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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Digestive System Medical Terminology Quiz

Quick, free gastrointestinal terminology quiz with instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Subashkumar C.SUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art digestive organs on golden yellow background, quiz on digestive system medical terminology

This quiz helps you check and strengthen your digestive system medical terminology, including key GI procedures and organs. For more practice, take the gastrointestinal system quiz, build word-part skills with the medical prefixes and suffixes quiz, or broaden your review with the medical terminology quiz with answers.

What is the meaning of the term 'cholecystectomy'?
Surgical removal of the colon
Surgical incision of the gallbladder
Surgical removal of the gallbladder
Inflammation of the gallbladder
The suffix 'ectomy' means surgical removal, and 'cholecyst-' refers to the gallbladder. Combining these roots, cholecystectomy denotes the surgical removal of the gallbladder. This procedure is commonly performed to treat gallstones and chronic inflammation of the gallbladder.
What organ is indicated by the prefix 'hepato-'?
Kidney
Liver
Spleen
Stomach
The prefix 'hepato-' comes from the Greek word for liver. It is used to form terms related to liver function and diseases, such as hepatitis. Understanding prefixes helps decipher medical terminology.
What does the suffix '-itis' indicate?
Study of
Removal
Surgical incision
Inflammation
The suffix '-itis' is commonly used to indicate inflammation of an organ or tissue. For example, appendicitis refers to inflammation of the appendix. Recognizing this suffix can help identify conditions involving inflammation.
What does the term 'gastroscopy' mean?
Surgical removal of the stomach
Incision into the stomach
Visual examination of the stomach
Inflammation of the stomach
The prefix 'gastro-' refers to the stomach, and '-scopy' means to visually examine using an instrument. Gastroscopy is an endoscopic procedure to view the inner lining of the stomach. It helps diagnose ulcers, gastritis, and tumors.
What is a jejunostomy?
An opening created into the ileum
An opening created into the jejunum
An opening created into the duodenum
An opening created into the colon
The term 'jejunostomy' is derived from 'jejunum' (the second part of the small intestine) and '-stomy' (surgical creation of an opening). It involves creating an external opening for the jejunum to allow feeding or drainage. This procedure is used when gastric feeding is not possible.
What does 'enteropathy' refer to?
Surgical removal of the intestine
Study of the stomach
Disease of the intestine
Inflammation of the liver
The prefix 'entero-' refers to the intestine and '-pathy' indicates disease. Therefore, enteropathy is any disease affecting the intestine. It includes conditions like celiac disease and tropical sprue.
A proctologist specializes in which part of the digestive tract?
Liver
Rectum and anus
Stomach
Esophagus
A proctologist is a specialist in diseases of the rectum and anus. 'Procto-' refers to the rectum/anus, and '-logist' means specialist. These doctors diagnose conditions like hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
What condition is described by 'pancreatolithiasis'?
Formation or presence of stones in the pancreas
Fatty stools
Inflammation of the pancreas
Formation of stones in the gallbladder
The term 'pancreatolithiasis' combines 'pancreato-' (pancreas) with 'lithiasis' (formation of stones). It describes stones developing within the pancreatic ducts or tissue. This rare condition can lead to pain and pancreatitis.
What does 'pyloromyotomy' involve?
Dilation of the pylorus
Removal of the pylorus
Surgical incision of the pyloric muscle
Suture of the pyloric sphincter
A pyloromyotomy combines 'pyloro-' (pylorus) and '-myotomy' (cutting of muscle). It involves surgically splitting the pyloric muscle to relieve hypertrophy, commonly performed for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. This procedure allows food to pass from the stomach to the duodenum more easily.
What condition is defined by the term 'steatorrhea'?
Excess mucus in the feces
Watery feces
Blood in the feces
Excess fat in the feces
Steatorrhea is derived from 'steato-' (fat) and '-rrhea' (flow or discharge). It refers to bulky, foul-smelling stools with a high fat content. This symptom often indicates malabsorption disorders such as pancreatic insufficiency.
What does 'hepatosplenomegaly' mean?
Enlargement of the spleen only
Enlargement of the kidneys
Enlargement of both the liver and spleen
Enlargement of the liver only
The term combines 'hepato-' (liver), 'spleno-' (spleen), and '-megaly' (enlargement). Hepatosplenomegaly describes the simultaneous enlargement of these two organs. It can be a sign of systemic diseases like infections or hematological disorders.
What does 'sialolithiasis' refer to?
Formation of stones in the appendix
Formation of stones in the salivary glands
Formation of stones in the kidneys
Formation of stones in the gallbladder
Sialolithiasis is from 'sialo-' (saliva or salivary gland) and '-lithiasis' (stone formation). It describes the development of calcified stones within the salivary ducts or glands. Symptoms may include painful swelling during meals.
The surgical procedure 'choledochojejunostomy' refers to what?
Connection between the duodenum and the jejunum
Creating a surgical connection between the common bile duct and the jejunum
Removal of the common bile duct
Connection between the gallbladder and the jejunum
A choledochojejunostomy combines 'choledocho-' (common bile duct) and '-jejunostomy' (surgical opening into the jejunum). The procedure establishes a direct anastomosis to bypass obstructions in the bile duct. It is performed to relieve obstructive jaundice or chronic cholangitis.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Key Digestive System Terms -

    Recognize and recall essential medical terminology of the digestive system, including common gastrointestinal suffixes and prefixes used in clinical contexts.

  2. Define Peristalsis Mechanism -

    Explain the concept of the muscular wave-like movement to transport food through the digestive system, often referred to as peristalsis, and its role in digestion.

  3. Differentiate Diagnostic Tests -

    Distinguish among various diagnostic procedures and determine which test would demonstrate choledocholithiasis, enhancing your understanding of imaging and laboratory evaluations.

  4. Apply Digestion Medical Terminology -

    Use digestion medical terminology accurately in case scenarios and quiz questions to reinforce proper clinical communication and reporting.

  5. Assess Terminology Proficiency -

    Evaluate your mastery of medical terminology of the digestive system through scored quiz feedback, identifying areas for further study or review.

Cheat Sheet

  1. GI Suffix Mastery -

    In medical terminology of digestive system, common suffixes include -itis (inflammation), -ectomy (surgical removal), -osis (abnormal condition), and -scopy (visual examination). Use the mnemonic "I Eat Oranges Swiftly" to recall Inflammation, Excision, Obstruction, Scope. Recognizing these endings accelerates learning of new terms and helps decode clinical diagnoses.

  2. Peristalsis Explained -

    Peristalsis refers to the muscular wave-like movement that transports food through the digestive tract - peristalsis combines "peri-" (around) with "-stalsis" (contraction). In digestion medical terminology, understanding this term clarifies how the esophagus clears a bolus into the stomach. Remember: "push and squeeze" is the simple way to recall peristaltic action.

  3. Choledocholithiasis Testing -

    To determine which test would demonstrate choledocholithiasis, clinicians often prefer MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) for noninvasive bile-duct imaging, while ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) offers both diagnosis and stone removal. Abdominal ultrasound can serve as a first-line screen but may miss small duct stones. Knowing these protocols ensures accurate interpretation of imaging requests in clinical practice.

  4. Key Digestive Roots -

    Root words like gastro- (stomach), entero- (intestine), hepato- (liver), chol(e)- (bile), and pancreato- (pancreas) form the basis of digestive system terminology. Pair each root with appropriate suffixes to construct terms such as gastrectomy or enteritis. Flashcards that mix roots and suffixes enhance retention of complex medical vocabulary.

  5. Enzyme Nomenclature -

    Most digestive enzymes end in ‑ase, indicating their catalytic role - examples include amylase (carbohydrate digestion), lipase (fat breakdown), and pepsinogen (activated to pepsin for protein digestion). Linking the ‑ase suffix to "always starts as an enzyme" helps cement this naming rule. Reviewing enzyme functions alongside their names deepens comprehension of digestive physiology.

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