The Language of Medicine, 12th Edition by Davi-
Ellen Chabner Practice Exam – The Language of
Medicine, 12th Edition (Chapters 1–22) QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES 2025 (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
1. Which suffix means "surgical removal"?
A. -tomy
B. -ectomy
C. -stomy
D. -plasty
Answer: B. -ectomy
Rationale: "-ectomy" means surgical removal (e.g., appendectomy = removal of
appendix). "-tomy" is incision; "-stomy" is surgical opening; "-plasty" is surgical
repair.
2. The combining form leuk/o means:
,A. Black
B. Blue
C. White
D. Red
Answer: C. White
Rationale: "Leuk/o" refers to white, such as in "leukocyte" (white blood cell).
3. A patient with dysphagia is having trouble with:
A. Speaking
B. Hearing
C. Swallowing
D. Breathing
Answer: C. Swallowing
Rationale: "Dys-" = difficult or painful; "-phagia" = swallowing.
4. What is the meaning of hepatomegaly?
A. Liver tumor
B. Liver inflammation
C. Liver enlargement
D. Liver failure
Answer: C. Liver enlargement
Rationale: "Hepato-" = liver; "-megaly" = enlargement.
,5. The prefix tachy- means:
A. Slow
B. Fast
C. Irregular
D. Normal
Answer: B. Fast
Rationale: "Tachy-" refers to rapid (e.g., tachycardia = fast heart rate).
6. Which term means "inflammation of the kidney"?
A. Cystitis
B. Nephritis
C. Nephrosis
D. Urethritis
Answer: B. Nephritis
Rationale: "Nephr/o" = kidney; "-itis" = inflammation.
7. The term osteoporosis refers to:
A. Bone softening
B. Bone infection
C. Bone thickening
D. Bone thinning
Answer: D. Bone thinning
, Rationale: "Osteo-" = bone; "-porosis" = condition of pores or spaces (weak
bones).
8. The suffix "-emia" refers to a condition of the:
A. Skin
B. Blood
C. Lymph
D. Liver
Answer: B. Blood
Rationale: "-emia" relates to blood (e.g., anemia = lack of red blood cells).
9. What does hyperglycemia mean?
A. Low calcium in the blood
B. High sodium in the blood
C. Low sugar in the blood
D. High sugar in the blood
Answer: D. High sugar in the blood
Rationale: "Hyper-" = high; "glyc/o" = sugar; "-emia" = blood condition.
10. The term adenocarcinoma refers to:
A. Cancer of nerve tissue
B. Cancer of bone
C. Cancer of glandular tissue
Ellen Chabner Practice Exam – The Language of
Medicine, 12th Edition (Chapters 1–22) QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES 2025 (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
1. Which suffix means "surgical removal"?
A. -tomy
B. -ectomy
C. -stomy
D. -plasty
Answer: B. -ectomy
Rationale: "-ectomy" means surgical removal (e.g., appendectomy = removal of
appendix). "-tomy" is incision; "-stomy" is surgical opening; "-plasty" is surgical
repair.
2. The combining form leuk/o means:
,A. Black
B. Blue
C. White
D. Red
Answer: C. White
Rationale: "Leuk/o" refers to white, such as in "leukocyte" (white blood cell).
3. A patient with dysphagia is having trouble with:
A. Speaking
B. Hearing
C. Swallowing
D. Breathing
Answer: C. Swallowing
Rationale: "Dys-" = difficult or painful; "-phagia" = swallowing.
4. What is the meaning of hepatomegaly?
A. Liver tumor
B. Liver inflammation
C. Liver enlargement
D. Liver failure
Answer: C. Liver enlargement
Rationale: "Hepato-" = liver; "-megaly" = enlargement.
,5. The prefix tachy- means:
A. Slow
B. Fast
C. Irregular
D. Normal
Answer: B. Fast
Rationale: "Tachy-" refers to rapid (e.g., tachycardia = fast heart rate).
6. Which term means "inflammation of the kidney"?
A. Cystitis
B. Nephritis
C. Nephrosis
D. Urethritis
Answer: B. Nephritis
Rationale: "Nephr/o" = kidney; "-itis" = inflammation.
7. The term osteoporosis refers to:
A. Bone softening
B. Bone infection
C. Bone thickening
D. Bone thinning
Answer: D. Bone thinning
, Rationale: "Osteo-" = bone; "-porosis" = condition of pores or spaces (weak
bones).
8. The suffix "-emia" refers to a condition of the:
A. Skin
B. Blood
C. Lymph
D. Liver
Answer: B. Blood
Rationale: "-emia" relates to blood (e.g., anemia = lack of red blood cells).
9. What does hyperglycemia mean?
A. Low calcium in the blood
B. High sodium in the blood
C. Low sugar in the blood
D. High sugar in the blood
Answer: D. High sugar in the blood
Rationale: "Hyper-" = high; "glyc/o" = sugar; "-emia" = blood condition.
10. The term adenocarcinoma refers to:
A. Cancer of nerve tissue
B. Cancer of bone
C. Cancer of glandular tissue
