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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Which Combining Form Means Muscle? A Quick Medical Terminology Quiz

Quick, free quiz on the combining form for muscle. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Graham RowleyUpdated Aug 23, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Coral paper art quiz on muscular system roots combining forms shows muscle tendon fascia icons and quiz title text

This quiz helps you learn which combining form means muscle and related parts like tendon and fascia. Build simple terms and check your answers with instant feedback, so you can spot gaps before a test. For more practice, try the muscle anatomy quiz, the muscle tissue quiz, and the musculoskeletal terms quiz.

Which combining form means muscle?
my/o
cardi/o
oste/o
hepat/o
The combining form my/o is derived from the Greek word for muscle and is used extensively in medical terms describing muscle structure and function. Oste/o refers to bone, cardi/o refers to the heart, and hepat/o indicates the liver. My/o appears in terms like myopathy and myalgia to denote muscle involvement.
Which combining form refers specifically to tendon?
tendin/o
my/o
fasci/o
neur/o
The combining form tendin/o means tendon and appears in terms such as tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon). Fasci/o refers to fascia, my/o to muscle, and neur/o to nerves. Using tendin/o allows precise reference to tendon tissue in medical terminology.
Which combining form refers to fascia?
osse/o
my/o
angi/o
fasci/o
Fasci/o is the combining form for fascia, the connective tissue covering muscles and internal organs. My/o denotes muscle, osse/o refers to bone, and angi/o indicates vessels. Fasci/o is used in terms like fasciitis and fasciectomy.
Which combining form means smooth muscle?
leiomy/o
rhabdomy/o
cardi/o
sarco/o
The combining form leiomy/o refers to smooth muscle, which lines internal organs and blood vessels. Rhabdomy/o indicates striated muscle, sarc/o means flesh, and cardi/o means heart. Leiomy/o is seen in terms like leiomyoma (benign smooth muscle tumor).
Which combining form refers to striated or skeletal muscle?
my/o
sarc/o
rhabdomy/o
leiomy/o
Rhabdomy/o is the combining form for striated (skeletal) muscle, often used in terms describing muscle tumors like rhabdomyoma. Leiomy/o refers to smooth muscle, my/o is a general muscle root, and sarc/o means flesh. Rhabdomy/o highlights the striped appearance of skeletal muscle.
In the term myalgia, what does the combining form my/o mean?
joint
nerve
pain
muscle
In myalgia, the combining form my/o means muscle, and the suffix -algia means pain. Therefore, myalgia denotes muscle pain. The form algia indicates pain, arthr/o would refer to joint, and neur/o refers to nerve.
In the term tenoplasty, which combining form indicates tendon?
ten/o
fibr/o
derm/o
oste/o
The combining form ten/o refers to tendon, making tenoplasty a surgical repair of a tendon. Fibr/o refers to fiber, derm/o to skin, and oste/o to bone. Ten/o is commonly seen in terms like tenodynia (tendon pain) and tenorrhaphy (suture of a tendon).
In fasciotomy, which combining form refers to fascia?
arteri/o
neur/o
my/o
fasci/o
Fasci/o is the combining form for fascia, so fasciotomy is the surgical incision of fascia to relieve tension or pressure. My/o means muscle, neur/o means nerve, and arteri/o refers to arteries. This procedure often treats compartment syndrome.
In rhabdomyoma, what does rhabdomy/o refer to?
smooth muscle
bone
striated muscle
nerve
Rhabdomy/o is the combining form for striated (skeletal) muscle, and -oma indicates a tumor. Thus, rhabdomyoma is a benign tumor of striated muscle. Leiomy/o would indicate smooth muscle, oste/o bone, and neur/o nerve.
In sarcopenia, which combining form denotes flesh or muscle?
my/o
oste/o
lip/o
sarc/o
Sarc/o is derived from the Greek word for flesh and is commonly used to refer to muscle tissue in medical terms, such as sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass). Lip/o refers to fat, oste/o to bone, and my/o is a more general muscle root. Sarc/o emphasizes the fleshy aspect of muscle.
In the term myofibril, what does the combining form fibr/o represent?
fiber
muscle
tendon
fascia
In myofibril, my/o means muscle and fibr/o means fiber, referring to the contractile fibers within muscle cells. Myofibrils are composed of actin and myosin filaments that slide to produce muscle contraction. The term fibr/o appears in fibrosis (formation of fiber) and fibrin (a fibrous protein involved in clotting).
Which combining form refers to a muscle cell?
sarc/o
my/o
myocyt/o
myel/o
The combining form myocyt/o literally means muscle cell (myo- muscle, cyt/o cell). It is used in terms such as myocardial cells that constitute heart muscle. My/o is a general muscle root, sarc/o means flesh, and myel/o refers to bone marrow or spinal cord.
What combining form is used to indicate tendon in tendinopathy?
tendin/o
fasci/o
my/o
ten/o
Tendin/o is the combining form for tendon, and -pathy denotes disease, making tendinopathy a tendon disorder. While ten/o also refers to tendon, tendin/o is conventionally paired with -pathy. Fasci/o refers to fascia, and my/o to muscle.
Which combining form indicates muscle in intramuscular?
fasci/o
my/o
muscul/o
sarc/o
Muscul/o is the combining form used in words like intramuscular, meaning within the muscle. My/o is also a muscle root but muscul/o is preferred in certain constructions. Sarc/o means flesh, and fasci/o refers to fascia.
In fasciorrhaphy, which combining form indicates fascia?
arthr/o
tendin/o
my/o
fasci/o
Fasci/o refers to fascia and -rrhaphy means suture, making fasciorrhaphy the surgical repair of fascia. My/o is muscle, tendin/o is tendon, and arthr/o is joint.
In tenomyoplasty, which combining form represents muscle?
ten/o
arthr/o
my/o
fasci/o
My/o is the combining form for muscle, and ten/o is for tendon, making tenomyoplasty a surgical repair involving both tendon and muscle. Fasci/o refers to fascia and arthr/o to joints.
In tenosynovitis, which combining form refers to the synovial sheath?
fasci/o
burs/o
synov/o
ten/o
Synov/o is the combining form for the synovial membrane or sheath, while ten/o refers to tendon. Burs/o refers to bursa and fasci/o to fascia. Tenosynovitis is inflammation of a tendon sheath.
In the term myoneural junction, what does neur/o refer to?
tendon
fascia
nerve
muscle
Neur/o is the combining form for nerve, and my/o means muscle, making the myoneural junction the synapse between a nerve and muscle fiber. Fasci/o refers to fascia and tend/o to tendon.
Which combining form refers to aponeurosis?
sarc/o
ten/o
fasci/o
aponeur/o
Aponeur/o is the combining form for aponeurosis, a broad, flat tendon that connects muscles to the parts they move. Sarc/o means flesh, ten/o refers to tendon, and fasci/o to fascia. Aponeuroses are found in the abdomen, hand, and other regions.
In endomysium, what does the prefix endo- mean?
inside
around
upon
between
Endo- is a prefix meaning inside or within. Combined with my/o (muscle) and -ium (structure), endomysium is the connective tissue layer surrounding individual muscle fibers. Peri- would mean around, epi- upon, and inter- between.
In the term musculotendinous, what does muscul/o refer to?
tendon
fascia
muscle
nerve
Muscul/o is the combining form for muscle, and tendin/o is for tendon. Musculotendinous describes the junction or relationship between muscle and tendon. Fasci/o refers to fascia and neur/o to nerve.
Which combining form indicates the striped appearance in a sarcomere?
my/o
fibr/o
sarc/o
lei/o
Sarc/o means flesh and is used in the term sarcomere, the basic contractile unit of striated muscle with a distinct banding pattern. My/o is muscle, lei/o means smooth, and fibr/o fiber. The sarcomere's bands are due to organized proteins within muscle cells.
In rhabdomyosarcoma, which combining form describes striated muscle?
rhabdomy/o
my/o
leiomy/o
sarc/o
Rhabdomy/o means striated (skeletal) muscle, and -sarcoma indicates a malignant tumor. Leiomy/o refers to smooth muscle, my/o is general muscle, and sarc/o means flesh. Rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive soft-tissue cancer of skeletal muscle origin.
Which combining form in aponeurosis refers to nerve?
ten/o
neur/o
my/o
fasci/o
Aponeur/o is the combining form for aponeurosis, derived from apo- (away) and neur/o (nerve), historically referring to nerve-like tendon sheets. Although aponeuroses are tendinous, the root neur/o reflects their fibrous, nerve-like appearance.
In tenontoplasty, what does tenont/o refer to?
cartilage
tendon
fascia
muscle
Tenont/o is a less common combining form for tendon, used in terms like tenontoplasty (surgical repair of a tendon). Ten/o and tendin/o are more frequent but tenont/o is also correct. My/o refers to muscle, fasci/o to fascia, and chondr/o to cartilage.
In sarcolemma, which part means sheath?
my/o
-lemma
plas/o
sarc/o
In sarcolemma, sarc/o means flesh (muscle) and -lemma means sheath or covering. The sarcolemma is the cell membrane surrounding a muscle fiber. My/o is another muscle root and plas/o refers to formation or growth.
In myotonia, what does the combining form ton/o represent?
weakness
tone or tension
movement
pain
Ton/o is the combining form for tone or tension, and my/o is muscle, making myotonia a condition of delayed muscle relaxation or increased tone. -ia denotes a condition. Other forms: algia indicates pain and asthen/o weakness.
In myasthenia gravis, what does asthen/o mean?
inflammation
weakness
pain
muscle
Asthen/o means weakness, and my/o means muscle, so myasthenia refers to muscle weakness. Grav is Latin for serious. -ia denotes a condition. This autoimmune disorder leads to progressive weakness of skeletal muscles.
In musculocutaneous, what does cutane/o refer to?
skin
tendon
muscle
nerve
Cutane/o is the combining form for skin, and muscul/o for muscle, so musculocutaneous refers to a nerve supplying both muscle and skin. Ana- and -ous are modifiers. This term is used for certain nerve distributions.
Which combining form is preferred before a vowel in tendon surgery terms like tenorrhaphy?
fasci/o
ten/o
my/o
tendin/o
In surgical terms before a vowel (such as -rrhaphy), ten/o is commonly used (tenorrhaphy). Tendin/o is often used before consonants. Fasci/o is for fascia and my/o for muscle. The choice eases pronunciation.
Which combining form is used in rhabdomyolysis to denote striated muscle breakdown?
my/o
sarc/o
rhabdomy/o
leiomy/o
Rhabdomy/o denotes striated (skeletal) muscle and -lysis means breakdown or destruction. Rhabdomyolysis refers to the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle, releasing myoglobin into the bloodstream. Leiomy/o refers to smooth muscle.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify key muscle combining forms -

    Recognize and recall the combining form for muscle (my/o) and its common variants used in muscular system terminology.

  2. Select appropriate tendon combining forms -

    Choose the correct combining form for tendon (ten/o or tend/o) when completing quiz questions.

  3. Differentiate fascia combining forms -

    Discern how the combining form fasci/o and the suffix -al come together to form terms pertaining to fascia.

  4. Apply suffix usage in muscular terms -

    Build accurate medical terms by correctly applying suffixes like -al to muscle and fascia roots.

  5. Reinforce muscular system vocabulary -

    Consolidate your understanding of essential combining forms for muscle, tendon, and fascia for academic or clinical use.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Combining form "my/o" means muscle -

    The combining form my/o is derived from the Greek word for muscle and appears in terms such as myalgia (muscle pain) and myopathy (muscle disease). Recognizing my/o helps decode complex medical words and is backed by sources like Gray's Anatomy for Students and the AMA's medical terminology guidelines.

  2. A combining form for tendon is ten/o (or tendin/o) -

    Ten/o and its variant tendin/o come from Latin and denote tendon, as seen in tenosynovitis (inflammation of a tendon sheath). This root appears in authoritative dictionaries like Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary and on academic sites such as the National Institutes of Health.

  3. Fasci/o [fascia] + -al [pertaining to] -

    Fasci/o refers to fascia, the connective tissue layer around muscles, and combining it with the suffix - al yields fascial, meaning "pertaining to fascia." These components are routinely taught in university anatomy courses and referenced in the Journal of Anatomy.

  4. Build and break down key terms -

    Practice constructing words like myopathy (my/o + -pathy), tendinitis (ten/o + -itis), and fasciitis (fasci/o + -itis) to reinforce how combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes interact. Breaking words into roots and endings is recommended by the University of Michigan Medical School as a core study strategy.

  5. Mnemonic tricks for muscle, tendon, and fascia -

    Use simple memory phrases like "My Old Octopus" for my/o (muscle), "Tenacious Tigers" for ten/o (tendon), and "Fascinating Feathers" for fasci/o (fascia). These playful mnemonics are endorsed by educational psychologists in the Journal of Educational Psychology for boosting recall.

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