Introduction to Medical Terminology

Objectives

• At the completion of this chapter students should be able to:

• Briefly define roots, prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, and combining vowels

• Analyze medical terms by identifying the root, prefix, and suffix.

• Build medical terms using roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combining vowels.

Learning Medical Terms

• Learning medical terminology is like learning a foreign language.

• You learn by studying the rules of the language

• Progress to learning words• Move on to putting the words together to

form sentences• Finally develop the ability to communicate

using the language

3 Parts of a Medical Term

• Most medical terms are derived from Greek and Latin.

• Medical words are made up of three parts• Roots• Prefix• Suffix• Various combinations of these

components determine the meaning of the word

Root

• For example: the root word cycle takes on a new meaning when combined with the prefixes bi, tri, and uni.

• Bicycle, tricycle, or unicycle are vehicles with wheels that require person power to move.

• Combine the root word cycle with another root, motor, results in the word motorcycle.

• Motorcycles are vehicles with wheels that are powered by a motor or engine.

Rules for combining word parts or word elements

• Root is the foundation of a medical term• Medical terms usually have at least one

root.• Roots usually identify a part of the body or

a color and always keep the same meaning.

• Some common roots• Arthr-joint Derm/Dermat-skin• Cardi-heart Gastr-stomach

Rules for combining word parts or word elements

• All medical term roots have a combining form that is created when a root is combined with a vowel.

• The vowel is called the Combining Vowel.• Combining vowels are usually an o and occasionally an i or e.• The combining vowel is used to join word elements and helps ease

the pronunciation of medical terms.• The combining root is written with a slash followed by the combining

vowel• Arthr/o-joint• cardi/o-heart• Dermat/o-skin• Gastr/o-stomach • The combining form of a root is used when joining roots with roots

or combining roots with suffixes that begin with a consonant.

Roots That Identify Color

• Cyan/o- blue eosin/o-red

• Erythr/o-red leuk/o-white

• Melan/o-black xanth/o-yellow

Prefix

• Prefix is a word element or part that is added to the beginning of the word root.

• All medical terms do not have a prefix.• Prefixes are written with a hyphen after the

prefix.• Ante- before neo- new• Hemi- half sub- under,below• Multi- many• Prefixes are added to a word root without

additional vowels or combining forms.

Suffix

• Suffix is a word element or part that is added to the end of the word root.

• All medical terms must have a suffix to complete the terms.

• Rare cases a root can stand alone.• Suffixes are written with a hyphen preceding the

suffix.• Suffixes change the meaning of the medical

term.• Suffixes indicate whether a medical term is a

noun or adjective.

Suffixes

• Examples of adjective suffixes:

• -ac, -al, -ar, -ary = pertaining to; like

• -ic, -iac = pertaining to

• -oid = resembling

Suffixes

• Examples of Noun Suffixes:

• -ectomy – surgical removal or excision

• -itis – inflammation of

• -megaly – enlargement

• -pathy – disease

Exercise 1

• Fill in the blank:• Word parts that make up medical terms

are also called ________ ____________.• A/an ___________ is the foundation of a

medical term.• ____________ are added to the end of

words.• A/an __________ is added to the

beginning of a word.

Exercise 1

• Most medical terms have a/an _________ and a/an _____________.

• The ______________ __________ is used to join word elements and help the pronunciation of medical terms.

• A/an ___________ _________ is created when a root is combined with a vowel

• Suffixes indicate whether a medical term is a/an ____________ or a/an ___________.

Exercise 2

• Write the meaning of the listed word part• arthr/o• gastr/o• ante-• multi-• -oid• -megaly• -pathy

Combining Rules

• When combining more than one root in a medical term, the combining form of the root is usually used between the roots.

• Example

• Cardiogastric- pertaining to the heart and the stomach.

• Note that the combining form cardi/o is used to join the roots cardi and gastr

Combining Rules

• When combining a root with a suffix that begins with a consonant, the combining form of the root must be used to connect the suffix and the root.

• Example: gastromegaly – enlarged stomach. • The root gastr means stomach, and the suffix

megaly means enlarged. Using the combining form gastr/o aids in the pronunciation of this term.

Combining Rules

• When combining a root with a suffix that begins with a vowel, the combining form is not used.

• Example: gastrectomy – surgical removal of the stomach.

• Because the suffix –ectomy begins with a vowel, the root gastr is used to create the medical term. Pronunciation is much smoother.

Combining Rules

• There will always be some exceptions to these rules.

• For example; when combining word roots and one of the roots begins with a vowel, the combining form is retained.

• Example: gastroenterology – the study of the stomach and the small intestine. The root gastr means stomach and the root enter means small intestine. The combining vowel is retained is aid in pronunciation.

Pronunciation Rules

• Medical terms with 2 syllables are usually accented on the first syllable; example gastric, GASS-trik.

• Medical terms with more than 2 syllables are usually accented on the 3rd to last or next to last syllable; example gastritis, gassTRYtis, example gastromegaly, gass trohMEGahlee

Pronunciation Rules

• The vowel in the accented syllable is pronounced with the long vowel sound when the syllable ends with the vowel.

• Example- gastritis gassTRYtis• The vowel in the accented syllable is

pronounced with the short vowel when the syllable ends with a consonant.

• Example- cardiomegaly kardeeohMEGahlee; the accented syllable meg is pronounced with the short e sound.

Singular and Plural• Singular Plural Example• a ae papilla-papillae• en ina lumen-lumina• ex,ix ices apex-apices• ies ietes paries-parietes• is es diagnosis-diagnoses• is ides epididymis-epididymides • nx nges larynx-larnges• on a ganglion-ganglia• um a atrium-atria • us i bronchus-bronchi • us era vicus-viscera• us ora corpus-corpora

Medical Terminology

• Now you are ready to begin creating medical terms.

• You will be amazed at how many and how quickly you learn these terms.

• Study your word parts each night and you will be extremely successful in this class!

Analyzing Medical Terms

• To analyze a medical term first identify the word parts: root, prefix, and suffix.

• To define a medical term start with the suffix, then move on to the prefix, then the root.

• Example:• Pericardial; -al means pertaining to, peri

means surrounding, cardi means heart; Pertaining to around the heart.