Many terms frequently used in science and medicine
are derived from latin words. By combining the root
words with, prefixes and suffixes many of the meanings
of the terms can be deciphered.
Use the following resources to better understand
medical terms:
| palliative treatment
|
therapy that relieves symptons,
such as pain but does not aleter the disease |
| palpitation |
sensation of rapid heartbeats |
| palsy |
paralysis of a muscle or group of
muscles |
| pancreas |
gland that lies behind the stomach,
manufacturers insulin and enzymes |
| papillary stenosis
|
condition in which openings of the
bile ducts and pancreatic ducts narrow |
| parietal cells
|
cells in stomach wall that make
hydrochloric acid |
| parosmia |
disease or perversion of the sense
of smell |
| partial colectomy
|
the removal of part
of the large intestine |
| pathologis |
physician who identifies diseases by studying
cells and tissues under a microscope
|
| pepsin |
enzyme made in the stomach that
breaks down proteins |
| peptic |
related to the stomach |
| perfusion |
flow |
| perianal |
around the anus |
| pericardium |
the membrane that surrounds the
heart. |
| perilymph fistula
|
leakage of inner ear fluid to the
middle ear that occurs without apparent cause
or associated with trauma |
| perineal |
related to the perineum |
| periostitis |
inflammatory condition of the covering
of the bones |
| pharynx |
space behind the mouth that serves
as a passage for food into the esophagus |
| phonology |
study of speech sounds |
| photobia |
sensitive to light |
| physiatrist |
the physician who specializes in
physical medicine and rehabilitation |
| pituitary gland
|
gland at the base of the brain that
secretes hormones and regulates and controls other
hormone secreting glands |
| placental abruption
|
premature detachment of the placenta
from the wall of the uterus |
| plantar warts
|
warts that occur on the sole of
the foot and looks like calluses often the result
of a virus or an infection |
| platelets |
cells found in the blood |
| pneumonectomy |
removal of an entire lung |
| polyp |
a growth that projects fromt he
lining of mucous membrane |
| predisposition
|
tendencey to develop a certain disease |
| presbycusis |
loss of hearing gradually occurs
because of inner or middle ear changes |
| proctectomy |
operation to remove the rectum |
| proctocolitis
|
inflammation fo the colon and rectum |
| prognosis |
prediction of the course of the
disease |
| pulmonary |
pertains to the lungs and respiratory
system |
| pyloric sphincter
|
muscle between the stomach and the
small intestine |
| pylorus |
opening from the stomach into the
top of the small intestine |
