Medical Assistant Exam: General Medical Assisting Knowledge - Terminology

Medical Terminology
Terminology used in the medical field is a specialized language; in fact, much of it is based on words that originated in Greek and Latin. Learning a few key aspects of those languages—prefixes, suffixes, and roots, for example—is a critical part in the training of any medical assistant and a key area to review for your RMA or CMA exam.

Word Parts
The three key parts, or components, of most medical terms are the root, the prefix, and the suffix.
- root: the main stem, or fundamental part, of the word; the part of the word that conveys the most meaning; often describes the body part or system

Example: Cutane is a root word meaning skin. By adding the prefix sub before the root and the suffix ous after the root, the word subcutaneous is formed. This new word means situated or applied under the skin.
- prefix: the part added to the front of the root word, often indicating location, time, number, or status

Example: When the prefix dys, which means bad, painful, or difficult, is placed before the root word uria, which means urine, the term dysuria is formed. This new word means painful, difficult urination.
- suffix: the part added to the end of the root word; often indicates a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease

Example: When the suffix dynia, which means pain or swelling, is added to the end of the root word pharyngo, which means throat, the term pharyngodynia is created. This new word means pain in the throat.

Common Roots
Here are some of the most common roots for medical terms. The letter following the slash indicates a letter added when the root is combined with a suffix beginning with a consonant.
Example: hist (meaning tissue) + o (the combining vowel) + logy (meaning the study of) = histology, which means the study of tissues.

Root - Meaning

adren - gland
angi/o - blood vessel
arteri/o - artery
arthr/o - joint
articul/o - joint
audi/o - hearing
blephar/o - eyelid
bronch/i - bronchus (air passage)
bucc/o - cheek
burs/o - bursa
calc/i - stone
carcini/o - cancer
cardi/o - heart
cervi/o - neck
chem/o - drug, or chemistry
cholechyst/o - gallbladder
colon/o - colon
cost/o - rib
crani/o - skull
cutane/o - skin
cyst/o - bladder
cyt/o - cell
dactyl/o - finger, toe
derm/o - skin
dors/o - back
encephal/o - brain
enter/o - intestine
fasci/o - fibrous tissue
fibr/o - connective tissue
gastr/o - stomach
gingiv/o - gum
glyc/o - sugar
gon/o - genitals
gyn(ec)/o - woman
hepat/o - liver
hist/o - tissue
hyster/o - womb, uterus
ir/o - iris
kal/i - potassium
kary/o - nucleus
labi/o - lip
lacrim/o - tear
laper/o - abdomen
laryng/o - larynx
leuk/o - white
lip/o - fat
litho - stone
lymph/o - lymph
mamm/o - breast
mast/o - breast
mening/o - membrane
men/o - menstruation
my/o - muscle
nephr/o - kidney
neur/o - nerve
ocul/o - eye
onc/o - tumor
opt/o - vision
ot/o - ear
orchi/o - testes
oste/o - bone
path/o - disease
pector/o - chest
pharyng/o - pharynx
phleb/o - blood
pleur/o - rib
pneumon/o - air
psych/o - mind
pulmon/o - lung
rect/o - rectum
retin/o - retina
rhin/o - nose
spleno - spleen
synovi/o - lining the joint
tend/o - tendon
thorac/i or /o - rib cage
thromb/o - blood clot
urethr/a - urethra
uter/o - uterus, womb
ven/o - vein
vesic/o - bladder

Common Prefixes
Here are some of the most common prefixes used in medical terms.

Prefix - Meaning
a, an - absence of
ab - away from
ad - toward
aniso - unequal
ante - before
anti - against
auto - self
bi - both, two
bio - life
circum - around
con - with
contra - against, opposite
cryo - cold
dis - apart
dys - painful, bad
ec - out
ecto - outside of
en - in
endo - inside of
epi - on, before
eu - good
ex - out
hemi - half
hemo - pertaining to blood
homeo - similar
hyper - high
hypo - low, below
idio - one’s own
inter - between
intra - within
iso - equal
mal - bad
mega - large
meso - middle
meta - beyond
micro - tiny
mono - one
multi - many
myel/o - relating to bone marrow
neo - new
pachy - thick
para - alongside, abnormal
per - through
peri - surrounding
poly - many
post - after
pre - before
primi - first
retro - behind
semi - half
sub - beneath
super - in excess
supra - above
syn - with
tachy - fast
uni - one

Common Suffixes
Here are some of the most common suffixes used in medical terms. Note that some suffixes have the same meaning.

Suffix - Meaning

ad - toward
al - pertaining to
algia - pain
ary - pertaining to
cele - hernia, swelling
centesis - puncture in order to aspirate
cidal - destroying of
desis - binding
dynia - pain
ectomy - removal of
ectasis - expansion of
emesis - vomiting
genic, genesis - producing
graph - recording device
graphy - recording process
iasis - abnormal condition
iatric - treatment of
iatry - field of medicine
ic - relating to
ism - condition of
ite - resembling, like
itis - inflammation
lepsis - seizure, attack
logist - specialist in the study of
logy - study of
lysis - destruction of
malacia - softening
megaly - enlargement
meter - measurement tool
oid - resembling, like
oma - tumor
osis - condition of
ous - pertaining to
pathy - disease
penia - deficiency
pexy - fixation or suspension
phagia - eating, swallowing
phil or philia - abnormal attraction
phobia - abnormal fear
plasia - development
plasty - surgical repair
plegia - paralysis
poiesis - production
ptosis - drooping, falling
osis - abnormal condition
rrhage - bursting forth, excessive flowing
rrhaphy - surgical suturing
rrhexis - rupture
rrhea - discharge, flowing
rrhoea - discharge, flowing
sis - condition of
stasis - stop
stenosis - narrowing
scope - viewing device
scopy - process using a scope
stomy - making a surgical incision
tic - pertaining to
tomy - incision, or cutting, into

Common Abbreviations
Here are some of the most common abbreviations used in medical terminology.

Abbreviation - Meaning
A - anterior
Abd, Abdo - abdomen
Ac - acute
AF, A fib, Afib - atrial fibrillation
AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
AML - acute myeloblastic leukemia
Anat - anatomy
AP - appendectomy or appendicitis
ASCVD - arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease
BM - bone marrow, bowel movement
BMI - body mass index
BOM - bilaterial otitis media
BSE - breast self examination
CA, Ca - cancer, cardiac arrest, carcinoma, chronological age
CFS - chronic fatigue syndrome
CD - communicable disease
CH, chr - chromosomes
COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Cyt - cytology
DG, Dg, Diag, DX, Dx - diagnosis
D - dorsal
DNR - do not resuscitate
DOB - date of birth
DPT - diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccine
DVT - deep vein thrombosis
EBV - Epstein-Barr virus
ECG, EKG - electrocardiogram
ENT - ear, nose, and throat
FBS - fasting blood sugar
FOBT - fecal occult blood test
FX, Fx - fracture
GTT - glucose tolerance test
H&H - hemoglobin and hematocrit
HBV - hepatitis B virus
He - hemorrhage
HIS, Histo, histol - histology
IDDM - insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
IM - intramuscular
K - potassium
KOH - potassium hydrocholoride
LH - luteinizing hormone
LMP - last menstrual period
LUQ - left upper quadrant
MET, met - metastasis
MG - myasthenia gravis
Na - sodium
N/G - nasogastric (tube)
NIDDM - non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
Noc, noct - night
NPO - nothing by mouth
NSAID - nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
Oa - osteoarthritis
OB, Obs - obstetrics
OM - otitis media
PA, Pa, path - pathology
PERRLA - pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation
PFT - pulmonary function test
Prog, progn, Prx, Px - prognosis
PSA - prostate specific antigen
SIDS - sudden infant death syndrome
SOB - shortness of breath
SQ, SC - subcutaneous
Sx - symptom
TB - tuberculosis
TIA - transient ischemic attack
TPR - temperature, pulse, and respiration
Umb - umbilical
URI - upper respiratory infection
UTI - urinary tract infection
V, vent, ventr - ventral
V fib, VF - ventricular fibrillation
WBC - white blood count