tumor that originates in lymphatic tissue TERM 107 Malaria DEFINITION 107 Disease caused by a parasitic protozoan that infects red blood cells and is carried by Anopheles mosquitoes; characterized by periodic fevers and fatigue TERM 108 Mononucleosis DEFINITION 108 Viral disease characterized by enlarged lymph nodes, atypical lymphocytes, sore throat (pharyngitis), fever, and fatigue TERM 109 Myelodysplasia DEFINITION 109 Bone marrow disorder characterized by the proliferation of abnormal stem cells; usually develops into a form of leukemia TERM 110 Nosocomial infections DEFINITION 110 Disorder that usually consists of bacterial infections contracted during a hospital stay; often due to antiobiotic- resistant strains of Staphylococcus TERM 121 Antiretroviral therapy DEFINITION 121 Application of drugs to battle against a class of viruses that tends to mutate quickly, known as retroviruses, of which HIV is a member; also known as combination therapy, the drugs form a cocktail that includes nucleotide analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors, all of which block HIV replication by a variety of means TERM 122 Attenuation DEFINITION 122 Process in which pathogens are rendered less virulent, prior to their incorporation into a vaccine preparation TERM 123 Autologous transfusion DEFINITION 123 Transfusion of blood donated by a patient for personal use; this is a common procedure before a surgery to avoid potential incompatibility or contamination TERM 124 Bacteriology DEFINITION 124 Field of science and medicine focused on the study of bacteria and prevention of bacterial diseases; one who specializes in this field is a bacteriologist TERM 125 Blood chemistry DEFINITION 125 Test or series of tests on blood samples to measure the levels of particular components (glucose, albumin, cholesterol, etc.) TERM 126 Blood culture DEFINITION 126 Test to determine infection in the blood by placing a blood sample on a nutritive media in an effort to grow populations of bacteria for analysis TERM 127 Blood transfusion DEFINITION 127 Introduction of blood, blood products, or a blood substitute into a patient's circulation to restore blood volume to normal levels; the two main types of blood transfusions are autologous transfusions and homologous transfusions TERM 128 Coagulation time DEFINITION 128 A timed blood test to determine the time required for a blood clot to form; one type of this test, called prothrombin time (PT), measures the time required for prothrombin, a precursor protein, to form thrombin and is often used to monitor anticlotting therapy; another type of test is partial thromboplastin time (PTT), which is used to evaluate clotting ability TERM 129 Complete blood count DEFINITION 129 A common laboratory blood test that provides diagnostic information of a patient's general health; includes several more specific tests including hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood count, and white blood count; abbreviated CBC TERM 130 Differential count DEFINITION 130 Microscopic count of the number of each type of white blood cell, using a stained blood smear TERM 131 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate DEFINITION 131 A timed test to measure the rate at which red blood cells fall through a volume of plasma to provide information on their hemoglobin content; commonly used to evaluate nonspecific systemic inflammation; abbreviated ESR TERM 132 Hematocrit DEFINITION 132 Test that measures the percentage of red blood cells in a volume of blood; obtained from centrifuging a sample of blood to separate blood cells; abbreviated HCT or Hct TERM 133 Hematology DEFINITION 133 The general field of medicine that focuses on blood-related disease; one who specializes in this field is a hematologist TERM 134 Hemoglobin DEFINITION 134 Test that measures the level of hemoglobin in red blood cells (in grams); abbreviated HGB or Hgb TERM 135 Hemostasis DEFINITION 135 Stoppage of bleeding TERM 146 Platelet count DEFINITION 146 Calculation of the number of platelets in the blood; abbreviated PLT TERM 147 Prophylaxis DEFINITION 147 Any treatment that tends to prevent the onset of an infection or other type of disease TERM 148 Red blood count DEFINITION 148 Measures the number of red blood cells per cubic centimeter (cc); abbreviated RBC TERM 149 Splenectomy DEFINITION 149 Excision of the spleen TERM 150 Splenopexy DEFINITION 150 Surgical fixation of the spleen TERM 151 Thrombolysis DEFINITION 151 Process of dissolving a blood clot TERM 152 Thymectomy DEFINITION 152 Excision of the thymus gland TERM 153 Toxicology DEFINITION 153 Field of medicine that focuses on the study and treatment of toxins and the diseases they cause; one who specializes in this field is called a toxicologist TERM 154 Vaccination DEFINITION 154 Inoculation of a culture that has reduced virulence, as a means of providing a cure or a prophylaxis (prevention) TERM 155 Vaccine DEFINITION 155 Any preparation used to activate an immune response TERM 156 Virology DEFINITION 156 Field of medicine that focuses on the study of viruses and the treatment of the diseases they cause; one who specializes in this field is a virologist TERM 157 White blood count DEFINITION 157 Measures the number of white blood cells per cubic centimeter; abbreviated WBC TERM 158 Antibiotics DEFINITION 158 Kill bacteria as an antisepticExamples: Bacitracin, neomycin, polymixin B: Neosporin TERM 159 Antifungals DEFINITION 159 Kill fungi as an antisepticExamples: Miconazole: Monistat Clotrimazole: Lotrimin TERM 160 Antihistamines DEFINITION 160 Inhibit the release of histamines to block an increase in capillary permeability and the resulting edemaExamples: Cetirizine: Zyrtec Diphenhydramine: Benadryl