Unlock hundreds more features
Save your Quiz to the Dashboard
View and Export Results
Use AI to Create Quizzes and Analyse Results

OR
Sign inSign in with Facebook
Sign inSign in with Google
Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Acro medical prefix quiz: meaning and practice

Quick, free medical prefix quiz with instant results - learn the acro prefix meaning as you go

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Skyler DeveauxUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration with medical prefixes and suffixes icons on golden yellow background prompting a quiz

This quiz helps you learn the acro- prefix, spot it in medical terms, and practice using it with quick feedback and simple examples. For more practice, try the arthro prefix quiz, explore atel prefix meaning, or take a broader medical prefixes quiz.

What does the prefix "cardio-" mean?
Lung
Brain
Kidney
Heart
The prefix "cardio-" is derived from the Greek word kardia, meaning heart. It's commonly used in terms like cardiology (study of the heart) and myocardial (heart muscle). Understanding "cardio-" helps in decoding many cardiac-related medical terms. .
What does the prefix "dermato-" refer to?
Bone
Muscle
Nerve
Skin
"Dermato-" comes from the Greek word derma, meaning skin. It's used in dermatology (study of skin) and terms like dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). Recognizing this prefix aids in understanding skin-related conditions. .
What organ does the prefix "hepat-" indicate?
Spleen
Pancreas
Liver
Kidney
"Hepat-" originates from the Greek word hepar, meaning liver. It appears in hepatology (study of the liver) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). Knowing "hepat-" is essential for liver-related medical terminology. .
The prefix "neuro-" refers to which body system?
Respiratory system
Nervous system
Digestive system
Cardiovascular system
"Neuro-" is derived from the Greek word neuron, meaning nerve. It's used in neurology (study of the nervous system) and neuropathy (nerve disease). This prefix is fundamental in neuro-related medical vocabulary. .
The prefix "osteo-" pertains to what type of tissue?
Skin
Bone
Blood
Muscle
"Osteo-" comes from the Greek osteon, meaning bone. It appears in osteopathy (practice focused on bones) and osteoporosis (porous bone disease). Recognizing this prefix helps in bone-related medical contexts. .
What does the prefix "hypo-" mean?
Beside
Below or under
Within
Above or over
"Hypo-" is Greek for under or below normal. It's used in terms such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hypotension (low blood pressure). This prefix indicates a deficiency or reduced level. .
The prefix "brady-" indicates what characteristic?
Slow
Fast
Low
High
"Brady-" is derived from the Greek bradys, meaning slow. It's used in bradycardia (slow heart rate) and bradypnea (slow breathing). Understanding this prefix helps interpret slow-rate medical terms. .
What does the suffix "-itis" denote?
Study of
Surgical removal
Examination
Inflammation
The suffix "-itis" comes from Greek, meaning inflammation. It appears in terms such as dermatitis (skin inflammation) and tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils). Recognizing "-itis" is key to identifying inflammatory conditions. .
The suffix "-ectomy" means:
Surgical repair
Surgical removal
Examination
Inflammation
"-ectomy" derives from the Greek ektome, meaning surgical removal. Examples include appendectomy (removal of the appendix) and tonsillectomy (removal of tonsils). This suffix indicates excision of a part. .
What does the prefix "tachy-" mean?
Light
Fast
Slow
Heavy
"Tachy-" comes from the Greek tachys, meaning fast. It's seen in tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate) and tachypnea (rapid breathing). Recognizing "tachy-" helps identify conditions of increased rate. .
The prefix "poly-" refers to:
Single
Few
None
Many
"Poly-" comes from the Greek polys, meaning many. It's used in terms like polyuria (excessive urination) and polyneuropathy (multiple nerve issues). Understanding "poly-" helps in conditions involving abundance. .
What does the prefix "cholecyst-" denote?
Stomach
Urinary bladder
Pancreas
Gallbladder
"Cholecyst-" is from the Greek chole (bile) and kystis (bladder), meaning gallbladder. It's used in cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder). Recognizing this prefix helps in biliary system terminology. .
The suffix "-graphy" refers to:
Analysis
Recording an image
Incision
Removal
"-graphy" comes from Greek graphein, meaning to write or record. It appears in radiography (imaging with X-rays) and angiography (imaging of blood vessels). This suffix indicates a procedure that records images. .
What organ does the prefix "gastro-" refer to?
Kidney
Liver
Stomach
Heart
"Gastro-" comes from the Greek gast?r, meaning stomach. It's used in gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) and gastroenterology (study of stomach and intestines). Recognizing this prefix is key in digestive system terms. .
The prefix "a-" or "an-" means:
Against
Within
With
Without or absence of
"A-" or "an-" is a Greek privative prefix meaning without or absence of. It appears in anemia (lack of red blood cells) and aphasia (loss of speech ability). This prefix indicates deficiency or absence. .
What does the suffix "-pathy" mean?
Instrument
Study of
Treatment
Disease or disorder
"-pathy" comes from the Greek pathos, meaning suffering or disease. It's used in neuropathy (nerve disease) and cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease). Recognizing this suffix helps identify disease processes. .
The suffix "-emia" refers to:
A nerve condition
A bone condition
A muscle condition
A blood condition
"-emia" is from the Greek haima, meaning blood. It appears in anemia (low red blood cell count) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level). This suffix denotes a blood-related condition. .
What does the prefix "myo-" refer to?
Skin
Bone
Brain
Muscle
"Myo-" comes from the Greek mys, meaning muscle. It's used in myopathy (muscle disease) and myocardium (heart muscle). Recognizing this prefix is vital in muscular system terminology. .
The prefix "erythro-" refers to what color or component?
Blue
Green
White
Red
"Erythro-" derives from the Greek erythros, meaning red. It appears in erythrocyte (red blood cell) and erythropoiesis (production of red blood cells). Understanding this prefix helps identify red blood cell - related terms. .
What does the prefix "leuko-" signify?
Yellow
White
Black
Red
"Leuko-" comes from the Greek leukos, meaning white. It's used in leukocyte (white blood cell) and leukemia (white blood cell malignancy). Recognizing "leuko-" is key for white blood cell terminology. .
The prefix "pyro-" is associated with:
Heat or fever
Pain
Cold
Blood
"Pyro-" comes from the Greek pyr, meaning fire or heat. It appears in pyrexia (fever) and pyrotherapy (use of heat in treatment). Recognizing this prefix helps understand fever-related terms. .
What does the prefix "steno-" mean?
Short
Narrow
Wide
Long
"Steno-" originates from the Greek stenos, meaning narrow. It's used in stenosis (narrowing of a vessel) and stent (device to widen a vessel). Understanding this prefix helps identify constriction-related conditions. .
The suffix "-plasty" indicates:
Inflammation
Surgical repair or reconstruction
Study of
Removal
"-plasty" derives from the Greek plastikos, meaning to mold or shape. It's seen in rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) and angioplasty (vessel repair). This suffix indicates surgical reconstruction. .
What does the prefix "encephalo-" refer to?
Heart
Stomach
Brain
Eye
"Encephalo-" comes from the Greek enkephalos, meaning in the head or brain. It's used in encephalitis (brain inflammation) and electroencephalogram (brain electrical activity recording). Recognizing this prefix aids in neurocranial terms. .
The prefix "angi-" refers to:
Bone
Skin
Vessel
Nerve
"Angi-" derives from the Greek angeion, meaning vessel. It's used in angiography (vessel imaging) and angina (chest pain related to vessels). Recognizing this prefix is crucial for vascular terminology. .
What does the prefix "sarc-" indicate?
Bone
Flesh or muscle
Nerve
Skin
"Sarc-" comes from the Greek sarx, meaning flesh. It's used in sarcoma (cancer of connective tissue or muscle) and sarcopenia (muscle loss). Recognizing this prefix helps identify muscular/connective tissue terms. .
The prefix "chondr-" pertains to:
Skin
Cartilage
Muscle
Bone
"Chondr-" is from the Greek chondros, meaning cartilage. It's seen in chondrocyte (cartilage cell) and chondritis (inflammation of cartilage). Knowing this prefix is vital for cartilage-related medical terms. .
What does the prefix "xero-" mean?
Wet
Dry
Cold
Noisy
"Xero-" derives from the Greek x?ros, meaning dry. It appears in xerosis (abnormal dryness of skin or mucous membranes) and xerostomia (dry mouth). Recognizing this rare prefix is important in specialist terminology. .
The suffix "-phagia" means:
Eating or swallowing
Cutting
Writing
Walking
"-phagia" is from the Greek phagein, meaning to eat or swallow. It's used in dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and macrophage (cell that eats foreign particles). This suffix indicates a eating or swallowing action. .
0
{"name":"What does the prefix \"cardio-\" mean?", "url":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/QPREVIEW","txt":"What does the prefix \"cardio-\" mean?, What does the prefix \"dermato-\" refer to?, What organ does the prefix \"hepat-\" indicate?","img":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/3012/images/ogquiz.png"}

Study Outcomes

  1. Identify the "acro-" prefix -

    Recognize and define the acro medical prefix, relating it to terms like acrophobia and acromegaly.

  2. Analyze medical prefixes and suffixes -

    Break down a range of medical terms to determine how prefixes and suffixes modify root meanings.

  3. Apply terminology knowledge -

    Use your understanding of prefixes and suffixes to interpret and define new medical terms accurately.

  4. Differentiate prefixes vs suffixes -

    Distinguish how prefixes attach to the beginning and suffixes to the end of root words to alter meaning.

  5. Assess quiz performance -

    Track your score and analyze results to identify strengths and areas for further study.

  6. Enhance professional communication -

    Strengthen your medical vocabulary to communicate more accurately and confidently in healthcare contexts.

Cheat Sheet

  1. The "acro-" medical prefix -

    The prefix "acro-" comes from the Greek "akron" meaning summit or extremity and appears in terms like acrophobia (fear of heights) or acromegaly (enlarged extremities). Recognizing this root helps decode a range of medical vocabulary by indicating something related to the body's outermost parts. Regularly spotting "acro-" in new terms boosts recall during quizzes and clinical practice.

  2. Applying "acro-" in clinical contexts -

    Focus on combining "acro-" with common medical suffixes like "-megaly" (enlargement) or "-dermatitis" (inflammation of the skin) to form terms such as acromegaly and acrodermatitis. Breaking words into prefix, root, and suffix using reliable sources like the National Cancer Institute's dictionary helps you understand pathophysiology. For example, acrodermatitis literally translates to "inflammation of the extremity skin," solidifying meaning through structure.

  3. Key medical prefixes and suffixes -

    Master a shortlist of high-yield medical prefixes (e.g., hyper-, hypo-, tachy-, brady-, neo-) alongside common medical suffixes (e.g., -itis, -osis, -ectomy) to expand your term-building toolkit. A mnemonic like "Happy Hippos Try Big News" links Hyper, Hypo, Tachy, Brady, Neo in order and nails down each core idea. This approach ensures rapid recall when tackling any medical terminology quiz.

  4. Mnemonic techniques for retention -

    Employ memory tricks such as the acronym "SOAP" (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) or create visual stories starring "acro-ant" climbing extremes to remember acro- terms. According to educational research from Vanderbilt University, pairing imagery with word parts increases long-term retention of medical prefixes and suffixes by 30%. Practice these mnemonics daily for 5 minutes to solidify your grasp of prefixes and suffixes.

  5. Energizing your quiz prep -

    Use flashcards, timed drills, and mobile medical terminology quizzes to simulate real test conditions and track your score improvement over time. Resources like Quizlet or university-based self-assessments (e.g., University of South Carolina's Terminology Tool) offer free modules on medical prefixes and suffixes. Regular, scored practice not only reinforces definitions but builds the confidence you need to ace the acro medical prefix quiz.

Make a Quiz (FREE) Copy & Edit This Quiz Create a Quiz with AI

Human Anatomy & Medicine Quizzes

Powered by: Quiz Maker