Every medical term must contain a prefix, a root, a suffix, and a combining vowel to be interpretable.
1 Foundations of Medical Terminology Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 1 Foundations of Medical Terminology, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
In the word part cardi/o, what is cardi/o called?
- A
A combining form
- B
A prefix
- C
A suffix
- D
A complete medical term
The combining vowel is often dropped before a suffix that begins with a .
To confirm what an abbreviation means, use context and a trusted reference rather than assuming it can be decoded by splitting it into roots and affixes.
- A
True
- B
False
What combining form means heart? Enter the form with its combining vowel.
A clinician uses a viewing instrument to examine the colon. Which meaning of colonoscopy best fits this procedure?
- A
Removal of the colon
- B
Visual examination of the colon
- C
Inflammation of the colon
- D
Study of the colon
Select all root-to-structure matches supported by the medical word-part examples.
- A
cardi/o — heart
- B
gastr/o — liver
- C
oste/o — bone
- D
neur/o — nerve
Using the meanings of brady-, cardi, and -ia, what does bradycardia mean?
- A
A condition of a fast heart rate
- B
Inflammation of the heart
- C
A condition of a slow heart rate
- D
Surgical removal of the heart
In nephrectomy, which suffix indicates removal? Enter the suffix, including its hyphen.
In colonoscopy, the suffix -scopy indicates a visual of the colon using a viewing instrument.
Select all accurate statements about combining-vowel use.
- A
It is usually kept between two roots.
- B
It is usually kept before a suffix that begins with a consonant.
- C
It is always kept before a suffix that begins with a vowel.
- D
It is never used to help connect word parts or pronunciation.
A note uses one of two similar-looking terms to describe a patient's blood sugar. Which statement correctly distinguishes hypoglycemia from hyperglycemia?
- A
Hypoglycemia means high blood sugar; hyperglycemia means low blood sugar.
- B
Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar; hyperglycemia means high blood sugar.
- C
Both terms mean an abnormally high level of blood sugar.
- D
Both terms mean an abnormally low level of blood sugar.
Decode bronchitis using its word parts. Explain what bronch/o and -itis contribute, then state the resulting meaning in plain language.
Which medical term means visual examination of the colon using a viewing instrument?
- A
Nephrectomy
- B
Colonoscopy
- C
Dermatitis
- D
Bradycardia
In a medical term, what location relationship does the prefix peri- indicate?
A patient’s record lists a nephrectomy. Which procedure does this term describe?
- A
Surgical repair of a kidney
- B
Visual examination of a kidney
- C
Surgical removal of a kidney
- D
Inflammation of a kidney
In neuropathy, what body structure does the root neur identify?
A term describes inflammation of a bronchus. Which body system is most directly involved?
- A
Respiratory system
- B
Digestive system
- C
Urinary system
- D
Musculoskeletal system
True or false: A medical abbreviation can reliably be decoded by splitting it into prefixes and word roots.
- A
True
- B
False
A clinician is describing an abnormally high level of sugar in the blood. Which term fits?
- A
Hypoglycemia
- B
Dermatitis
- C
Neuropathy
- D
Hyperglycemia