Final answer:
Isch/o- means 'restricted blood flow,' and it can lead to ischemia, which results in hypoxia or decreased oxygen supply to tissues. This can cause serious conditions like myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, associated with heart and brain damage, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The combining form isch/o-, as seen in the word ischemia, means 'restricted blood flow'. Ischemia refers to the condition where the blood flow (and thus oxygen) is restricted or reduced in a part of the body. This restricted blood flow can lead to various conditions such as hypoxia, which is a decreased supply of oxygen to the tissues. When vital organs like the heart or brain experience hypoxia, it can result in significant damage or cell death, potentially leading to a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or ischemic stroke, respectively. A myocardial infarction typically occurs when a coronary artery is blocked, restricting blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. Similarly, an ischemic stroke happens when a blood clot lodges in an artery, reducing blood flow to a part of the brain and causing brain cell death.