Common Word Roots for Disease

Take this quiz to learn and know the common word roots and their combining forms related to diseases. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to recognize the meanings of more medical terms you’ll encounter during your career in healthcare.

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Word Root Combining Form Body Part or Condition
alg, algi, algesi alg/o, algi/o, algesi/o pain
carcin carcin/o cancer
lith lith/o stone
onc onc/o tumor
path path/o disease
py py/o pus
pyr, pyret pyr/o, pyret/o fever
therm therm/o heat
tox, toxic tox/o, toxic/o poison or toxin

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • alg/o, algi/o or algesi/o
    • py/o
    • lith/o
    • therm/o

    Correct Wrong

    Alg/o, algi/o or algesi/o is a combining form of "pain". Pain is an unpleasant feeling that's a sign that something's wrong. As defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain, pain is "An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage."

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • carcin/o
    • onc/o
    • path/o
    • pyr/o or pyret/o

    Correct Wrong

    Carcin/o is a combining form of "cancer". The word cancer is used to describe a disease in which cells divide uncontrollably, and then spread into the surrounding tissues. It occurs as a result of genetic changes.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • lith/o
    • path/o
    • alg/o, algi/o or algesi/o
    • py/o

    Correct Wrong

    Lith/o is a combining form that means "stone". A kidney stone (shown in the image) is a stone-like deposit of salts and minerals that forms inside the kidney.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • onc/o
    • carcin/o
    • path/o
    • tox/o or toxic/o

    Correct Wrong

    Onc/o is a combining form that refers to "tumor". Basically, a tumor is a mass of tissue formed by abnormal cells (cells that grow and divide too fast or that do not die when they should) clumping together.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • path/o
    • therm/o
    • carcin/o
    • pyr/o or pyret/o

    Correct Wrong

    Path/o is a combining form that refers to "disease". Disease is an abnormal condition, a disorder of structure or function, that affects part or all of an organism and is characterized by specific signs and symptoms.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • py/o
    • path/o
    • lith/o
    • alg/o, algi/o or algesi/o

    Correct Wrong

    Py/o is a combining form that refers to "pus". Pus is an accumulation of fluid, usually yellow or yellow-brown, that forms at sites of inflammation due to bacterial or fungal infection.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • pyr/o or pyret/o
    • therm/o
    • alg/o, algi/o or algesi/o
    • py/o

    Correct Wrong

    Pyr/o or pyret/o is a combining form that refers to "fever". Fever is an increase in body temperature that is usually caused by infection. A normal body temperature is between 36.1 and 37.2 degrees Celsius. Depending on how active you are or how early it is in the morning, your body temperature may vary.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • therm/o
    • pyr/o, pyret/o
    • py/o
    • tox/o or toxic/o

    Correct Wrong

    Therm/o is a combining form that refers to "heat". Basically, heat is what raises the temperature of a body or substance.

  • Question of

    Find the combining form.

    • tox/o or toxic/o
    • carcin/o
    • onc/o
    • py/o

    Correct Wrong

    Tox/o or toxic/o is a combining form that refers to "poison". A poison is a substance that causes death, damage, or injury to an individual.