Introduction: The Basics

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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”

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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