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Learning Medical Terminology

Recognizing the Stems/Prefixes/Suffixes

Prepared by E. Phufas

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It’s all Greek (or Latin) to me!

Learning and understanding the roots of most words in the

field of Health and Medicine can help you to understand

what is being discussed ORIGIN OF MEDICAL TERMS

Hippocrates was a Hippocrates was a Greek physician and

is known as the is known as the “father of medicine.”

75% of medical terms are based on terms are based

on either Greek or Latin words.

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Two basic rules for building medicalwords:

Rule 1: A stem word (the main meaning) is used before a suffix that begins with a vowel

Scler/ + Osis = Sclerosis =

(hardening) (abnormal condition)

Sclerosis

Rule 2: A combining vowel – usually an o (Sometimes ‘a,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’ ‘u,’ or ‘y.’is used to link a stem word to a suffix that begins with a consonant and to link a stem word to another stem word to form a compound word.

Colon + o + scope = colonoscope

(colon) (instrument to view)

Colon + o + scopy = the procedure

Colonoscopy

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Stem (or root) words – main stem (part) of word and can appear at the beginning (prefix) in the middle or at the end of the word (suffix)

cardi = heart gastr or ventr = stomach hepat = liver nephr or ren = kidney oste or ossi = bone thorac or steth = chest arthr = joint cyt = root for cell colp = vagina derm = skin

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Compound Words

A combining vowel is used to link a stem word to another stem word to another one for a compound word such as:

Gastr + o + enter = itis = gastroenteritis

(stomach) (intestine) (inflammation)Oste + o + arthr + itis = osteoarthritis

(bone) (joint) (inflammation)

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Suffixes pt 1

A suffix is a word ending. Changing the suffix gives medical words a new meaning.

Usually indicates a procedure, condition, disorder or disease.

Most suffixes are derived from Greek

or Latin words.

(A suffix that is well known is – ology – the study of)

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What is a SUFFIX part 2

A suffix is the word ending that follows the word stem and changes its changes its meaning.

A suffix often indicates the:procedurecondition disorderdisease

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Suffixes – terms used in surgery

Notice the connecting vowel

Enterotomy Appendectomy Gastrorrhaphy Cystoplasty Steatorrhea

Tomy – cut or incision Rhaphy- sewing Plasty – molding/repair Rhea - discharge

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Quick review of surgical terms

Nephrotomy is…

Gastroplasty is…

Colporrhaphy is…

Appendectomy is…

Incision of the kidney

Surgical operation for morbid obesity that changes the shape of the stomach

surgical repair of a defect in the vaginal wall

Removal/cutting of appendix

Source: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp

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Suffixes = word endings

Arthr/o + centesis = arthrocentesis(joint) (puncture)

Thorac/o + -tomy = thoracotomy(chest) (incision)

Gastro/o + -megaly = gastromegaly(stomach) (enlargement)

Colon/o + -scopy = colonoscopy(colon) (see/search)

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Suffix-disease/change in body/usedfor diagnoses

Hepatitis: hepa - liver; itis- inflammation ofSplenomegaly: Spleno – spleen; megaly-

largeAcrophobia: acro – edge; phobia- fear ofArtheriosclerosis: atherio-artery; sclerosis-

hardening ofCardiogram: cardio-heart; gram - record or

writeLaparoscopy: laparo-abdomen; scopy- to

look in or search

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PREFIXES

A prefix is a word element located at the beginning of a word.

Prefixes can alter the meaning of the

word. Usually indicates a number, time,position, direction,

color, or sense of negation.

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prefix means before/in front

peri - prefix means around

hemi - prefix means half

micro - prefix means small

Neo - prefix means new

a part of the word part of the word that precedes word root and changes its changes

Often indicates location, time, or number.

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Some Prefixes

Peri + cardio + logy = pericardiology

(around) (heart-pericardium) (study of)Hyper + therm + -ia = hyperthermia

(excessive) ( heat) (condition) Intra + muscul + -ar = intramuscular

(in, within) (muscle) (relating to)Macro + gloss + -ia = macroglossia

(large - enlargement) (tongue) (condition)

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Cardi ---?Do you remember what cardi

means? – it is a root that means …

-ogist – suffix that means one who

-ology – is a suffix that means the study of

----------------------------------------------- So

Cardiology is… Cardiologist is…

heart.

the study of the heart.

one who studies the heart.

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Review quiz – 10 questions

1. All medical terms can be broken down into word parts. The three word parts are the prefix, the stem (root), and the suffix. Usually, only two of these parts are present in a medical term. The word parts, then, of a medical term may include the _________, the stem, and the suffix.

prefix

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2. The part of the word which gives the basic meaning to the word is

called the ___________.

stem

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3. Dermatology is _____________________________.

The study of skin

The branch of medicine concerned with the study of the skin, diseases of the skin, and the relationship of cutaneous lesions to systemic disease

http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=23957

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4. Osteo is a stem which means bone. A person who has osteo-arthritis, for example, has inflammation of the ______ and joint.

bone

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5. Rhino and naso are stems which mean nose. A person who has rhinitis has inflammation of the __________.

nose

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6. So…rhinoplasty is

____________________________.

Surgery to reshape the nose

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002983.htm

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7. Nephritis is

Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000464.htm

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8. Laryngo is a stem meaning larynx or voice box. A laryngoscopy is an examination of the interior of the __________.

Larynx

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9. Phlebo and veno are stems which mean vein. A phlebectomy is the _____________________________

Surgical removal of veins such as varicose veins on the surface of the legs.

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10. Arterio is a stem which means artery. A person who has arteriosclerosis has ________________________.

Hardening of the arteries

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There are many sources for medical terminology on the internet. Always consult your instructor for recommended ones.

http://medlineplus.gov/

http://www.medic8.com/MedicalDictionary.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp

http://www.medicinenet.com/diseases_and_conditions/article.htm