MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY FOR
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
9TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)ANN EHRLICH
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Word Roots & Combining Forms
Stem: A chart in a patient’s record lists cardi/o as a combining
form. Which definition most accurately reflects the root and its
role when building medical terms?
A. Pertaining to blood vessels
B. Pertaining to the heart
C. Pertaining to the lungs
D. Pertaining to the stomach
,Correct Answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): cardi/o is the combining form meaning “heart.”
When building terms, combining forms supply the root meaning
and allow addition of prefixes/suffixes.
Incorrect (A): Blood-vessel terms use angi/o or vas/o; cardi/o
does not mean vessel.
Incorrect (C): Lung combining forms are pneum/o or pulmon/o,
not cardi/o.
Incorrect (D): Stomach roots are gastr/o or stomach/o; cardi/o
is unrelated.
Teaching Point: Combining forms supply core organ/root
meaning.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Combining Vowel Use
Stem: When combining a root and a suffix that begins with a
vowel (e.g., -itis), which practice produces the correct medical
term for “inflammation of the liver”?
A. hepat/o + -itis → hepatoitis
B. hepat + -itis → hepatitis
,C. hepat/o + -itis → hepatitis
D. hepat + -itis → hepatoitis
Correct Answer: C
Rationales
Correct (C): The combining form hepat/o plus suffix -itis yields
hepatitis; the combining vowel is often dropped before a vowel-
starting suffix.
Incorrect (A): hepatoitis duplicates the combining vowel
incorrectly and is not standard.
Incorrect (B): Dropping the combining vowel without using the
combining form leads to incorrect root presentation; hepat
alone is not the combining form used.
Incorrect (D): hepatoitis is incorrect for the same reason as A.
Teaching Point: Drop the combining vowel before vowel-
beginning suffixes.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes as Noun Endings
Stem: Which suffix most often turns a root into a noun meaning
“condition” or “disease”?
A. -itis
B. -ology
, C. -osis
D. -ectomy
Correct Answer: C
Rationales
Correct (C): -osis commonly indicates an abnormal condition or
disease (e.g., necrosis).
Incorrect (A): -itis denotes inflammation specifically, not the
general “condition” sense in many contexts.
Incorrect (B): -ology means “study of,” producing a field of
study, not a disease.
Incorrect (D): -ectomy indicates surgical removal, not a disease
condition.
Teaching Point: -osis denotes abnormal condition or disease.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
4
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes Meaning “Pertaining To”
Stem: The term cardiac is formed using the suffix meaning
“pertaining to.” Identify the suffix used and its effect.
A. -ac makes the root a noun meaning “disease”
B. -al makes the root mean “inflammation”
C. -ac makes the root an adjective meaning “pertaining to”
D. -itis makes the root pertain to organs
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
9TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)ANN EHRLICH
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Word Roots & Combining Forms
Stem: A chart in a patient’s record lists cardi/o as a combining
form. Which definition most accurately reflects the root and its
role when building medical terms?
A. Pertaining to blood vessels
B. Pertaining to the heart
C. Pertaining to the lungs
D. Pertaining to the stomach
,Correct Answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): cardi/o is the combining form meaning “heart.”
When building terms, combining forms supply the root meaning
and allow addition of prefixes/suffixes.
Incorrect (A): Blood-vessel terms use angi/o or vas/o; cardi/o
does not mean vessel.
Incorrect (C): Lung combining forms are pneum/o or pulmon/o,
not cardi/o.
Incorrect (D): Stomach roots are gastr/o or stomach/o; cardi/o
is unrelated.
Teaching Point: Combining forms supply core organ/root
meaning.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Combining Vowel Use
Stem: When combining a root and a suffix that begins with a
vowel (e.g., -itis), which practice produces the correct medical
term for “inflammation of the liver”?
A. hepat/o + -itis → hepatoitis
B. hepat + -itis → hepatitis
,C. hepat/o + -itis → hepatitis
D. hepat + -itis → hepatoitis
Correct Answer: C
Rationales
Correct (C): The combining form hepat/o plus suffix -itis yields
hepatitis; the combining vowel is often dropped before a vowel-
starting suffix.
Incorrect (A): hepatoitis duplicates the combining vowel
incorrectly and is not standard.
Incorrect (B): Dropping the combining vowel without using the
combining form leads to incorrect root presentation; hepat
alone is not the combining form used.
Incorrect (D): hepatoitis is incorrect for the same reason as A.
Teaching Point: Drop the combining vowel before vowel-
beginning suffixes.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes as Noun Endings
Stem: Which suffix most often turns a root into a noun meaning
“condition” or “disease”?
A. -itis
B. -ology
, C. -osis
D. -ectomy
Correct Answer: C
Rationales
Correct (C): -osis commonly indicates an abnormal condition or
disease (e.g., necrosis).
Incorrect (A): -itis denotes inflammation specifically, not the
general “condition” sense in many contexts.
Incorrect (B): -ology means “study of,” producing a field of
study, not a disease.
Incorrect (D): -ectomy indicates surgical removal, not a disease
condition.
Teaching Point: -osis denotes abnormal condition or disease.
Citation: Ehrlich, A. (2022). Medical Terminology for Health
Professions (9th ed.). Ch. 1.
4
Reference: Ch. 1 — Suffixes Meaning “Pertaining To”
Stem: The term cardiac is formed using the suffix meaning
“pertaining to.” Identify the suffix used and its effect.
A. -ac makes the root a noun meaning “disease”
B. -al makes the root mean “inflammation”
C. -ac makes the root an adjective meaning “pertaining to”
D. -itis makes the root pertain to organs
