Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Chapter 1: Concepts of Medical Terminology

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Purpose of medical terminology. Terms: root, suffix, and prefix. Combining forms and why they are used. Languages from which most medical word parts are derived. Pronouncing words according to the pronunciation guide Some features of medical dictionaries. Chapter Objectives

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Key Terms acronymAn abbreviation formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase combining formA word root combined with a vowel to link the root with a suffix. Combining forms are shown with a slash between the root and the vowel, as in neur/o. compound wordA word that contains more than one root prefixA word part added before a root to modify its meaning rootThe fundamental unit of a word suffixA word part added to the end of a root to modify its meaning

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Concepts of Medical Terminology Special vocabulary used by health care professionals for effective and accurate communication Based on Latin and Greek words Consistent and uniform throughout the world

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word Parts Root –Fundamental unit of each medical word –Establishes basic meaning of word –Part to which prefixes and suffixes are added

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word Parts (cont’d)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word Parts (cont’d) Suffix –Short word part or parts added to the end of a word –Modifies the meaning of the root –Indicated by a dash before the suffix (-itis)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word Parts (cont’d) Prefix -Short word part added before a root -Modifies the meaning of the root -Followed by a dash (pre-)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word Parts (cont’d) Begin with “learn” –Learn + -er = one who learns –Re + learn = to learn again Greek word for heart is kardia –Forms word root cardi Latin word for lung is pulmo –Forms word root pulm

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Combining Forms

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Combining Forms (cont’d) Insert an ‘o’ before a suffix beginning with a consonant when added to a root –-logy = “study of” –Neur = “nerve or nervous system” Neur + o + logy = neurology (study of the nervous system)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Combining Forms (cont’d) Roots shown with a combining vowel are called combining forms –Vowels added after a slash –Called roots –Neur/o Combining vowel omitted if suffix begins with a vowel Neur + itis = neuritis (inflammation of a nerve)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Combining Forms (cont’d)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word Derivations Most word parts derived from Greek (G) and Latin (L) –Muscle is Latin for ‘mouse’ –Coccyx named for the cuckoo’s bill

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Words Ending in x When you add a suffix to a wording ending in x, the x is changed to a g or a c –If there is a consonant before the x, the x is changed to a g (pharynx becomes pharyngeal) –If a vowel comes before the x, the x is changed to a c (thorax becomes thoracotomy)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Suffix Beginning with rh When you add a suffix beginning with rh to a root, the r is doubled –Hem/o (blood) + -rhage (bursting forth) = hemorrhage (a bursting forth of blood)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pronunciation Use phonetic pronunciations provided Repeat words aloud Pronunciations may change when parts are combined

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pronunciation (cont’d) Vowels with no pronunciation marks get short pronunciation –‘a’ as in hat Short line over vowel gives it long pronunciation –‘ā’ as in say Accented syllable indicated with capital letters –as in AK-sent

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Soft and Hard c and g Soft c, as in racer = (RĀ-ser) Hard c, as in candy = (KAN-dē) Soft g, as in page, written as j = (pāj) Hard g, as in grow = (grō)

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Silent Letters and Unusual Pronunciations Silent letters and unusual pronunciations can be a problem, especially if they appear at the start of a word

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Word and Phrase Abbreviations Can save time May cause confusion Acronym = abbreviation formed from first letter of each word in a phrase –ASAP = as soon as possible

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Symbols Used as shorthand in case histories ® = right  = increase

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 1.The main part of a word is called the: (a) origin (b) prefix (c) root (d) extension

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 1.The main part of a word is called the: (a) origin (b) prefix (c) root (d) extension

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pretest 2.A word part at the beginning of a word is a(n): (a) prefix (b) combining form (c) preview (d) root

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pretest 2.A word part at the beginning of a word is a(n): (a) prefix (b) combining form (c) preview (d) root

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 3.A word part at the end of a word is the: (a) vowel (b) adjective (c) insertion (d) suffix

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 3.A word part at the end of a word is the: (a) vowel (b) adjective (c) insertion (d) suffix

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 4.Most medical words are derived from the languages: (a) French and Italian (b) Greek and Latin (c) English and German (d) Greek and Arabic

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 4.Most medical words are derived from the languages: (a) French and Italian (b) Greek and Latin (c) English and German (d) Greek and Arabic

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 5. The adjective form of cervix, meaning “neck,” is: (a) cervical (b) cervixal (c) cervous (d) cerviral

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 5. The adjective form of cervix, meaning “neck,” is: (a) cervical (b) cervixal (c) cervous (d) cerviral

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 6. The ch in the word chemistry is pronounced like the letter: (a) s (b) h (c) k (d) f

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 6. The ch in the word chemistry is pronounced like the letter: (a) s (b) h (c) k (d) f

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 7. The ps in the word psychology is pronounced like the letter: (a) p (b) s (c) j (d) k

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 7. The ps in the word psychology is pronounced like the letter: (a) p (b) s (c) j (d) k

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 8. The pn in the word pneumonia is pronounced like the letter: (a) p (b) u (c) m (d) n

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 8. The pn in the word pneumonia is pronounced like the letter: (a) p (b) u (c) m (d) n

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 9. The symbol ® means: (a) right (b) review (c) redirect (d) register

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Test 9. The symbol ® means: (a) right (b) review (c) redirect (d) register