Dr. Walid Daoud A. Professor Medical Terminology Dr. Walid Daoud A. Professor

Introduction Medical Terminology is the study of words that relate to body systems, anatomical structures, medical processes and procedures, and a variety of diseases that afflict human organism.

Word Root (WR) It is the basic stem word, usually derived from Greek or Latin language. WR is the building blocks for many Prefixes, Suffixes, Anatomical Words, Medical procedures. Word Root (WR) Greek Word cardi oste nephr gastr erythr Kardia (heart) osteon (bone) nephros (kidney) gastros (stomach) erythros (red)

Combining Form (CF) It is a WR to which a final vowel (usually “O”) is added (CF = WR / O). Meaning CF WR heart cell bone kidney stomach red cardi / o cyt / o oste / o nephr / o gastr / o erythr / o cardi cyt oste nephr gastr erythr

Building Compound Words The vowel performs a connecting function. If second WR begins with a consonant: leuk / o cyt / o = white erythr / o cyt / o = red If the second WR begins with a vowel, the “O” is sometimes retained: gastr / o / enter / o = stomach and intestine In others, a combining vowel is not added: hem / angio = blood vessel

Suffixes A suffix is a word element placed at the end of a word or stem to form a new word. Suffixes beginning with vowels: WR + Suffix = Medical Word gastr + itis (inflammation) = gastritis gastr + algia (pain) = gastralgia gastr + ectomy (excision) = gastrectomy

Suffixes Combining Form + Suffix = Medical Word WR + O Suffixes beginning with consonants: Combining Form + Suffix = Medical Word WR + O col + O + tomy (incision) = colotomy col + O + scopy (examination) = coloscopy col + O + rrhaphy (suture) = colorrhaphy

Summary of Rules Build medical words by the following rules: RULE 1. Add suffixes that begin with an initial vowel directly to the word root. RULE 2. Add a connecting vowel “O” to the word root when the suffix begins with a consonant.

Surgical Procedure Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix append/ectomy appendix arthr/o/centesis joint col/o/stomy colon phleb/o/tomy vein excision puncture mouth, forming an opening incision to cut into -ectomy -o/centesis -o/stomy -o/tomy

Surgical Procedures Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix arthr/o/desis joint neur/o/rrhaphy gastr/o/pexy stomach rhin/o/plasty nose binding, stabilization suture fixation, suspension formation, plastic repair -desis -o/rrhaphy -o/pexy -o/plasty

Surgical Procedure Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix oste/o/clasis bone enter/o/lysis small intestine lith/o/tripsy stone to break down, refracture loosen, free from adhesions, destruction to crush -o/clasis -o/lysis -o/tripsy

Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix cephal/algia head cephal/o/dynia hepato/cele liver bronchi/ectasis bronchus carcin/o/gen cancer pain hernia, swelling dilatation beginning, origin -algia -o/dynia -o/cele -ectasis -o/gen

Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix chole/lith/iasis gall stone gastr/itis stomach bio/logy life oste/o/malacia bone hepat/o/megaly liver condition, formation of Inflammation study of softening enlargement -iasis -itis -o/logy -o/malacia -o/megaly

Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix lip/oid lipid aden/oma gland dermat/osis skin nephr/o/pathy kidney leuk/o/penia white (cell) resemble tumor abnormal condition disease decrease, deficiency -oid -oma -osis -o/pathy -o/penia

Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix dys/phagia difficult a/phasia without hemi/plegia half acro/phobia extremities hyster/o/ptosis uterus eating speech paralysis fear prolapse, falling -phagia -phasia -plegia -phobia -o/ptosis

Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes Example Meaning Suffix hem/o/rrhage blood men/o/rrhea menses angi/o/rrhexis blood vessel arteri/o/sclerosis artery ot/o/scopy ear hemorrhage discharge, flow rupture hardening examination -o/rrhage -o/rrhea -o/rrhexis -o/sclerosis -o/scopy

General Review-Suffixes For building a medical term The CF is used when a suffix begins with a consonant: gastr/o/pexy leuk/o/cyte nephr/o/pexy oste/o/cyte The WR is directly joined to the suffix when the suffix begins with a vowel: gastr/algia dermat/osis nephr/oma mast/ectomy

Suffixes: Adjective Endings Example Adjective Ending cardi/ac (heart) neur/al (nerve) saliv/ary (saliva) hypo/derm/ic (under skin) med/ical (medicine) sub/cutane/ous (under skin) paraly/tic (paralysis) -ac -al -ary -ic -ical -ous -tic

Suffixes: Noun Endings Example Meaning Noun Ending Hemo/o/phil/iac (Blood love) Pneumon/ia Cut/is (skin) Alcohol/ism Uro/log/ist Myo/path/y (muscle disease) Indicates person afflicted with disease Forms noun from root Abnormal condition One who specializes Condition or process -iac -ia -is -ism -ist -y

Plural Endings Plural Singular Plural Form pleurae thoraces lumina appendices diagnoses ganglia bacteria digiti deformities carcinomata pleura thorax lumen appendix diagnosis ganglion bacterium digitus deformity carcinoma ae aces ina ices ses a i ies mata ax en ix sis on um us y ma