Anatomy of a medical term

Many medical terms are composed of word part combinations. Recognizing these word parts and their meanings simplifies learning medical terminology. PREFIX: word part found at the beginning of a word. * number * location * time * status

Root: word part that gives the essential meaning of the word * usually a body part/organ Combining vowel: single vowel, usually an “o” that is added to the end of a root to make the word easier to produce. Combining form: combination of the root and combining vowel Suffix: word part found at the end of the word. * procedure * condition * disease * disorder

Contrasting Prefixes A: without or no An: without or no Ab: away from Ad: toward Anti: against Dys: difficult, painful, bad Eu: good, easy, normal Endo: within or inside Ex: without, out of Ecto: outside Hyper: elevated, higher or more than normal Hypo: depressed, lower or less than normal Inter: between Intra: within Poly: many or excessive Oligo: scant or little

DIRECTIONAL PREFIXES Pre: before Post: after Sub: below, under or less Super or supra: beyond or excessive DIRECTIONAL PREFIXES Prefix Meaning Epi Upper or upon Extra Outside Hyper Above , increased, or more than normal Hypo Below, under or decreased Infra Below or beneath Inter Between Intra within

Prefix Meaning Meta Beyond Per Throughout Sub Below, under or deceased Super Above, increased or more than normal Supra Above, increased, or more than normal Trans Through or across Ultra Above, increased, ore than normal

SUFFIXES “Pertaining To” ac al an ar ary eal ic ine ous tic

Surgical Suffixes Suffix Meaning -ectomy Surgical removal -pexy Suture to stabilize -plasty Surgical repair -ostomy Surgically created opening -otomy Cutting into

Procedural Suffixes Suffix Meaning -centesis Surgical puncture to remove fluid or gas -gram Record of -graph Instrument that records -graphy Procedure that records -lysis Separation or breakdown -scope Instrument to visually examine -scopy Procedure to visually examine inside the body -therapy treatment

Double R suffixes Suffix Meaning -rrhaiga or –rrhage Bursting forth -rrhaphy To suture -rrhea Flow, discharge -rrhexis rupture

Conditional and Structural Suffixes Meaning -algia and –dynia pain -itis Inflammation -malacia Abnormal sofenting -megaly Enlargment -osis Abnormal condition -pathy Disease -sclerosis Abnormal hardening -um Structure

Analyzing Medical Terms Dissect: analyze the word structurally by dividing it into its basic components Begin at the end: After dividing the word into its basic parts, define the suffix first, the prefix second and then the root. If there are two roots, divide each one and read them from left to right. Anatomical order: Where body systems are involved, the words usually are built in the order in which the organs occur in the body. The order of the word parts in a medical term may also represent the order of blood flow through organs