Programmed review 3.13: -rrhage and -rrhagia, to burst forth usually blood; -rrhea, discharge.
For the following exercises select the correct answer reading the self-instruction before.
1. -rrhage and -rrhagia are suffixes meaning to burst forth, usually blood. In hemorrhage, the burst
forth is specifically of blood.
2. Menorrhagia indicates an excessive burst forth of blood at the time of the month during female
menstruation (heavy period).
3. Men/o is a combining form referring to menstruation and metr/o is a combining form referring
to the uterus. Combined with -rrhagia, it forms the term for bleeding from the uterus at any time
other than menstruation (bleeding from the uterus between periods): menometrorrhagia.
4. The Greek rhoia, meaning flow, is the origin of -rrhea, the symptomatic suffix used to describe a
discharge.
5. Recall that there are two combining forms meaning nose: nas/o and rhin/o. Using the second
combining form, a runny discharge from the nose is called: rhinorrhea.
6. Menorrhea describes menstrual discharge (menstruation). The addition of the prefix a-, meaning
without, forms the term for the absence of menstrual discharge (a sign of pregnancy):
amenorrhea.
7. Using the prefix dys-, the term for painful discharge is dysrrhea.
8. Ot/o means ear. The discharge of purulent (infectious) matter from the ear as a result of infection
is simply termed otorrhea.
9. With the prefix dia-, meaning across or through, and the suffix -rrhea, the term describing
frequent loose or liquid stool is diarrhea.
