Image: shutterstock
About This Quiz
A quick glance at television history makes one thing clear: People absolutely love medical dramas. From "ER" to "House M.D." to "Grey's Anatomy" and the most recent, "The Good Doctor," medical shows are evergreen. And unlike shows from the 1960s and '70s, today's shows don't gloss over the science. Overseen by consultants who have medical degrees themselves, hospital dramas are full of detail about disease, diagnoses, pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures.
This, in turn, means that the average person is far more knowledgeable than generations past about "doctor talk." Histology, cytology, other -ologies and -ectomies? These terms are no long a mystery. At least, we hope that's where you're getting your medical knowledge -- not from health issues of your own, or from dropping out of med school. (Not that there's anything wrong with that; med school classes famously shrink by about a third by graduation).ÂÂ
Whatever brought you here, we've got a 35-question quiz on the names for medical maladies, medical procedures, and parts of the human anatomy. The questions will start relatively easy and get harder from there, so don't be lulled into a sense of false confidence. Also, many of the questions will be on root words, like "gyneco-." So a little knowledge of Latin and Greek will go a long way. Good luck!
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with ____.
bones
kidneys
skin
This one was probably easy. Dermatology practices are more publicly advertised than, say, cardiology, because there is a cosmetic angle to dermatology.
the thyroid gland
The suffix "-scopy" implies a/an ______.
cranial examination
exploratory procedure
"-scopy" means a scope is used (obviously). One of the better-known procedures (and dreaded ones) is colonscopy.
preventive procedure
radiological procedure
The prefix "dys-" describes ...
something to do with muscles
something malfunctioning or painful
Don't confuse this with "dis-", which in a medical setting means "absent or taken away from." Like, for example, a dislocated shoulder.
something excessive
something lacking
Advertisement
Which of these is the prefix referring to blood?
cyano-
hemo-
Common terms with this beginning include "hemoglobin," "hemophilia" and "hemorrhage." (That last one, you'll see elsewhere in this quiz, so we've given you a clue!)
melano-
leuko-
What does the prefix "inter-" mean?
between
Actually, this is the same way "inter-" is used outside medical settings. The word "intermediate" means between two states, like beginner and advanced. And in medicine, "intercostal" means "between the ribs."
hormonal
of the blood
of the feet
Where would a doctor use an otoscope?
the ear
If you've had (or suspected having) an ear infection, you've had a doctor look at your eardrum with an otoscope. It's not painful, though the scope's short "snout" can feel awkward inside your ear.
the throat
the rectum
in his/her office, where else?
Advertisement
What does "endo-" mean?
relating to the brain
inside (the body, usually)
The term "endorphins" means feel-good substances created inside the body. This differentiates them from things you have to consume to feel good, like caffeine.
relating to the stomach
artificial
The suffix "-ectomy" refers to the ...
reduction of inflammation
tying off of a blood vessel
removal of someting unwanted
One of the best-known procedures in this area is "appendectomy." That is the removal of the appendix.
rebuilding of something broken down
What does it mean if something is contraindicated?
It has been shown on only one test.
It is to be avoided.
When something is "indicated," it is encouraged or beneficial. When it is "contraindicated," it is not a good idea.
It is to be prescribed.
Test results concerning it have conflicting results.
Advertisement
Anatomical description terms, part 1: What does "superior" mean?
above or high
There are several terms about position and location that medical students learn early on; these terms are used in exam and autopsy reports, et cetera. One of them is "superior," meaning that something is in a high position compared to something else.
low down
internal
external
Anatomical description terms, part 2: What is the opposite of "superior"?
anterior
inferior
"Inferior" means "in a lower position." It has nothing to do with how well the body part is functioning. By referring to the "inferior vena cava," your doctor isn't saying that this vein is in lousy shape.
menor
venial
Anatomical description terms, part 3: What does "anterior" describe?
an overhead or aerial view
a front view
You might have seen the blank illustration forms for autopsies that show a very basic human body from the front, then from the back. The first one is the "anterior" view, where the coroner would sketch in wounds to the chest, belly and so on.
a rear view
a view of the interior or insides
Advertisement
Anatomical description terms, part 4: What does "posterior" refer to?
the crown of the head
the feet
the sides
behind or the rear
Some discreet writers (outside medicine, we mean) refer to a person's buttocks as their "posterior." But in medical terms, it's just "from behind." A view from the sides would be called "lateral."
Anatomical description terms, part 5: What does "dorsal" mean?
about the back
The words "dorsal" and "ventral" refer to the back and to the chest/belly, respectively. To describe a broader area, you'd use "posterior" and "anterior."
about the feet
about the chest
about the head
Excessive bleeding is called _______.
dysphasia
hemorrhage
A "hemorrhage" is either excessive bleeding (like when it can't be stopped after a minor wound) or bleeding that shouldn't be happening at all. An example of the latter is a cerebral hemorrhage, which is one type of a stroke.
polyuria
dysphoria
Advertisement
If you have hypotension, you have _____.
low blood pressure
This is a less common and (usually) less worrisome condition that hypertension. You probably recognize that as high blood pressure.
high blood pressure
low blood sugar
high blood sugar
A person with paraplegia is ...
weak in the limbs
paralyzed from the waist down
Both the expressions "from the waist down" for a paraplegic and "neck down" for a quadriplegic are approximations. Depending on the type and location of the spinal cord injury, there is a variety of limb function that can remain.
paralyzed from the neck down
paralyzed on one side of the body
A cranial exam involves the ____.
brain
neck
skull
The word "cranium" refers only to the skull. The brain is far more complex, and has its own specialty, neurology.
all of these
Advertisement
Which of these root words pertains to the stomach?
broncho-
gastro-
This word isn't just found in the medical field. "Gastronomy" and "gastropub" are words that relate to cooking and to pleasing the stomach.
lido-
vasculo-
The word ending "-gesia" means ...
diminished function
tiredness
pain
The suffixes "-dynia" or "-gesia" refer to pain. So does this mean that "analgesia" means ... No! No, it does not. "Analgesia" is the word for relief of pain, from the Greek "an-", meaning "not," and "algeisis," meaning "sense of pain."
memory lapse
If your lips are cyanotic, what are they?
bluish
If you've worked in printing or graphic arts, you probably knew this one. "Cyan" is the common's printer's term for blue.
dry
excessively moist
afflicted with benign growths
Advertisement
Which of these root words pertain to cancer?
carcino-
This is often seen in the words "carcinogen" and "carcinogenic," meaning substances that promote cancer. As with any subject that inspires fear, there's a lot of misinformation about what causes cancer. So don't take it on face value if someone tells you a dye or food additive is carcinogenic -- often, they're sincere but misinformed.
histo-
patho-
viscero-
The endocrine system involves the ____ and _____.
arteries and veins
glands and hormones
The endocrine system is one of the most powerful in the body. Headed up by the pituitary and hypothalamus glands in the brain, it controls the chemical messengers that tell all the other systems how to function.
lungs and brachia
liver and kidneys
In general, a "pathology" is a ______.
disease or disorder
We often think of "pathology" as psychological -- "psychopath" and "sociopath" are variations on the term. But a pathology is simply a disease or malfunction, whether of the body or the brain.
method of dissection
sub-class of cancer
psychological disorder
Advertisement
In the medical sense, "regulation" means ...
control, or keeping (something) in a normal range
It's often the endocrine system that regulates functions in the body. For example, the hypothalamus controls body temperature, so an abnormal temperature can be a sign of hypothalamic dysregulation.
digestion
respiration
dietary rules and restrictions
What does the prefix "leuko-" mean?
small or less
insufficient
malignant
white
Several root words in medicine refer to colors, inlcuding "melan" or "melano-" for black. "Leuko-" is white, and is seen in "leukemia," a cancer involving white blood cells.
If a patient has pancreatitis, her pancreas is _____.
missing
inflamed
Words ending in "-itis" are the disorders involving inflammation. See also "gastroenteritis," an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines.
overactive
underactive
Advertisement
The prefix referring to cells is _____.
cyto-
You might have heard of "cytology," which has two meanings. First, it's the clinical/microscopic examination of cells. Second, it's a branch of biology dealing with the structure and function of cells.
histo-
oro-
trio-
Which of these medical terms takes its name from a Roman goddess?
cyanosis
adrenal
ventral
venereal
"Venereal" is derived from the name of Venus, the goddess of love. Apparently, the belief was that where love went, STDs would follow!
"Histo-" is the prefix referring to ...
blood vessels
chambers of the heart
spinal fluid
tissues
This one is easily confused with "cyto-" the prefix for cells. Whether a pathologist is examining "tissues" or just "cells" is a pretty fine distinction.
Advertisement
An oophorectomy is removal of the ____.
parietal lobe
spleen
ovaries
"Ovary" is related to the Latin word for "egg" (though they are shaped more like almonds). Likewise, "oo-" is the Latin-derived prefix for words related to eggs.
tonsils
"Hyperplasia" is excessive _____.
cognition
growth
The suffix for growth is "-plasia." In men, benign prostatic hyperplasia is common, meaning that the prostate gland has enlarged, but is not cancerous.
urination
respiration
What is the common term for erythema solare?
light sensitivity
low red blood cell count
high red blood cell count
sunburn
Sunlight contains ultraviolet radiation. Getting too much in a short time causes erythema solare, or sunburn.
Advertisement
What is "sepsis"?
ingrown fingernails
ingrown toenails
a skin discoloration
a general term for infection
Think of the system that carries human waste out of homes: it's the septic sytem. Likewise, "sepsis" or "septic" implies that something dirty or unhealthful has gotten into the human body.
Bonus question: The "interstitium" is believed to be a/an ____.
disease
organ
what do you mean, "believed"?
both #2 and #3
This is a tricky one. It was just recently, in 2018, that researchers have said they've identified a new organ. the interstitium. Like the skin, it isn't in any one place in the body, but wraps around many organs, as the name implies. Whether the medical community comes to accept it as a true organ is still under debate.
You Got:
/35
shutterstock