MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY FOR
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
9TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)ANN EHRLICH
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Primary Medical Terms — Word Parts
Stem: A nurse encounters the term cardiomyopathy in a chart.
Which breakdown of the word parts yields the correct
meaning?
A. cardi/o (heart) + my/o (muscle) + -pathy (disease)
B. cardi/o (heart) + my/o (muscle) + -plasty (surgical repair)
C. cardi/o (heart) + -megaly (enlargement) + -pathy (disease)
D. cardi/o (heart) + myel/o (spinal cord) + -pathy (disease)
Correct Answer: A
,Rationales:
• Correct (A): Cardi/o = heart, my/o = muscle, -pathy =
disease; cardiomyopathy = disease of the heart muscle.
• B: -plasty means surgical repair, not disease.
• C: -megaly means enlargement and is not present here.
• D: myel/o means spinal cord/bone marrow; the word
contains my/o (muscle), so D is incorrect.
Teaching Point: cardi/o + my/o + -pathy = heart muscle disease.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Word Roots — Combining Forms Vowels
Stem: Which combining form correctly completes the term
meaning “inflammation of the stomach and intestine”? (choose
the combining vowel usage)
A. gastr/o + enter/itis → gastrenteritis
B. gastr/o + enter/o + -itis → gastroenteritis
C. gastr + o + enteritis → gastroenteritis
D. gastr/o + entero + itis → gastrenteritis
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
, • Correct (B): Use combining form gastro- (gastr/o +
combining vowel o) + enter/o + -itis → gastroenteritis.
• A: Missing combining vowel between gastr/o and enter
makes formation incorrect.
• C: Incorrect segmentation; gastr must have combining
vowel o when joined.
• D: entero needs combining vowel but endings should yield
gastroenteritis; D yields incorrect form.
Teaching Point: Use combining vowels (usually -o-) to join roots.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes — Suffixes as Noun Endings
Stem: In the term neurology, the suffix -logy functions as:
A. an adjective ending meaning “pertaining to”
B. a noun ending meaning “study of”
C. a verb ending meaning “to study”
D. a diminutive ending meaning “small”
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct (B): -logy = study of; neurology = study of the
nervous system.
• A: -ic, -al are typical adjective endings, not -logy.
, • C: No common verb ending; -logy does not form verbs.
• D: Diminutive endings (e.g., -ole, -ule) convey smallness,
not -logy.
Teaching Point: -logy = study/knowledge (noun).
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Ch. 1.
4
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes Meaning “Pertaining To”
Stem: Which term means “pertaining to the liver”?
A. hepatic
B. hepatitis
C. hepatomegaly
D. hepatorrhaphy
Correct Answer: A
Rationales:
• Correct (A): Hepat- = liver; -ic = pertaining to → hepatic =
pertaining to the liver.
• B: -itis = inflammation → hepatitis is liver inflammation.
• C: -megaly = enlargement → hepatomegaly is enlarged
liver.
• D: -rrhaphy = suture → hepatorrhaphy = suture of the liver,
rare.
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
9TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)ANN EHRLICH
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Primary Medical Terms — Word Parts
Stem: A nurse encounters the term cardiomyopathy in a chart.
Which breakdown of the word parts yields the correct
meaning?
A. cardi/o (heart) + my/o (muscle) + -pathy (disease)
B. cardi/o (heart) + my/o (muscle) + -plasty (surgical repair)
C. cardi/o (heart) + -megaly (enlargement) + -pathy (disease)
D. cardi/o (heart) + myel/o (spinal cord) + -pathy (disease)
Correct Answer: A
,Rationales:
• Correct (A): Cardi/o = heart, my/o = muscle, -pathy =
disease; cardiomyopathy = disease of the heart muscle.
• B: -plasty means surgical repair, not disease.
• C: -megaly means enlargement and is not present here.
• D: myel/o means spinal cord/bone marrow; the word
contains my/o (muscle), so D is incorrect.
Teaching Point: cardi/o + my/o + -pathy = heart muscle disease.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Word Roots — Combining Forms Vowels
Stem: Which combining form correctly completes the term
meaning “inflammation of the stomach and intestine”? (choose
the combining vowel usage)
A. gastr/o + enter/itis → gastrenteritis
B. gastr/o + enter/o + -itis → gastroenteritis
C. gastr + o + enteritis → gastroenteritis
D. gastr/o + entero + itis → gastrenteritis
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
, • Correct (B): Use combining form gastro- (gastr/o +
combining vowel o) + enter/o + -itis → gastroenteritis.
• A: Missing combining vowel between gastr/o and enter
makes formation incorrect.
• C: Incorrect segmentation; gastr must have combining
vowel o when joined.
• D: entero needs combining vowel but endings should yield
gastroenteritis; D yields incorrect form.
Teaching Point: Use combining vowels (usually -o-) to join roots.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes — Suffixes as Noun Endings
Stem: In the term neurology, the suffix -logy functions as:
A. an adjective ending meaning “pertaining to”
B. a noun ending meaning “study of”
C. a verb ending meaning “to study”
D. a diminutive ending meaning “small”
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct (B): -logy = study of; neurology = study of the
nervous system.
• A: -ic, -al are typical adjective endings, not -logy.
, • C: No common verb ending; -logy does not form verbs.
• D: Diminutive endings (e.g., -ole, -ule) convey smallness,
not -logy.
Teaching Point: -logy = study/knowledge (noun).
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Ch. 1.
4
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes Meaning “Pertaining To”
Stem: Which term means “pertaining to the liver”?
A. hepatic
B. hepatitis
C. hepatomegaly
D. hepatorrhaphy
Correct Answer: A
Rationales:
• Correct (A): Hepat- = liver; -ic = pertaining to → hepatic =
pertaining to the liver.
• B: -itis = inflammation → hepatitis is liver inflammation.
• C: -megaly = enlargement → hepatomegaly is enlarged
liver.
• D: -rrhaphy = suture → hepatorrhaphy = suture of the liver,
rare.
