The Faculty of Medicine – 1st year

Homework 7 - The Respiratory System - Vocabulary practice II

1.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –a → -ae (aorta → aortae)
1. axilla __________ 11. lamina __________
2. bursa __________ 12. lingua __________
3. cannula __________ 13. macula __________
4. cauda __________ 14. medulla __________
5. cochlea __________ 15. patella __________
6. corona __________ 16. pleura __________
7. coxa __________ 17. sequela __________
8. fascia __________ 18. trachea __________
9. fibula __________ 19. ulna __________
10. lacuna __________ 20. vertebra __________

2.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –um → -a (acetabulum →
acetabula)
1. bacterium __________ 11. ilium __________
2. cecum __________ 12. labium __________
3. centrum __________ 13. medium __________
4. cerebrum __________ 14. ovum __________
5. cilium __________ 15. periodontium __________
6. corium __________ 16. residuum __________
7. cranium __________ 17. sacrum __________
8. duodenum __________ 18. septum __________
9. endocardium __________ 19. serum __________
10. hilum __________ 20. sputum __________

3.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –is → -es (apophysis →
apophyses)
1. anastomosis __________ 11. prophylaxis __________
2. crisis __________ 12. pubis __________
3. diagnosis __________ 13. sclerosis __________
4. ecchymosis __________ 14. sepsis __________
5. epiphysis __________ 15. stenosis __________
6. epistaxis __________ 16. syllabus __________
7. metastasis __________ 17. symphysis __________
8. neurosis __________ 18. synthesis __________
9. paralysis __________ 19. testis __________
10. pelvis __________ 20. thesis __________

4.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –is/-itis → -ides (iris →
irides, arthritis → arthritides)
1. bursitis __________ 6. hepatitis __________
2. dermatitis __________ 7. meningitis __________
3. encephalitis __________ 8. nephritis __________
4. epididymis __________ 9. otitis __________
5. glottis __________ 10. pharyngitis __________
5.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –us → -i (alveolus →
alveoli)
1. bacillus __________ 10. malleus __________
11. bronchus __________ 12. metacarpus __________
2. calcaneus __________ 13. musculus __________
3. coccus __________ 14. nervus __________
4. cubitus __________ 15. nucleus __________
5. esophagus __________ 16. oculus __________
6. fungus __________ 17. radius __________
7. humerus __________ 18. sulcus __________
8. lobus __________ 19. thrombus __________
9. malleollus __________ 20. uterus __________

6.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –us → -ora/-era (corpus →
corpora)
1. crus __________ 4. pectus __________
2. genus __________ 5. ulcus __________
3. latus __________ 6. viscus __________

7.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –ex/-ix → -ices (apex →
apices)
1. appendix __________ 6. matrix __________
2. cervix __________ 7. pollex __________
3. cicatrix __________ 8. radix __________
4. cortex __________ 9. thorax __________
5. index __________ 10. varix __________

8.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –on → -a (criterion →
criteria)
1. ganglion __________ 4. protozoon __________
2. mitochondrion __________ 5. spermatozoon __________
3. phenomenon __________

9.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –nx → -ges (coccyx →
coccyges)
1. larynx __________ 4. pharynx __________
2. meninx __________ 5. salpinx __________
3. phalanx __________

10.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –ma → -mata (carcinoma
→ carcinomata)
1. edema __________ 5. sarcoma __________
2. emphysema __________ 6. scotoma __________
3. enema __________ 7. stoma __________
4. melanoma __________ 8. trauma __________

11.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –en → -ina (foramen →
foramina)
1. limen __________ 3. semen __________
2. lumen __________ 4. stamen __________
12.Write the plural forms of the following nouns, according to the rule –us → -us/ -is → -is
(apparatus → apparatus/ facies → facies)
1. ductus __________ 4. series __________
2. hiatus __________ 5. sinus __________
3. meatus __________ 6. species __________

Irregular plurals dens → dentes (tooth) os → ora (mouth)

femur → femora (femur) os → ossa (bone)
pancreas → pancreata (pancreas) pons → pontes (pons)
paries → parietes (wall) pulmo → pulmones (lung)
pars → partes (part) ren → renes (kidney)
pes → pedes (foot) rete → retia (network)
vas → vasa (vessel)

Under the influence of the common English plural, certain medical terms have two forms:
one that follows the abovementioned rules and another which follows the general rule of adding –
s. Examples of this kind are: algae / algas, criterion / criterions, foramen / foramens, fungi /
funguses, larvae / larvas, matrices / matrixes, nuclei / nucleuses, radii / radiuses, sarcomata /
sarcomas, thoraces / thoraxes, vertebrae / vertebras. But in the medical terminology, the Latin
and Greek plurals are preferred and are considered appropriate to the formal, scientific or
technical writing/speaking, while the English plural is better suited to everyday language.