Based on the best selling text: An Introduction to Medical Terminology for Health Care (Fifth edition) by A.R.Hutton published by Elsevier Ltd
The interactive learning material in this unit is arranged into four sections:
Click on a section and complete the exercises in the sequence they are presented. Note:FlashCards for revision of this unit are at the end of Section 3.
A short list of abbreviations, pathological conditions, clinical procedures and laboratory tests associated with the cardiovascular system is available from theWord Check.
The cardiovascular system continuously circulates blood around the body. The blood provides body cells with oxygen and nutrients and removes their wastes. The blood also transports hormones, antibodies and specialized cells that regulate internal activities and defend the body against infection. The organs that form the cardiovascular system are the heart and blood vessels.
The heart is a four-chambered muscular pump that continuously forces
blood into the arterial system. The right and left atria form its top
chambers and the right and left ventricles the lower chambers. The pumping
action consists of a series of events known as the cardiac cycle. During
each heartbeat or cardiac cycle, the chambers of the heart contract and
relax alternately.
Now learn the first set of suffixes by completing Dictionary Exercise 1.
Remember repetition is very important as it helps fix the meanings into
your memory. When you are satisfied you can remember their meanings
continue with the exercises.
Look at Root 1 that refers to the heart:
| Root 1 | Cardi- | from a Greek word kardia meaning the heart. Here cardi/o means the heart. |
| Combining form | Cardi/o | heart |
Cardiology is the study of the heart and any patient with serious heart problems may be referred to a consultant cardiologist. In the next two word exercises you will learn to use suffixes from Dictionary Exercise 1 to build words that relate to the heart.
Continue to page 2: