1. Medical Terminology
Basic Word Structure

2. Basic Word Structure Objectives:
To divide medical terms into component parts
To analyze, pronounce, and spell medical terms using common combining forms, suffixes and prefixes.

3. Test Questions
Anything found in your book AND on the slide show are FAIR GAME for test questions.

4. Word Analysis Medical words are used everyday in a medical setting
If you work in a medical setting
If you are a patient in a hospital
If you are in a doctor’s office
Speaking with family members about conditions they might have

5. Understanding
You can understand a word even if you have never heard it before!
Complicated words can be broken down into parts and the meaning deduced from the parts.
To deduce means: to arrive at a conclusion or fact by reasoning; to draw a logical conclusion

6. The 3 “Rs” The best way to learn this material: wRite Repeat Review
Write out the words/meanings
Color-Code if possible
Repeat
Do it again
Review
Flashcards, writing, saying, etc.
Colors used here:
Prefix (blue)
Root (Purple)
Combining Vowel (green)
Suffix (red)
Important words (brown)

7. When studying flashcards
Start with a few (3-6).
Pick 1-2 that are hard, 1-2 that are easy
Repeat them till memorized.
Add a few more (2-3) unknown ones.
Mix with original pile, repeat till memorized.
Repeat adding a few at a time till they are all memorized.
**We will be doing flashcards daily!**

8. Example 1 – How to break down a word
Hematology
Root
Combining Vowel
Suffix
Not shown: Prefix (Would go before root in example1)

9. How to analyze a word Begin at the END of the word
Suffix
Next look at the BEGINNING of the word
Word root (or sometimes prefix)
Next look at the combining vowel
This will help you to break the word up into its parts – “O” is the most common combining vowel.

10. Hematology Example 1(cont.) What does it mean? Root (blood)
Combining Vowel
Suffix (study of)
Answer: The Study of Blood

11. Example 2 Electrocardiogram What does it mean? Root (electricity)
Root (heart)
Combining Vowels
Suffix (record)
Answer: Record of the Electricity in the Heart

12. Combining Form Combining vowel and root word together Examples:
Electr/o: Electricity
Cardi/o: Heart
Gastr/o: Stomach
Enter/o: Intestines

13. Gastroenterology Example 3 What does it mean? Root (stomach)
Root (intestines)
Combining Vowels
Suffix (Study of)
Answer: The Study of the Stomach and the Intestines

14. Common Suffixes -scope -ic -ac -itis
Instrument used to visually examine
-ic
Pertaining to
-ac
-itis
Inflammation

15. Prefixes Found at the beginning of a word and can change a meaning.
Examples:
Sub-
below
Trans-
across
Retro-
Behind

16. Important Rules
Read a medical word starting at the suffix, then going to the prefix (if present), and then root word(s)from left to right.
If a suffix begins with a vowel, drop the combining vowel.
If two root words are combined, keep the combining vowel even if the second root word begins with a vowel.

17. Gastroscope Example 4 What does it mean? Root (stomach)
Combining Vowel
Suffix (instrument used to visually examine)
Answer: Instrument used to visually examine the stomach

18. Gastric Example 5 What does it mean? Root (stomach)
Suffix (pertaining to)
Answer: Pertaining to the stomach
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-ic” begins with a vowel

19. Cardiac Example 6 What does it mean? Root (heart)
Suffix (pertaining to)
Answer: Pertaining to the heart
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-ac” begins with a vowel

20. Enteritis Example 7 What does it mean? Root (intestines)
Suffix (inflammation)
Answer: inflammation of the intestines
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-itis” begins with a vowel

21. Gastroenteritis Example 8 What does it mean? Root (stomach)
Root (intestines)
Suffix (inflammation)
Combining Vowel
Answer: The Study of the Stomach and the Intestines
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-itis” begins with a vowel

22. Assignment: In Notebooks: Put today’s date
Title: Combining forms: Workbook pages 5-14
Write the medical term and meaning for each item found. Number each item (there are 39 of them)

23. Answers Be prepared to share your answers to workbook pages 5-14.
Learning to pronounce the words is part of this class!

24. What happens in a stroke?
Blood flow is slowed or stopped to an area of the brain.
The following may occur:
Aphasia (loss of speech)
Paralysis (loss of movement)
Weakness
Changes in the 5 senses.

25. Two types of Stroke:

26. What is the prostate gland?
Gland in males only
Sits below the bladder (where urine is stored)
Secretes fluid that combines with sperm to form semen (fluid that leaves the urethra during ejaculation)

27. Blood Cells - Erythrocytes
Red Blood Cells
Carry Oxygen

28. Blood Cells - Leukocytes
Help to fight disease
Also known as White Blood Cells
Five different types:
Eosinophil
Basophil
Neutrophil
Lymphocyte
Monocyte

29. Blood Cells - Thrombocytes
Platelets
Help the blood to clot

30. All the Blood Parts: (sizes)

31. Plural words (Part 1)
If a word ends in “a”, keep the “a” and add an “e”.
Vertebra (backbone)
Plural: vertebrae
Bursa (sack of fluid near a joint)
Plural: bursae
If a word ends in “is”, drop the “is” and add “es”
Diagnosis (nature and cause of disease)
Plural: diagnoses
Psychosis (abnormal condition of the mind)
Plural: psychoses

32. Plural words (Part 2)
If a word ends in “ex” or “ix”, drop the “ex” or “ix” and add an “ices”.
Cortex (Outer parts of organs)
Plural: cortices
Varix (enlarged, swollen vein)
Plural: varices
If a word ends in “on”, drop the “on” and add “a”
ganglion (groups of nerve cells or benign cysts near a joint)
Plural: ganglia

33. Plural words (Part 3)
If a word ends in “um”, drop the “um” and add an “a”.
Bacterium (Type of one-celled organism)
Plural: bacteria
Ovum (egg cell)
Plural: Ova
If a word ends in “us”, drop the “us” and add “i”
Bronchus (tubes leading from the windpipe to the lungs)
Plural: bronchi
Calculus (stones)
Plural: Calculi

34. Plural words (Part 4) Exceptions to the rules:
Virus (small infectious agent that can replicate inside other living cells)
Plural: Viruses
Sinus (cavity within the bone or other tissue)
Plural: Sinuses

35. Assignment: Worksheet: Flashcards: “Plurals and Basics”
Complete and turn in
Flashcards:
Study

36. What is a hematoma? Blood trapped in the skin or under an organ
Left: Subungual hematoma
Bottom left: Hickie

37. Medical Examiner
Versus a Coroner

38. Medical Examiner versus a Coroner
Autopsy: Process of viewing self (viewing the cause of a patient’s death)
Biopsy: Process of viewing life (viewing of live tissue under a microscope)
Pathologist: Medical doctor who does autopsies and views biopsies
Medical Examiner (M.E.): is a pathologist who specializes in forensic medicine related to crimes.
Coroner: Elected official who investigates any suspicious death (may or may not be a Medical Examiner)

39. Medical terms using “-logy” - 1
Cardiology
Study of the heart
Dermatology
Study of the skin
Endocrinology
Study of the endocrine glands
Gastroenterology
Study of the stomach and intestines
Gynecology
Study of women and women’s diseases
Rheumatology
Study of joint diseases

40. Medical terms using “-logy” - 2
Hematology
Study of the blood
Neurology
Study of the nerves, brain and spinal cord
Oncology
Study of tumors (cancerous or malignant)
Opthalmology
Study of the eye
Pathology
Study of disease
Psychology
Study of the mind and mental disorders

41. Assignment: In Notebooks: Put today’s date
Title: Suffixes and Prefixes: Workbook pages 15-20
Write the medical term and meaning for each item found. Number each item (there are 40 of them)

42. Answers Be prepared to share your answers to workbook pages 15-20.
Learning to pronounce the words is part of this class!

43. Graves Disease
Hyperthryoidism: condition of excessive thyroid (hormone)

44. Laparoscopy
Lapar/o: abdomen
-scopy: process of visual examination

45. Arthroscopy
Arthr/o: joint
-scopy: visual examination

46. Hyperglycemia Condition of having excessive glucose (sugar)
Type 1 diabetes:
Lack of insulin
Type 2 diabetes:
Insulin doesn’t work
Both results in excess sugar remaining in the blood instead of being transported into the cells so that energy can be made.

47. What is it like to live with diabetes?
Lets read Pages together.

48. Exercises: Part A – Page 23 Part B – Page 24 Part C – Page 24
Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Part A – Page 23
Write the word, using a slash to divide into component parts
Write the meaning for the whole term.
Part B – Page 24
Write out the sentence, underline the term used.
Part C – Page 24
Write the word
Write the tissue/body part it describes
Write the meaning of the word.

49. Exercises: Part D – Page 25 Part E – Page 25 Part F – Page 26
Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Part D – Page 25
Write the word
Write the meaning
Part E – Page 25
Write the suffix
Part F – Page 26
Write out the complete sentence
Underline the medical term you complete

50. Exercises: Part G – Page 26 Part H – Page 27 Part I – Page 27
Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Part G – Page 26
Write the prefix
Write the meaning
Part H – Page 27
Write the medical term
Part I – Page 27
Write out the complete medical term (underline it)

51. Exercises: Part J – Page 28-30 Part K – Page 30 Part L – Page 30-31
Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Part J – Page 28-30
Write the bold medical term
Write the meaning
Part K – Page 30
Write the medical term
Write the plural of the medical term
Part L – Page 30-31
Write the words you would circle in the vignette

52. Pronunciation Work with a partner
Practice saying the words you find on Pages 33-36
Quiz each other on their meanings
*** Bonus: Write out the words as you say them as well as their meanings ***

53. Practical Applications
Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Practical Applications
Sometimes we don’t have to know all of the information in order to figure out what a word means.
Practice this skill by writing out the procedure and the condition that it would treat from the list given.
Use the process of elimination when necessary.

54. POA versus Admitting diagnosis
POA: Present on Admission
Conditions that are noted and treated if necessary but may not cause a patient to be admitted into the hospital
Admitting diagnosis
Condition that can become life-threatening without proper treatment. This is a reason for hospital admittance.

55. Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Picture Show
Page 39-41
Write out the question and the answer for parts A, B, C, D.

56. Review Page 43-44 Write out the combining forms and their meanings
Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.
Review
Page 43-44
Write out the combining forms and their meanings
Write out the suffixes and their meanings
Write out the prefixes and their meanings

57. Terminology Checkup Take a look at the list of items on page 46
If you are not comfortable with telling the difference between the items listed, go back and study!