BJC Patient Care Technicians (PCT) Academy Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

Medical roots tell you which organ is involved. splen/o designates the spleen. The spleen sits in the upper left abdomen and helps filter blood, recycle old red blood cells, and support the immune system. That’s why this root points to the spleen, and you’ll see it in terms like splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) or splenectomy (removal of the spleen). The brain uses a different root (cerebr/o), the liver uses hepat/o, and the kidney uses nephr/o or ren/o. A quick memory aid is that splen sounds like spleen.