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Medical Terminology Statement: The structured approach of this medical

terminology class is designed to offer definitions of word parts common to
this specialized vocabulary and insight into the construction of medical
terms.

VOCABULARY LIST FOR CHAPTER TWELVE

THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

Introduction: The Integumentary System, which makes up the outer covering of

the body, serves many important functions beyond appearance. For the
average adult, the skin occupies a surface area of approximately 3,000 square
inches. Therefore, the skin constitutes the largest organ of the body in terms of
surface area. Skin covers the entire body. The actual area and weight of one’s
skin is dependent on one’s height and weight. Skin is a tough, elastic, protective
shield that is self-regenerating. The importance of the integumentary system to
a human being is not due only to the many functions the skin performs but also to
the many diseases and injuries it suffers.

Read the textbook’s Functions of the Integumentary System.

Read the textbook’s Functions of Skin.
Read the textbook’s Functions of Related Structures.
Read Structures of the Integumentary System.

VOCABULARY LIST

(Instructions: Find the definition of each item, write it down, and memorize it for
Quiz Twelve. Go to Vocabulary List Instructions for how to use this Vocabulary
List.)

cutane/o, dermat/o, derm/o, -derma (skin)

Epi- (epidermis)

epitheli/o (epithelium)

kerat/o (keratin)

melan/o (melanin)

lip/o (lipocytes)

seb/o (sebum)

hidr/o (hidrosis)
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pil/i, pil/o (arrector pili)

ungu/o, onych/o (unguis)

acne vulgaris

sebaceous cyst

seborrhea

anhidrosis

hyperhidrosis

hirsut/o (hirsutism)

alopec/o (alopecia)

koil/o (koilonychia)

crypt/o (onychocryptosis)

-phagia (onychophagia)

albin/o (albinism)

viti/o (vitiligo)

purpur/o (purpura)

erythr/o (erythema)

lupus erythematosus

-phyma (rhinophyma)

urtic/o (urticaria)

-aria (urticaria)

xer/o (xeroderma)

gangren/o (gangrene)

granul/o (granuloma)
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papill/o (papilloma)

-opsy (biopsy)

incisional biopsy

excisional biopsy

cry/o (cryosurgery)

blephar/o (blepharoplasty)

rhytid/o (rhytidectomy)

General Quiz Tips:

Know word parts.

The spelling questions will come from the medical terms in and out of parenthesis.