Section V – Special Senses: Eyes and Ears
The eyes and ears and their accessory structures are the receptor organs. The eyes give
us our sight. They are the most important sense organs of the body. The ears are the
receptor organs that enable us to hear and maintain balance.
Medical Word
Combining Form
scler/o
opthalm/o, ocul/o
retin/o
kerat/o, corne/o
irid/o
dipl/o
dacry/o, lacrim/o
blephar/o
opt/o
presby /o
pupill/o
phot/o
ot/o
tympan/o, miring/o
audi/o
labyrinth/o
myc/o
Meaning
sclera of the eye
eye
retina
cornea
iris
double
tears
eyelid
vision
old age
pupil
light
ear
eardrum
hearing
inner ear
fungus
Suffixes
-phobia
-opia
-tropia
-cusis
-rrhea
-spasm
-ptosis
-edema
fear
vision
turning
hearing
discharge, flow
involuntary movement or twitch
falling, prolapse
swelling
Prefixes
esoexointra -
inward
outward
in, within
Medical Terms
Eye (opthalm/o, ocul/o)
opthalm/agia - pain in the eye
opthalm/o/scope - instrument for examining the inner eye
intra/ocular – pertaining to within the eye
scler/itis – inflammation of the sclera
scler/o/malacia – softening of the sclera
kerat/o/tome – instrument for incising the cornea
Eye (cont.)
eso/tropia – inward turning
exo/tropic – pertaining to turning outward
bin/ocul/ar – pertaining to 2 eyes
photo/phobia – fear of light
Vision (-opia)
dipl/opia – double vision
hyper/opia – farsightedness
my/opia – nearsightedness
Tears (dacry/o, lacrim/o)
dacry/o/rrhea – excessive flow of tears
dacry/aden/algia – pain in a tear gland
dacry/aden/itis – inflammation of a tear gland
lacrim/al – pertaining to tears
Ear (ot/o)
ot/o/scler/osis – abnormal condition of hardening of the ear
ot/o/dynia – ear pain
ot/o/scope – instrument to examine the ear
ot/o/scopy – visual exam of the ear
ot/o/plasty – surgery of the ear
ot/rrhea – discharge from the inner ear
Hearing (-cusis)
ana/cusis – without hearing
presby/cusis – hearing of the old age
Abbreviations
VF
REM
HOB
hx
H&P
OOB
PRN
WNL
WFL
visual field
random eye movements
head of bed
history
history and physical
out of bed
as needed
within normal limits
within functional limits
Worksheet – Section V – Special Senses: Eyes and Ears
Complete the following matching.
_____ 1.
excessive
_____ 2.
cornea
_____ 3.
double
_____ 4.
ear
_____ 5.
eye
_____ 6.
gland
_____ 7.
sclera
_____ 8.
involuntary contraction
_____ 9.
iris
_____ 10.
prolapse, falling, drooping
_____ 11.
red
_____ 12.
retina
_____ 13.
softening
_____ 14.
specialist
_____ 15.
stricture, narrowing
_____ 16.
swelling
_____ 17.
tear
_____ 18.
tympanic membrane
_____ 19.
vision
_____ 20.
yellow
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P.
Q.
R.
S.
T.
aden/o
dacry/o
dipl/o
erythr/o
irid/o
myring/o
opthalm/o
ot/o
retin/o
scler/o
-edema
-ologist
-malacia
-opia
hyper-stenosis
-spasm
-ptosis
xanth/o
kerat/o
Completing the matching.
_____ 21.
dacryorrhea
_____ 22.
diplopia
_____ 23.
hyperopia
_____ 24.
keratitis
_____ 25.
myopia
_____ 26.
opthalmologist
_____ 27.
sclera
_____ 28.
tympanic membrane
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
double vision
white of the eye
eardrum
excessive flow of tears
inflammation of the cornea
specialist in eye disorders
farsightedness
nearsightedness
Define the following literally.
29.
optic –
30.
xeropthalmia –
31.
scleritis –
32.
keratitis –
33.
iritis –
34.
diplopia –
35.
iridectomy –
36.
otalgia –
37.
otitis –
38.
myringitis –
39.
otomycosis –
Vocabulary
40.
convergence –
41.
accommodation –
42.
conjunctivitis –
43.
cataract –
44.
glaucoma –
45.
monochromatism –
46.
nyctalopia –
47.
vertigo -