1. Medical Terminology
An Introduction

2. Using Medical Abbreviations
Shortened forms for convenience
Usually just letters
Agencies have their approved
lists of abbreviations—if not on list,
do not use
Health care workers are expected to
recognize most common
abbreviations

3. Medical Terminology was derived primarily from Greek & Latin
--these were the languages of scholarly people in ancient times

4. Greeks: founders of modern medicine
Hippocrates—
Four body humors:
black bile, yellow bile, blood & phlegm
Too much black bile caused depression
Called condition melancholy
Literally means condition of black bile

5. Because of this use of two languages,
you might see different terms & acronyms that mean the same thing.
Example:
EKG
ECG
- “K” (kardia) = heart --Greek
electro/kardio/gram
-“C” (cardia) = heart -- Latin
electro/cardio/gram

6. Impossible to memorize all the medical words individually, so determine meaning of words by breaking it into parts
These word parts are used over and over in different combinations
If the word parts are known, then the word can be broken down and interpreted

7. Medical terminology is very interesting & insightful.

8. Take the word Amazon.
Greek mythology tells us of beautiful, fierce woman warriors.
They were excellent in archery & fighting.
They fought oppression of men.
Men called them Amazon warriors.

9. What does the Greek word amazon mean?
Amazon comes from the Greek word: amazos
The “a” is a prefix that means “without”
“mazos” is the word root, which means “breast”
Translated, Amazon refers to “without a breast”
Greek mythology has it that these fierce women cut off their right breast in order to better handle their bows and arrows.

10. Another interesting medical root is gastr/o
This root means stomach
gastr/itis = inflamed stomach
Gastr/ologist = stomach doctor

11. How is it, then, that the calf muscle is called the gastrocnemius muscle?
In ancient times, gastr/o was a Greek word meaning “belly”
Since calf muscle “bellied” out, the root gastr/o was used to describe it.

12. Now for the basics---

13. Medical words are like individual jigsaw puzzles--
each piece is a word part that comes together to form a medical term.
prefix
suffix
root

14. dermatologist = skin doctor
Example:
ologist
dermat
dermatologist = skin doctor

15. Medical terms may have 4 word parts:
Root
Prefix
Suffix
Combining form

16. Example: heart - cardi/
1. the word root
Gives basic meaning of term
each medical term contains one or more roots
Unlike English roots, which can stand alone, most medical roots are meant to be used in combinations.
Example: heart cardi/

17. In medical terminology roots usually indicate a body part:
pulmon/o
dent/o
cardi/o
enter/o

18. 2. the prefix is
a word part added before a root to modify its meaning
many medical terms do not have a prefix
Example: pretest

19. A prefix usually indicates a:
Number
Time
Position
Sense of negation

20. Prefix examples:
“number” prefixes
uni- (uni/corn)
bi- (bi/lateral)
tri- (tri/athlon)
“time” prefixes
pre- (pre/test)
post- (post/test)

21. “position” prefixes
sub- (sub/marine)
trans- (trans/atlantic)
hypo- (hypo/dermic)
“negation” prefixes
a- (a/moral)
an- (an/aerobic)

22. a word part added to end of root to modify its meaning
3. the suffix is
a word part added to end of root to modify its meaning
most medical terms have a suffix
Example: root--teach to
teacher

23. In medical terminology, a suffix often times indicates:
a procedure ( -ectomy = surgical removal of)
append/ectomy
a condition ( -osis = abnormal condition of)
halit/osis
a disease ( -itis = inflammation of)
tonsill/itis

24. root / prefix / suffix examples:
Root example: write
Suffix example: writer
Prefix example: rewrite
See how both the suffix & prefix modify the root?

25. 4. Combining Vowel usually an “o” that is used between word parts
eases pronunciation
Examples: therm/o/meter

26. “i” or “e” occasionally other vowels are used: pelv/i or chol/e
A root word plus a vowel is referred to as a “combining form”.
combining form =
root =
hepat/
hepat/o

27. Roots & combining forms are indicated by slash “/ ” between root and vowel.
cardi/o

28. Difficult to pronounce: gastr
IMPORTANT:
Try to learn combining forms rather than word roots because:
combining forms are easier to pronounce.
Example:
Difficult to pronounce:
gastr
Easier to pronounce:
gastr/o

29. Guidelines For Using Combining Vowels
Rule 1
If a suffix begins with a vowel, only use word root—not the combining form.
Example
suffix: -itis
root + suffix
hepat + -itis = hepat/itis

30. Rule 2
-If a suffix begins with a consonant, use the combining vowel
Example:
word root
combin. vowel
suffix
therm/ o
-meter

31. Rule 3
To link two root words, always use a combining vowel.
Example:
word roots
combin. vowel
suffix
splen/ o
hepat/
-itis

32. In most instances, the combining vowel is retained between two roots
-even if the 2nd root begins with a vowel.
word roots
combin. vowel
suffix
chondr/ o
arthr/
-algia

33. even if the last letter of the 1st root ends with a vowel (oste/) &
the 1st letter of the 2nd root begins with a vowel (arthr/),
you must still use the combining “o”
Example:
oste/ o arthr/ itis

34. Rule 4
Never use a combining vowel after a prefix, even if root begins with a consonant.
Example:
Never, never, NEVER!!!
NO “O” HERE!
prefix
word root
suffix
post/
rhin/o
-plasty

35. Three Basic Steps to Defining & Interpreting Medical Words:
First, define the suffix
Second, define the prefix (if one is used)
Last, define the middle part (root) of word

36. Example 1: sub/gastr/algia+
gastr/ +
-algia
(under)
(stomach)
(pain)
prefix
root
suffix 2 3 1

37. Example 2: trans/cardi/o/pulmon/itis+ + +
(across)
(heart)
(lungs)
(inflam.)
prefix
root
root
suffix 4 1 2 3

38. Example 3: peri/oste/o/arthr/o/megaly+ + +
(around)
(bone)
(joints)
(enlargement)
prefix
root
root
suffix 4 1 2 3

39. carditis little note… the root for heart = cardi/
when you put this root with suffix, -itis, drop one “i”
instead of cardi/itis you would have:
carditis

40. Time to practice!