1. Chapter 01: Basic Word Structure

2. MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
The process of dividing medical words into component parts.
Analysis of words will make medical terminology easier to understand and remember.

3. Word parts come from 2 language origins:
Greek
Latin.

4. 5 BASIC WORD PARTS
Root word
Suffix
Prefixes
Combining vowel
Combining form

5. ROOT WORD Root Word – foundation of the word Examples:
cardi - 
cephal –
gastr –
hemat –
cyt –
bi – 2
Remember, a medical term can have one or more roots.
Ex. – cardi/o/thorac/ic = pertaining to heart & chest

6. SUFFIXES Word ending Read from suffix to root of a word for meaning.
Can be nouns or adjectives.
All medical words have suffixes
Examples:
-itis -ic
-logy -ac
-lysis -ical

7. PREFIXES Word beginning Not all medical words have prefixes Examples:
bi- a-
pre-
hyper-
sub-
hypo-

8. COMBINING VOWEL A vowel that links two word parts together
Usually an ‘o’;
Has no meaning of it’s own.
Combining Form – root word plus a combining vowel
Examples:
Hemat/o –
Cardi/o –
Gastr/o –
Oste/o –

9. RULES FOR COMBINING VOWELS
When the ending of the 1st word part and the beginning of the 2nd word part are consonants, use a combining vowel.
Example – hemat/o/logy
When the ending of the 1st word part is a consonant, and the beginning of the 2nd word part is a vowel, do not use a combining vowel.
Example – gastr/itis
When the ending of the 1st word part is a vowel and 2nd word part is a consonant, join it.
Example – epi/gastr/ic

10. CAN YOU GUESS THE MEANING OF THESE?
Adrenopathy
Renal failure
Ureteroplasty
Cystoscopy
Urethritis
Figure 1-1. Urinary system.