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305 cards · .apkg and CSV

Medical Terminology Essentials — MintDeck

305 cards covering the building blocks of medical language. Learn the most common prefixes and suffixes, word roots organised by body system (cardiovascular, respiratory, GI, nervous, musculoskeletal, and more), high-frequency clinical terms, and the abbreviations you will encounter on charts and notes.

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Works in MintDeck, Anki, Quizlet, Notion, and Excel.

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1Front
a-/an-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

1Back
Without, not. Ex: Atypical (not typical), anemia (without blood). Etymology: Gk a-/an- 'not'
2Front
ante-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

2Back
Before, in front of. Ex: Antepartum (before childbirth). Etymology: L ante 'before'
3Front
anti-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

3Back
Against, opposing. Ex: Antibiotic (against bacteria). Etymology: Gk anti 'against'
4Front
auto-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

4Back
Self. Ex: Autoimmune (immune response against self). Etymology: Gk autos 'self'
5Front
bi-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

5Back
Two, double. Ex: Bilateral (both sides). Etymology: L bi 'two'
6Front
brady-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

6Back
Slow. Ex: Bradycardia (slow heart rate, <60 bpm). Etymology: Gk bradys 'slow'
7Front
circum-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

7Back
Around. Ex: Circumcision (cutting around). Etymology: L circum 'around'
8Front
contra-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

8Back
Against, opposite. Ex: Contraindication (reason against a treatment). Etymology: L contra 'against'
9Front
de-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

9Back
Down, away from, removal. Ex: Dehydration (loss of water). Etymology: L de 'down from'
10Front
dys-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

10Back
Bad, difficult, abnormal. Ex: Dyspnea (difficulty breathing). Etymology: Gk dys 'bad'
11Front
ecto-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

11Back
Outside, external. Ex: Ectopic pregnancy (outside the uterus). Etymology: Gk ektos 'outside'
12Front
endo-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

12Back
Inside, within. Ex: Endoscopy (looking inside). Etymology: Gk endon 'within'
13Front
epi-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

13Back
Upon, above, over. Ex: Epidermis (outer layer of skin, upon dermis). Etymology: Gk epi 'upon'
14Front
ex-/e-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

14Back
Out, away from. Ex: Exhale (breathe out), excision (cut out). Etymology: L ex 'out of'
15Front
extra-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

15Back
Outside of, beyond. Ex: Extracellular (outside the cell). Etymology: L extra 'outside'
16Front
hemi-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

16Back
Half. Ex: Hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of body). Etymology: Gk hemi 'half'
17Front
hyper-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

17Back
Above, excessive, beyond. Ex: Hypertension (high blood pressure). Etymology: Gk hyper 'over'
18Front
hypo-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

18Back
Below, deficient, under. Ex: Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Etymology: Gk hypo 'under'
19Front
inter-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

19Back
Between. Ex: Intercostal (between the ribs). Etymology: L inter 'between'
20Front
intra-

medical · terminology · prefixes · mintdeck

20Back
Within, inside. Ex: Intravenous (within a vein). Etymology: L intra 'within'

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Topics covered

5 topics

  • Prefixes

    a-/an-, brady-, dys-, hyper-, hypo- and more

    44 cards
  • Suffixes

    -itis, -ectomy, -ology, -emia and more

    42 cards
  • Word Roots by Body System

    Cardiovascular, respiratory, GI, nervous, musculoskeletal, endocrine, reproductive, urinary, integumentary, hematology, senses

    76 cards
  • Clinical Terms

    Common terms you will hear on rounds and read in notes

    81 cards
  • Abbreviations

    Chart abbreviations from PRN to STAT

    62 cards

Card format

Front
Medical term, prefix, suffix, root, or abbreviatione.g. brady-
Back
Meaning, example use, and etymology where helpful

Who it’s for

  • Pre-med, nursing, and medical-assistant students learning the language of medicine
  • EMT, paramedic, and allied health students preparing for certification
  • Scribes and medical interpreters building working vocabulary
  • Anyone who wants to read clinical notes and research papers with confidence

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This deck is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace formal medical or clinical training.