Test Bank Questions

Chapter 1

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions

Directions: All answers to questions asking for a combining form must be written in the combining form style; meaning word root/combining vowel. For example, the combining form meaning “gland” is aden/o. All answers to questions asking for a suffix must be written in suffix form, that is, a hyphen before your answer. For example, the suffix meaning “cell” is -cyte. All answers to questions asking for a prefix must be written in prefix form, that is, a hyphen after your answer. For example, the prefix meaning “three” is tri-.

Do not capitalize any of your answers or include a period at the end of your answer. The computer will not recognize your answer as correct if it is written in any other style.

  1. The combining form that means heart is ______.

Answer: cardi/o; cardio

  1. The combining form that means stomach is ______.

Answer: gastr/o; gastro

  1. The combining form that means liver is ______.

Answer: hepat/o; hepato

  1. The combining form that means noseis ______.

Answer: rhin/o; rhino

  1. The combining form that means head is ______.

Answer: cephal/o; cephalo

  1. The combining form that means joint is ______.

Answer: arthr/o; arthro

  1. The combining form that means muscle is ______.

Answer: my/o; myo

  1. The combining form that means bone is ______.

Answer: oste/o; osteo

  1. The combining form that means electricity is ______.

Answer: electr/o; electro

  1. The combining form that means cancer is ______.

Answer: carcin/o; carcino

  1. The suffix that means surgical removalis ______.

Answer: -ectomy; ectomy

  1. The suffix that means inflammationis ______.

Answer: -itis; itis

  1. The suffix that means enlargedis ______.

Answer: -megaly; megaly

  1. The suffix that means study of is ______.

Answer: -logy; logy

  1. The suffix that means record or picture is ______.

Answer: -gram; gram

  1. The suffix that means disease is ______.

Answer: -pathy; pathy

  1. The prefix that means betweenis ______.

Answer: inter-; inter

  1. The prefix that means withoutis ______.

Answer: a-; a

  1. The prefix that means abnormal, difficult, or painful is ______.

Answer: dys-; dys

  1. The prefix that means below or underneath is ______.

Answer: sub-; sub

  1. The prefix that means two is ______.

Answer: bi-; bi

  1. The prefix that meansafteris ______.

Answer: post-; post

  1. A(n) word ______is the foundation of most medical terms.

Answer: root

  1. All medical terms must contain a(n) ______.

Answer: suffix

  1. A(n) ______is found at the beginning of a medical term.

Answer: prefix

True/False Questions

  1. Medical terminology is an efficient method of conveying important information because each term has a flexible meaning.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: Medical terminology is an efficient method of conveying important information because each term has a specific meaning.

  1. An eponym is based on a person’s name.

Answer: True

  1. The majority of medical terms are based on Latin and Greek word parts.

Answer: True

  1. A combining form consists of a word root and combining vowel.

Answer: True

  1. The prefix often indicates the body system or organ being discussed.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: The word root often indicates the body system or organ being discussed.

  1. Combining vowels make medical terms easier to pronounce.

Answer: True

  1. Suffixes are placed before a word root.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: Prefixes are placed before a word root.

  1. All medical terms must have a prefix.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: All medical terms must have a suffix.

  1. Terms ending in -a are pluralized by simply adding an -e to the end of the term.

Answer: True

  1. Terms ending in -um are pluralized by simply adding an -s to the end of the term.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: Term ending in -um are pluralized by dropping -um and adding -a.

  1. In pronouncing a medical term, c and g have a soft sound if followed by e, i, or y.

Answer: True

  1. In pronouncing a medical term, if pn is in the middle of a word, pronounce only the n.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: In pronouncing a medical term, if pn is at the beginning of the word, pronounce only the n.

  1. A combining vowel is placed between a word root and suffix if the suffix begins with a consonant.

Answer: True

  1. A combining vowel is placed between two word roots only if the second word root begins with a consonant.

Answer: False

Correct Answer: A combining vowel is placed between two word roots even if the second word root begins with a vowel.

  1. A suffix can be used to indicate a surgical procedure.

Answer: True

  1. Word roots frequently refer to a body structure, organ, or system.

Answer: True

  1. The combining form gastr/o means “liver.”

Answer: False

Correct Answer: The combining form gastr/o means “stomach.”

  1. The combining form rhin/o means “head.”

Answer: False

Correct Answer: The combining form rhin/o means “nose.”

  1. The combining form oste/o means “bone.”

Answer: True

  1. The suffix -ectomy means “study of.”

Answer: False

Correct Answer: The suffix -ectomy means “to surgically remove.”

  1. The suffix –itis means “inflammation.”

Answer: True

  1. The suffix -pathy means “enlarged.”

Answer: False

Correct Answer: The suffix –pathy means “disease.”

  1. The prefix dys- means “abnormal or painful.”

Answer: True

  1. The prefix sub- means “without.”

Answer: False

Correct Answer: The prefix sub- means “below or underneath.”

  1. The prefix post- means “after.”

Answer: True

Multiple-Choice Questions

  1. Which of the following is NOT one of the word parts in a medical term?
  2. Combining vowel
  3. Word root
  4. Combining form
  5. Suffix

Answer: c

Explanation:

  1. Combining vowel: links the root to the suffix or a root to another root
  2. Word root: core of the word and element that others words are formed from
  3. Combining form: correct
  4. Suffix: added at the end of the word
  1. Which of the following is NOT one of the common types of medical terms?
  2. Latin words
  3. French words
  4. modern English words
  5. Greek words

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. Latin words: most of the body’s organs are from Latin words
  2. French words: correct
  3. modern English words: there are many current English words
  4. Greek words: many terms that describe diseases are from Greek words
  1. Which of the following answers is an example of an eponym?
  2. Alzheimer disease
  3. cardiology
  4. irritable bowel syndrome
  5. magnetic resonance imaging

Answer: a

Explanation:

  1. Alzheimer disease: correct
  2. cardiology: is not an eponym
  3. irritable bowel syndrome: is not an eponym
  4. magnetic resonance imaging: is not an eponym
  1. Which medical terminology word part provides the essential meaning of the word?
  2. combining vowel
  3. word root
  4. suffix
  5. prefix

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. combining vowel: links the root to the suffix or a root to another root
  2. word root: correct
  3. suffix: added at the end of the word to modify the meaning
  4. prefix: added at the beginning of the word to modify the meaning
  1. Which of the following is NOT information frequently referred to by word roots?
  2. body structure
  3. organ
  4. system
  5. diseases

Answer: d

Explanation

  1. body structure: there are medical terms to describe the body planes and direction, i.e., distal
  2. organ: there are medical terms to describe the organs and organ systems, i.e., renal
  3. system: there are medical terms used for each body and organ system, i.e., integumentary
  4. diseases: correct
  1. Which of the following is NOT the type of information provided by a prefix?
  1. procedure
  2. position
  3. number
  4. time

Answer: a

Explanation

  1. procedure: correct
  2. position: the position can be described by a prefix; i.e., pre- means “in front of”
  3. number: the number can be described by a prefix; i.e., quadric- means “four”
  4. time: the time can be described by a prefix, i.e.; post- means “after”
  1. Which of the following statements regarding prefixes is NOT true?
  2. Prefixes indicate surgical procedures.
  3. Prefixes are found at the beginning of terms.
  4. Many medical terms do not have a prefix.
  5. A hyphen is placed at the end of a prefix when it is written by itself.

Answer: a

Explanation:

  1. Prefixes indicate surgical procedures: correct
  2. Prefix is found at the beginning of a term: yes, the prefix is at the beginning of the term
  3. Many medical terms do not have a prefix: yes, not all terms have a prefix
  4. A hyphen is placed at the end of a prefix when it is written by itself: yes, if you write a prefix by itself, a hyphen is placed at the end to denote it is a prefix.
  1. Which of the following is the type of information provided by a suffix?
  2. diagnostic procedure
  3. positions
  4. numbers
  5. times

Answer: a

Explanation

  1. diagnostic procedure: correct
  2. positions: this is provided by a prefix
  3. numbers: this is provided by a prefix
  4. times: this is provided by a prefix
  1. Which of the following statements regarding suffixes is NOT true?
  2. A hyphen is placed at the front of a suffix when it is written by itself.
  3. A suffix gives information such as conditions or diseases.
  4. Not all medical terms contain a suffix.
  5. Suffixes are placed at the end of a medical term.

Answer: c

Explanation:

  1. A hyphen is placed at the front of a suffix when it is written by itself: yes, if you write a suffix by itself, you put a hyphen in front to show it is a suffix, i.e., -ate
  2. A suffix gives information such as conditions or diseases: yes, the suffix gives information such as a disease or condition, i.e., -dipsia = “thirst”
  3. Not all medical terms contain a suffix: correct
  4. Suffixes are placed at the end of a medical term.—Yes, suffixes are placed at the end of the term; i,e., in cardiology, the suffix is -logy
  1. In which situation is a combining vowel never used?
  2. between two word roots
  3. between a word root and a suffix when the suffix begins with a consonant
  4. between a prefix and a word root
  5. a combining vowel is needed in all the above situations

Answer: c

Explanation:

  1. between two word roots: sometimes a combining vowel is needed to ease pronunciation between two word roots, i.e., gastrointestinal
  2. between a word root and a suffix when the suffix begins with a consonant: sometimes a combining vowel is needed to ease pronunciation between a word root and suffix, i.e., cardiology
  3. between a prefix and a word root: correct
  4. a combining vowel is needed in all the above situations: a combining vowel is not needed between a prefix and a word root
  1. Which of the following statements regarding combining vowels is true?
  2. A combining vowel is used between a prefix and a word root.
  3. A combining vowel is used to make a prefix more pronounceable.
  4. A combining vowel is placed between two word roots.
  5. A combining vowel is placed between a word root and a suffix if the suffix begins with a vowel.

Answer: c

Explanation:

  1. A combining vowel is used between a prefix and word root: false, a combining vowel is not used between these two
  2. A combining vowel is used to make a prefix more pronounceable: false, a combining vowel is not used with a prefix
  3. A combining vowel is placed between two word roots: correct
  4. A combining vowel is placed between a word root and a suffix if the suffix begins with a vowel: false, if the suffix begins with a vowel, a combining vowel is not needed.
  1. When reading an unfamiliar medical term, the first step in analyzing the term is to:
  2. put the meaning of word parts together
  3. sound the word out loud
  4. define each word part
  5. divide the term into its word parts

Answer: d

Explanation:

  1. put the meaning of word parts together: you first break the word into smaller pieces
  2. sound the word out loud: you first break the word into smaller pieces
  3. define each word part: you first break the word into smaller pieces
  4. divide the term into its word parts: correct
  1. In making a term that ends in -um plural, you should:
  2. keep the -um and add an -a
  3. drop the -um and add an -a
  4. drop the -um and add -ta
  5. drop the -um and add a -y

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. keep the -um and add an -a: this is not correct; drop the -um and add an -a
  2. drop the -um and add an -a: correct
  3. drop the -um and add -ta: this is not correct; drop the -um and add an -a
  4. drop the -um and add a -y: this is not correct; drop the -um and add an -a
  1. If a word ends in -us, make it plural by:
  2. keeping the -us and adding -ta
  3. dropping -us and adding -ies
  4. keeping the -us and adding -e
  5. dropping -us and adding -i

Answer: d

Explanation:

  1. keeping the -us and adding -ta: not correct; drop -us and add -i
  2. dropping -us and adding -ies: not correct; drop -us and add -i
  3. keeping the -us and adding -e: not correct; drop -us and add -i
  4. dropping -us and adding -i: correct
  1. Which combining form means “heart”?
  2. cardi/o
  3. carcin/o
  4. gastr/o
  5. cis/o

Answer: a

Explanation:

  1. cardi/o: correct
  2. carcin/o = cancer
  3. gastr/o = stomach
  4. cis/o = to cut
  1. Which combining form is spelled incorrectly?
  2. gastr/o
  3. carcen/o
  4. rhin/o
  5. oste/o

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. gastr/o: spelled correctly
  2. carcen/o: correct
  3. rhin/o: spelled correctly
  4. oste/o: spelled correctly
  1. Which combining form means “nose”?
  2. gastr/o
  3. hepat/o
  4. rhin/o
  5. electr/o

Answer: c

Explanation:

  1. gastr/o = stomach
  2. hepat/o = liver
  3. rhin/o: correct
  4. electr/o = electricity
  1. Which combining form means “stomach”?
  2. cardi/o
  3. gastr/o
  4. hepat/o
  5. arthr/o

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. cardi/o = heart
  2. gastr/o: correct
  3. hepat/o = liver
  4. arthr/o = joint
  1. The combining form cephal/o means:
  2. bone
  3. head
  4. muscle
  5. liver

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. bone: combining form oste/o means “bone”
  2. head: correct
  3. muscle: combining form my/o means “muscle”
  4. liver: combining form hepat/o means “liver”
  1. Which suffix is misspelled?
  2. -ektomy
  3. -logy
  4. -megaly
  5. -itis

Answer: a

Explanation:

  1. -ektomy: correct
  2. -logy: spelled correctly
  3. -megaly: spelled correctly
  4. -itis: spelled correctly
  1. Which suffix means “inflammation”?
  2. -gram
  3. -megaly
  4. -logy
  5. -itis

Answer: d

Explanation:

  1. -gram = a record or picture
  2. -megaly = large
  3. -logy = the study of
  4. -itis: correct
  1. The suffix -megaly means:
  2. study of
  3. enlarged
  4. record or picture
  5. disease

Answer: b

Explanation:

  1. study of: suffix -logy means “the study of”
  2. enlarged: correct
  3. record or picture: suffix -gram means “a record or picture”
  4. disease: suffix -pathy means “disease”
  1. Which prefix is misspelled?
  2. inter-
  3. post-
  4. dis-
  5. sub-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  1. inter-: spelled correctly
  2. post-: spelled correctly
  3. dis-: correct
  4. sub-: spelled correctly
  1. Which prefix means “without”?
  2. a-
  3. bi-
  4. inter-
  5. post-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  1. a-: correct
  2. bi- = two
  3. inter- = between
  4. post- = after
  1. The prefix dys- means:
  2. between
  3. two
  4. below
  5. abnormal

Answer: d

Explanation:

  1. between: inter- is “between”
  2. two: bi- is “two”
  3. below: sub- is “below”
  4. abnormal: correct

Matching

QuestionCorrect Answer

  1. combining vowelconnects two word roots
  2. word rootfoundation of a medical term
  3. suffixused to indicate a procedure
  4. prefixused to indicate time
  5. combining formword root + combining vowel
  6. cardi/oheart
  7. gastr/ostomach
  8. hepat/oliver
  9. rhin/onose
  10. cephal/ohead
  11. arthr/ojoint
  12. my/o muscle
  13. oste/obone
  14. electr/oelectricity
  15. carcin/ocancer
  16. -pathydisease
  17. -gramrecord
  18. -megalyenlarged
  19. -itis inflammation
  20. -ectomysurgical removal
  21. a- without
  22. inter- between
  23. dys- abnormal
  24. sub- below
  25. post- after

Short Answer Essay:

  1. List and describe the four word parts used to build medical terms.

Suggested answer:

1. Word root

  • foundation of a medical term
  • often indicates the body system or part of the body that is being discussed
  1. Prefix
  • added to the front of the term
  • indicates location of an organ, the number of parts, or the time (frequency)
  1. Suffix
  • added to the end of the term
  • all medical terms must have a suffix
  • indicates condition, disease, or procedure
  1. Combining vowel
  • usually an o
  • connects two word roots
  • connects word root and suffix if the suffix begins with a consonant

2.Describe the strategy for defining an unfamiliar medical term.

Suggested answer:

  • Divide the term into its word parts
  • Define each word part
  • Put the meaning of the word parts together to see what the term is describing

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Frucht, Test Gen for Medical Terminology: Get Connected!1