medical
term
detectives
Name: _________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Breaking down a complicated medical term is like being a detective and putting together the clues. In the blanks
next to the word, write the meaning of each element then combine them together to determine the meaning. Use
the “Cheat Sheet” to find the meanings. The hint breaks down the word and directs you to the category to find it.
1. bradycardia (Hint: brady/cardi/ia):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: ______________________________________________________________________
2. hypoglycemia (Hint: hypo/glyc/emia):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
3. subdermal (Hint: sub/derm/al):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
4. myocarditis (Hint: myo/card/itis):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
5. cholecystectomy (Hint: cholecyst/ectomy):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: ______________________________________________________________________
6. electrocardiogram (Hint: electro/cardio/gram):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
7. glossoplegia (Hint: gloss(o)/plegia):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
8. dyspnea (Hint: dys/pnea):
______________________________________ ______________________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
10. rhinitis (Hint: rhin/itis):
______________________________________ ______________________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
11. amenorrhea (Hint: a/men(o)/rrhea):
_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
12. leukocyte (Hint: leuk(o)/cyte):
______________________________________ ______________________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
13. hepatomegaly (Hint: hepat(o)/megaly):
______________________________________ ______________________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
14. hysterectomy (Hint: hyster/ectomy):
______________________________________ ______________________________________
MEANING: _______________________________________________________________________
TAKE TWO
Name: _________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
All of these patients were diagnosed with a condition and need your help! Break down the medical term, write the
meaning and then pick the best option to help.
Chris P. Bacon
2-2-2019
Patient is experiencing
dysphonia.
Ed Venture
2-9-2019
Patient is complaining of
cephalgia.
dysphonia: _____________________________
cephalgia: _____________________________
______1. What do you think may have caused
this problem?
C. sprained ankle
A. heart attack
D. broken bone
B. laryngitis
______2. What is your advice for the patient?
A. more exercise
C. take an aspirin
B. eye drops
D. hemorroid cream
Gary Oakie
3-2-2019
Patient is experiencing
rhinorrhea.
Joe King
4-9-2019
Patient is experiencing
xerophthalmia.
rhinorrhea: _____________________________
xerophtalmia: _____________________________
______3. What do you give him?
A. a Kleenex
C. bag of ice
B. a band-aid
D. an Advil
______4. What is your advice for the patient?
A. multi-vitamin
C. anti-biotic
B. ACE bandage
D. eye drops
Read through each of the questions and using break down the medical terms to determine the answers
to the questions.
d
______1)
In the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", the Grinch's heart grew "three sizes
that day." What condition would he be suffering from?
a) cardioma
c) cardiotomy
b) cardioectomy
d) cardiomegaly
______2) Molly struggles with acne and wants to see a specialist. Who does she need to see?
c) enterologist
a) cardiologist
d) dermatologist
b) nephrologist
______3) Barb suffers from cerebromalacia. What most likely caused this condition?
a) heart attack
c) liver failure
b) stroke
d) kidney disease
______4) Joe has a test on the diseases of the arteries. What would chapter in the book
would he need to study?
c) angioenterology
a) angiopathology
d) arthroenterology
b) adenpathology
d
______5)
Hepatitis could lead to which of the following?
a) Congestive Heart Failure c) Kidney Failure
d) Cirrhosis of the liver
b) Heart Attack
b
______6)
In order to perform a total knee replacement, the surgeon must do which of the
following?
c) angioectomy
a) arthritis
d) angioitis
b) arthrectomy
b
______7)
Typical symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal distress. What is
most likely happening?
a) arthritis
b) enterogastritis
c) adenitis
d) rhinitis
a
______8)
You are a bit obsessed with watching Dr. Pimple Popper. How could this be
described in medical terminology?
c) Hepatology
a) Mycology
d) Pulmonology
b) Pyology
PREFIXES
ROOT WORDS
a-, anantibibradycontradorsodysend(o)erythroex(o)glyc(o)hem(o)hydr(o)hyperhypoleuk(o)peripolypostpresubtachytranstriventra-
not or decreased
against
two
slow
against
back
difficult or painful
in or inside
red
out, away from
sugar
blood
water
above or high
below or under
white
around
too much or many
after
before
under
fast
across
three
front
aden(o)angi(o)arthr(o)bi(o)cardi(o)cephal(o)cerebr(o)cholecyst
crani(o)cytederm(o)electr(o)
encephal(o)-
glands
blood vessel
joints
life
heart
head
brain
gallbladder
skull
cell
skin
electricity
brain
SUFFIXES
WORD
TERMINALS
-ac, -ary: -al, -ia, -ic:
“pertaining to”
-cle, ule, ular:
small; little
-an, -ian:
of or belonging to
-ate:
to perform, to put
into action
entergastr(o)gloss(o)glychepat(o)hyster(o)men(o)myc(o)my(o)nas(o)neoneph(o)neur(o)-
-(o)logy
-algia
-cyst
-cyte
-ectomy
-emia
-gram
-graph
-ia
-itis
-malacia
-megaly
-meter
-ologist
-oma
-osis
-otomy
-path
-pathy
-plegia
-plasty
-pnea
-rrhea
-scope
-uria
intestines
stomach
tongue
sugar, glucose
liver
uterus
menstruation
fugus
muscles
nose
new
kidney
nerve
study or science of
suffering or pain
bag or bladder
cell
removal of a part
blood
drawing, written record
writing, recording
pertaining to
inflammation
softening
enlargement
measure
specialist
tumor
disease, condition
cutting into
disease
abnormal or diseased
paralysis
repair of
breathing
discharge, flow
instrument for looking
to do with urine
opthalm(o)oste(o)ot(o)phleb(o)phon(o)
pneum(o)psyche-
eye
bone
ear
vein
sound, speech
lung
mind
pulmon-
lung
py(o)
rhin(o)throrac(o)toxxer-
pus
nose
chest
poison
dry