Test Bank - Medical Terminology Systems: A Body Systems Approach, 9th Edition by Masters, Gylys
2026 Updated
Chapter 1: Basic Elements of a Medical Word
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. Most medical word roots are derived from
A. Latin and French.
B. German and Latin.
C. Spanish and French.
D. Latin and Greek.
E. Russian and Latin.
____ 2. The word root for liver is
A. mast.
B. hepat.
C. oste.
D. my.
E. trache.
____ 3. Which is an example of a word root linking a suffix that begins with a vowel?
A. Cardi/o/centesis
B. Enter/o/lysis
C. Therm/o/meter
D. Scler/osis
E. Cardi/o/megaly
____ 4. The word root in a medical term usually indicates a(n)
A. position.
B. number.
C. condition.
D. anatomical structure.
E. procedure.
____ 5. Which element is a word root?
A. nephr
B. nephro
C. nephros
D. nephrotomy
E. tomy
____ 6. Arthr/o is an example of a
A. suffix.
B. combining form.
C. word root.
D. prefix.
E. combining vowel.
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 1 of 10 Copyright © 2026
,____ 7. The term stomat/itis means
A. inflammation of the stomach.
B. inflammation of the liver.
C. inflammation of the face.
D. inflammation of the mouth.
E. inflammation of the skin.
____ 8. A combining form (CF) is a word root plus a
A. prefix.
B. suffix.
C. vowel.
D. word root.
E. consonant.
____ 9. The CF for joint is
A. oste/o.
B. chondr/o.
C. -ist.
D. arthr/o.
E. -osis.
____ 10. A CF is used to link a suffix that begins with a/the
A. letter o.
B. connecting vowel.
C. prefix.
D. vowel.
E. consonant.
____ 11. In cardi/o/centesis, cardi/o is a
A. combining form.
B. prefix.
C. word root.
D. suffix.
E. vowel.
____ 12. In the word pelvimetry, the combining vowel is
A. i.
B. e.
C. y.
D. pelvi.
E. metry.
____ 13. In mast/o/pexy, the o is a
A. combining form.
B. prefix.
C. combining vowel.
D. suffix.
E. word root.
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 2 of 10 Copyright © 2026
,____ 14. Which element is commonly used for ease of pronunciation?
A. Combining form
B. Combining vowel
C. Prefix
D. Suffix
E. Word root
____ 15. Which vowel is most commonly attached to word roots to create a CF?
A. a
B. e
C. i
D. o
E. u
____ 16. Which suffix means inflammation?
A. -megaly
B. -oma
C. -ia
D. -itis
E. -ous
____ 17. In the word thermometer, meter is a(n)
A. adjective.
B. prefix.
C. combining form.
D. compound word.
E. suffix.
____ 18. Word endings are called
A. prefixes.
B. suffixes.
C. vowels.
D. consonants.
E. word roots.
____ 19. In medical terminology, a suffix usually indicates
A. position, direction, color, number, or negation.
B. procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech.
C. position, direction, or color.
D. color, number, condition, or disease.
E. procedure, condition, or negation.
____ 20. A medical word consisting of more than one word root joined together with an o is a(n)
A. simple word.
B. adjective.
C. compound word.
D. disease.
E. condition.
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 3 of 10 Copyright © 2026
, ____ 21. Oste/o/chondr/itis is an example of a
A. suffix that begins with a consonant.
B. simple word.
C. compound word.
D. medical word containing a prefix.
E. word with only one word element.
____ 22. Which is an example of a CF linked to a word root?
A. gastr/itis
B. gastr/o/dynia
C. gastr/o/esophag/itis
D. gastr/o/megaly
E. gastr/oma
____ 23. When building a compound word, the first element is usually a
A. combining vowel.
B. consonant.
C. vowel.
D. combining form.
E. suffix.
____ 24. Define a medical word by first defining the
A. prefix.
B. suffix.
C. middle part of the word.
D. combining form.
E. word root.
____ 25. Which word means inflammation of the joints?
A. oste/itis
B. chondr/itis
C. arthr/itis
D. oste/o/arthr/itis
E. oste/o/chondr/itis
____ 26. Vowels marked with a macron (-) indicate a
A. short sound.
B. stress.
C. silent letter.
D. long sound.
E. diphthong.
____ 27. The letter combination ps at the beginning of a word (as in psychosis) is pronounced
A. “pee.”
B. “eff.”
C. “ss.”
D. “sh.”
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 4 of 10 Copyright © 2026
2026 Updated
Chapter 1: Basic Elements of a Medical Word
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. Most medical word roots are derived from
A. Latin and French.
B. German and Latin.
C. Spanish and French.
D. Latin and Greek.
E. Russian and Latin.
____ 2. The word root for liver is
A. mast.
B. hepat.
C. oste.
D. my.
E. trache.
____ 3. Which is an example of a word root linking a suffix that begins with a vowel?
A. Cardi/o/centesis
B. Enter/o/lysis
C. Therm/o/meter
D. Scler/osis
E. Cardi/o/megaly
____ 4. The word root in a medical term usually indicates a(n)
A. position.
B. number.
C. condition.
D. anatomical structure.
E. procedure.
____ 5. Which element is a word root?
A. nephr
B. nephro
C. nephros
D. nephrotomy
E. tomy
____ 6. Arthr/o is an example of a
A. suffix.
B. combining form.
C. word root.
D. prefix.
E. combining vowel.
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 1 of 10 Copyright © 2026
,____ 7. The term stomat/itis means
A. inflammation of the stomach.
B. inflammation of the liver.
C. inflammation of the face.
D. inflammation of the mouth.
E. inflammation of the skin.
____ 8. A combining form (CF) is a word root plus a
A. prefix.
B. suffix.
C. vowel.
D. word root.
E. consonant.
____ 9. The CF for joint is
A. oste/o.
B. chondr/o.
C. -ist.
D. arthr/o.
E. -osis.
____ 10. A CF is used to link a suffix that begins with a/the
A. letter o.
B. connecting vowel.
C. prefix.
D. vowel.
E. consonant.
____ 11. In cardi/o/centesis, cardi/o is a
A. combining form.
B. prefix.
C. word root.
D. suffix.
E. vowel.
____ 12. In the word pelvimetry, the combining vowel is
A. i.
B. e.
C. y.
D. pelvi.
E. metry.
____ 13. In mast/o/pexy, the o is a
A. combining form.
B. prefix.
C. combining vowel.
D. suffix.
E. word root.
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 2 of 10 Copyright © 2026
,____ 14. Which element is commonly used for ease of pronunciation?
A. Combining form
B. Combining vowel
C. Prefix
D. Suffix
E. Word root
____ 15. Which vowel is most commonly attached to word roots to create a CF?
A. a
B. e
C. i
D. o
E. u
____ 16. Which suffix means inflammation?
A. -megaly
B. -oma
C. -ia
D. -itis
E. -ous
____ 17. In the word thermometer, meter is a(n)
A. adjective.
B. prefix.
C. combining form.
D. compound word.
E. suffix.
____ 18. Word endings are called
A. prefixes.
B. suffixes.
C. vowels.
D. consonants.
E. word roots.
____ 19. In medical terminology, a suffix usually indicates
A. position, direction, color, number, or negation.
B. procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech.
C. position, direction, or color.
D. color, number, condition, or disease.
E. procedure, condition, or negation.
____ 20. A medical word consisting of more than one word root joined together with an o is a(n)
A. simple word.
B. adjective.
C. compound word.
D. disease.
E. condition.
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 3 of 10 Copyright © 2026
, ____ 21. Oste/o/chondr/itis is an example of a
A. suffix that begins with a consonant.
B. simple word.
C. compound word.
D. medical word containing a prefix.
E. word with only one word element.
____ 22. Which is an example of a CF linked to a word root?
A. gastr/itis
B. gastr/o/dynia
C. gastr/o/esophag/itis
D. gastr/o/megaly
E. gastr/oma
____ 23. When building a compound word, the first element is usually a
A. combining vowel.
B. consonant.
C. vowel.
D. combining form.
E. suffix.
____ 24. Define a medical word by first defining the
A. prefix.
B. suffix.
C. middle part of the word.
D. combining form.
E. word root.
____ 25. Which word means inflammation of the joints?
A. oste/itis
B. chondr/itis
C. arthr/itis
D. oste/o/arthr/itis
E. oste/o/chondr/itis
____ 26. Vowels marked with a macron (-) indicate a
A. short sound.
B. stress.
C. silent letter.
D. long sound.
E. diphthong.
____ 27. The letter combination ps at the beginning of a word (as in psychosis) is pronounced
A. “pee.”
B. “eff.”
C. “ss.”
D. “sh.”
Masters 9E, TB Ch 1, Page 4 of 10 Copyright © 2026
