1. Introduction: The Basics

2. Overview
Medical terminology is a specialized language used by health care practitioners. And, just like a foreign language, it has its own vocabulary and ways of stringing together words in a way that is understandable to everyone. But, unlike a foreign language, you come across medical terminology every day in magazines and newspapers with articles about new drugs, diets, new medical treatments and on television medical dramas.

3. Introduction
Many medical terms have interesting, even weird meanings or stories behind their evolution as words. I will bet you already know some medical terms! Have you heard of an esophagus, the tube that connects your throat with your stomach? Esophagus comes from Greek words meaning “that which swallows what we eat.” How about Fallopian tubes? They are named after a 16th century Italian anatomist, Gabriello Fallopio. Okay, surely you have heard of a placenta! Placenta means a “flat cake” in Greek, simply describing its shape.

4. Word Parts Medical terms have 3 parts:
The root word (usually in the middle)
The prefix (at the beginning of the word)
The suffix (at the end of the word)
Lets look at myocarditis: Seems like a big confusing word right?
Myo = muscle
Cardi = heart
itis = inflammation
Myocarditis = muscle layer of the heart is inflammed

5. Prefix Change Myocarditis = muscle layer of the heart is inflamed
Pericarditis = outer layer of the heart is inflamed
Endocarditis = inner layer of the heart is inflamed

6. Suffix Change Cardiologist = physician who specializes in the heart
Cardiomegaly = enlargement of the heart
Cardiomyopathy = disease of the heart muscle layer

7. Word Parts Root Word: the main part or foundation of the word
The root may indicate a body part or body system or colors.
Examples:
-cardia = heart
-pancrea = pancreas
-cyan = blue
-nephr = kidney

8. Common Root Words Aden = gland Derm = skin Arthr = joint
Electr = electricity
Bi = life
Encephal = brain
Bil = bile
Enter = intestines
carcin = cancerous, cancer
Erythr = red
Cardi = heart
Gastr = stomach
Cephal = head
Glyc = sugar
Crin = to secrete
Gynec = woman, female
Cyst = bladder or sac
Hemat = blood
Cyt = cell
Hepat = liver
Cyan = blue

9. Common Root Words Leuk = white Psych = mind Log = study of
Radi = x-rays
Nephr = kidney
Ren = kidney
Neur = nerve
Rhin = nose
Onc = tumor
Sarc = flesh
Ophthalm = eye
Sect = to cut
Oste = bone
Thromb = clot, clotting
Ot = ear
Ur = urinary tract, urine
Path = disease
Ped = child

10. Prefixes Prefixes: the beginning of a word
Prefixes usually, but not always, indicate:
Location
Time
Negation
Number
Status
Examples:
Epigastric
polyneuritis
Intercostal

11. Prefixes: negation Negation Examples: Anaerobic: without oxygen
a-, an- = no, not, without
im-, in- = not
Examples:
Anaerobic: without oxygen
Afebrile: without fever
Alopecia: absence of hair
Indigestion: not digesting properly

12. Prefixes: Time Time pre- = before post- = after
Examples: Postoperative, Prenatal, premenstrual, postmortem, premature

13. Prefixes: Position Examples: Epicardium, hyperextension, sublingual
ante-, pre-, pro- = before
Epi- = above
Hyper- = excessive, above, more than normal
hypo-, intra-, sub- = under, below
inter- = between
medi- = middle
post- = after, behind
retro- = behind, backward
Mal- = bad
Examples: Epicardium, hyperextension, sublingual

14. Prefixes: Measurement and numbers
micro- = small
macro- = large
hyper- = excessive
multi-, poly- = many
primi- = first
mon-, uni- = 1
bi-, di- = 2
tri- = 3
quadri- = 4
Examples: hypertension, bilateral, quadrant, quadriplegia

15. Suffixes Suffixes: word ending
Suffixes usually, but not always, indicate the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.
Examples:
gastralgia
neuritis
Changing the suffix, changes the meaning of the word.
- dent/al – “al” means pertaining to
- dent/ist – “ist” means specialist

16. Common Suffixes Meaning “pertaining to”: Meaning “abnormal condition”:
-ac
-al
-ago
-ary
-ia
-ar
-osis
-ial
-ism
-ic
-ous
-genic

17. Common suffixes: -algia = pain -opsy = process of viewing -cyte = cell
-osis = abnormal state of
-ectomy = excision, removal
-ostomy = creating an opening
-emia = blood condition
-otomy = incision into
- globin = protein
-pathy = disease
-gram = record
-plasty = surgical repair, molding
-ion = process
-phobia = irrational fear
-ist = specialist
-paresis = weakness
-itis = inflammation
-plegia = paralysis
-logy =process of study
-oma = tumor, mass

18. Other common suffixes:
-rrhea = discharge, flow
-scope = view, examine
-sclerosis = stiffening of tissue
-scopy = visually examining
-sis = state or condition
-tomy = to cut
-y = process, condition

19. Combining Forms
Combining form: a combination of the root word and a combining vowel
Examples:
Cardi(o) = heart
Pancre(a) = pancreas
Cyan(o) = blue
Nephr(o) = kidney
Therm(o) = heat

20. Word Parts Combining vowel: usually an o but can be an i or an a
Links the root word to the suffix or to another root word
The combining vowel is used:
Before suffixes that begin with a consonant
Before another root word.
Prefixes are not included in this rule.

21. Rules for Combining Forms
1. Used when the suffix begins with a consonant
Cardi + gram = cardiogram
2. NOT used when the suffix begins with a vowel
Gastr + itis = Gastritis not “gastroitis”
3. Not used with a prefix
Hyperventilation, not hyperoventilation
4. Used when combining 2 or more root words
Gastroenterology not “gastrenterology”

22. Hyperglycemia Writing Medical Terms Hyper- + glyc(o) + -emia =
Increased sugar in the blood
Hyper-
Glyc(o)
-emia
Hyper- + glyc(o) + -emia =
Hyperglycemia

23. Writing Medical Terms Pertaining to above the heart Red blood cell
Weakening of the bones
Inflammation of the brain
Tumor of the liver

24. Taking Terms Apart
To determine a word’s meaning by looking at the component pieces, you must first separate it into word parts.
Always start at the end of the word, with the suffix, and work backwards
As you separate the word parts, identify the meaning of each. Identifying the meaning of each part should give you a definition of the term.
Because some word parts have more than one meaning, it also is necessary to determine the context in which the term is being used.

25. Interpreting Difficult Terms
Gastroenteritis
Stomach
Intestines
Inflammation
Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and all or part of the intestines

26. Greek vs. Latin Roots
Greek: used for diseases, conditions, diagnosis and treatments
Latin: used for body parts, anatomical terms

27. SINGULAR VS. PLURAL -mata Singular Suffixes Plural Suffixes -on -a -ma
Examples: Spermatozoon, ganglion
Examples: Spermatozoa, ganglia
-ma
-mata
Examples: Carcinoma, lipoma
Examples: Carcinomata, lipomata
-sis
-ses
Examples: Crisis, prognosis
Examples: Crises, prognoses
-nx
Examples: Larynx, pharynx
-ges
Examples: Larynges, pharynges

28. Latin SINGULAR VS. PLURAL
Singular Suffixes
Plural Suffixes -a
-ae
Examples: Vertebra, conjunctiva
Examples: Vertebrae, conjunctivae
-us -i
Examples: Bacillus, bronchus
Examples: Bacilli, bronchi
-um
Examples: Bacteria, ilia
Examples: Bacterium, ilium
-es
Examples: Testes
-is
Examples: Testis

29. Learning Check
How do you Combine the root (nephr) , meaning “kidney,” with the suffix (-itis), meaning “inflammation,” to form a word meaning “inflammation of the kidney.”?
How do you combine the root (rhin), meaning “nose” with the suffix (-plasty) meaning “surgical repair or molding”, to form a word meaning surgery of the nose?

30. Group Activity
In groups of two, come up with at least 10 examples of words using combining words and the different suffixes
Write down the word and its meaning on a piece of paper
Put all group members names on the paper