The Latin words "labium" and "labia", meaning lip or lips, give us the word parts labi- and labi/o, referring to the fleshy folds of skin that surround the mouth and the female genital openings. In order to precisely indicate which lips are being referenced, the lips surrounding the mouth are named the labium superior (upper lip) and labium inferior (lower lip) whereas the fleshy folds of skin surrounding the female genitalia are the labia majora (the larger outer folds) and the labia minora (smaller, inner folds).
2. L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5
Answer: lumbar vertebrae (abbreviations)
Most of the bones which make up the spine are named by using a letter (which reflects the region of the spine) and a number (which reflects its position within that region). The vertebrae in the lower back, or lumbar region, are designated L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 (from top to bottom).
The word lumbar is derived from the Latin word "lumbus" meaning loin. Lumbar pain, referring to pain in the region of the lower back or loins, is quite common. It used to be called "lumbago".
3. lord-, lord/o
Answer: bent backwards, swayback
The word parts lord- and lord/o are from the Greek "lordos" meaning bent backwards. Curves are a normal part of the structure of the spine, so the spine has a natural lordotic curve. In the condition of lordosis, there is excessive inward curvature of the spine, also known as "swayback".
4. leuc-, leuc/o, or, leuk-, leuk/o
Answer: white
These words parts are derived from the Greek "leukos" meaning white. Leukos also means bright, clear, and brilliant. Because of the difference between English and American spelling, sometimes the derived medical terms may be spelled with a "c" or a "k", such as leucocyte and leukocyte (white blood cell).
In other cases, only one spelling is used, typically with a "k", such as leukaemia (a blood cancer involving white blood cells).
5. lex- lex/i
Answer: read, word
Lex- and lex/i are word parts derived from the Greek "lexis" meaning word or speech. Typically, medical words based on these word parts relate to ability to read words. Some examples of usage include alexia (inability to read), dyslexia and dyslexic (difficulty with reading).
Some non-medical examples include lexicon (a dictionary or word-book) and lexicographer (a writer or compiler of a dictionary).
6. lip-, lip/o
Answer: fat
The Greek word "lipos", meaning fat, gives us the word parts lip- and lip/o. Some examples of usage include lipids (fatty substances insoluble in water), liposuction (procedure to remove unwanted fat), and lipoma (benign tumour composed of fat).
7. lith-, -lith, lith/o
Answer: stone
These words parts are derived from the Greek word "lithos" meaning stone. A nephrolith is a kidney stone (nephr/o = kidney); a gallstone is a cholelith (chol/e = gall). If you have kidney stones or gallstones, the medical conditions are called nephrolithiasis and cholelithiasis respectively.
The metallic element lithium is so-called because it was originally discovered in minerals. Lithotripsy is a surgical procedure whereby stones are shattered by ultrasonic shock waves to make them small enough to pass and thereby avoid invasive surgery.
8. -logy
Answer: study of
Although derived from the Greek "logia", meaning to speak, the suffix -logy usually means "study of". Occasionally it means "to speak of", as in the word eulogy (a speech at a funeral where one speaks well of the deceased). Most of the areas of medicine end in this suffix and the word part in front of suffix -logy indicates what is studied or spoken of, e.g. cardiology (heart), dermatology (skin), haematology (blood) and biology (life). (Please note that the suffix is -logy, NOT -ology).
9. laryng-, laryng/o
Answer: voice box
Most of us have probably suffered from laryngitis (loss of the voice due to infection or inflammation of the larynx or voice box) at some time in our lives. Medical conditions and procedures involving the larynx are indicated with the word parts laryng- and laryng/o from the Greek "larynyx" and "laryngos" meaning "upper windpipe".
10. lingu-, lingu/o
Answer: tongue
Lingu- and lingu/o mean tongue, referring to the actual organ, as well as speech and language. They are derived from the Latin "lingua", with the same meanings. Lingual means pertaining to the tongue. Some medications are administered sublingually (i.e. under the tongue). People are sometimes described as being bilingual.
This does not mean they have two tongues - it means they can speak two languages. Similarly, if a person is multilingual, they speak many languages. The word language is also derived from the Greek "lingua".
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