1. Dr. Walid Daoud, MD, FCCP Assistant Professor
Medical Terminology
Dr. Walid Daoud, MD, FCCP
Assistant Professor

2. Introduction
Medical Terminology is the study of words that relate to body systems, anatomical structures, medical processes and procedures, and a variety of diseases that afflict human organism.

3. Word Root (WR)
It is the basic stem word, usually derived from Greek or Latin language.
WR is the building blocks for many Prefixes, Suffixes, Anatomical Words, Medical procedures.
Word Root (WR)
Greek Word
cardi
oste
nephr
gastr
erythr
Kardia (heart)
osteon (bone)
nephros (kidney)
gastros (stomach)
erythros (red)

4. Combining Form (CF)
It is a WR to which a final vowel (usually “O”) is added (CF = WR / O).
Meaning CF WR
heart
cell
bone
kidney
stomach
red
cardi / o
cyt / o
oste / o
nephr / o
gastr / o
erythr / o
cardi
cyt
oste
nephr
gastr
erythr

5. Building Compound Words
The vowel performs a connecting function. If second WR begins with a consonant:
leuk / o cyt / o = white
erythr / o cyt / o = red
If the second WR begins with a vowel, the “O” is sometimes retained:
gastr / o / enter / o = stomach and intestine
In others, a combining vowel is not added:
hem / angio = blood vessel

6. Suffixes
A suffix is a word element placed at the end of a word or stem to form a new word.
Suffixes beginning with vowels:
WR Suffix = Medical Word
gastr itis (inflammation) = gastritis
gastr algia (pain) = gastralgia
gastr ectomy (excision) = gastrectomy

7. Suffixes Combining Form + Suffix = Medical Word WR + O
Suffixes beginning with consonants:
Combining Form + Suffix = Medical Word
WR O
col O tomy (incision) = colotomy
col O scopy (examination) = coloscopy
col O rrhaphy (suture) = colorrhaphy

8. Summary of Rules Build medical words by the following rules: RULE 1.
Add suffixes that begin with an initial vowel directly to the word root.
RULE 2.
Add a connecting vowel “O” to the word root when the suffix begins with a consonant.

9. Surgical Procedure Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
append/ectomy
appendix
arthr/o/centesis
joint
col/o/stomy
colon
phleb/o/tomy
vein
excision
puncture
mouth, forming an opening
incision to cut
into
-ectomy
-o/centesis
-o/stomy
-o/tomy

10. Surgical Procedures Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
arthr/o/desis
joint
neur/o/rrhaphy
gastr/o/pexy
stomach
rhin/o/plasty
nose
binding,
stabilization
suture
fixation,
suspension
formation,
plastic repair
-desis
-o/rrhaphy
-o/pexy
-o/plasty

11. Surgical Procedure Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
oste/o/clasis
bone
enter/o/lysis
small intestine
lith/o/tripsy
stone
to break down, refracture
loosen, free
from adhesions,
destruction
to crush
-o/clasis
-o/lysis
-o/tripsy

12. Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
cephal/algia
head
cephal/o/dynia
hepato/cele
liver
bronchi/ectasis
bronchus
carcin/o/gen
cancer
pain
hernia, swelling
dilatation
beginning, origin
-algia
-o/dynia
-o/cele
-ectasis
-o/gen

13. Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
chole/lith/iasis
gall stone
gastr/itis
stomach
bio/logy
life
oste/o/malacia
bone
hepat/o/megaly
liver
condition, formation of
Inflammation
study of
softening
enlargement
-iasis
-itis
-o/logy
-o/malacia
-o/megaly

14. Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
lip/oid
lipid
aden/oma
gland
dermat/osis
skin
nephr/o/pathy
kidney
leuk/o/penia
white (cell)
resemble
tumor
abnormal condition
disease
decrease, deficiency
-oid
-oma
-osis
-o/pathy
-o/penia

15. Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
dys/phagia
difficult
a/phasia
without
hemi/plegia
half
acro/phobia
extremities
hyster/o/ptosis
uterus
eating
speech
paralysis
fear
prolapse, falling
-phagia
-phasia
-plegia
-phobia
-o/ptosis

16. Diagnostic and Symptomatic Suffixes
Example
Meaning
Suffix
hem/o/rrhage
blood
men/o/rrhea
menses
angi/o/rrhexis
blood vessel
arteri/o/sclerosis
artery
ot/o/scopy
ear
hemorrhage
discharge, flow
rupture
hardening
examination
-o/rrhage
-o/rrhea
-o/rrhexis
-o/sclerosis
-o/scopy

17. General Review-Suffixes
For building a medical term The CF is used when a suffix begins with
a consonant:
gastr/o/pexy leuk/o/cyte
nephr/o/pexy oste/o/cyte
The WR is directly joined to the suffix when the suffix begins with a vowel:
gastr/algia dermat/osis
nephr/oma mast/ectomy

18. Suffixes: Adjective Endings
Example
Adjective Ending
cardi/ac (heart)
neur/al (nerve)
saliv/ary (saliva)
hypo/derm/ic (under skin)
med/ical (medicine)
sub/cutane/ous (under skin)
paraly/tic (paralysis)
-ac
-al
-ary
-ic
-ical
-ous
-tic

19. Suffixes: Noun Endings
Example
Meaning
Noun Ending
Hemo/o/phil/iac
(Blood love)
Pneumon/ia
Cut/is (skin)
Alcohol/ism
Uro/log/ist
Myo/path/y
(muscle disease)
Indicates person afflicted with disease
Forms noun from root
Abnormal condition
One who specializes
Condition or process
-iac
-ia
-is
-ism
-ist -y

20. Suffixes: Diminutive Endings
Example
Meaning
Diminutive Ending
arteri/ole
artery
part/icle
piece
pust/ule
pimple
minute
small
little
-ole
-icle
-ule

21. Plural Endings Plural Singular Plural Form pleurae thoraces lumina
appendices
diagnoses
ganglia
bacteria
digiti
deformities
carcinomata
pleura
thorax
lumen
appendix
diagnosis
ganglion
bacterium
digitus
deformity
carcinoma ae
aces
ina
ices
ses a i
ies
mata ax en ix
sis on um us y ma

22. Prefixes - Prefixes are derived from Greek or Latin
language and used to build a medical
vocabulary.
- Prefixes are always located at the beginning
of a word.
- A prefix is always used in conjunction of
combining form or a combining form and a
suffix.

23. Prefixes of Position Example Meaning Prefix ambi/lateral side
amphi/crania
skull
ante/febrile
fever
pre/operative
operation
pro/otic
ear
both, both sides
on both sides
before, in front of
ambi-
amphi-
ante-
pre-
pro-

24. Prefixes of Position Example Meaning Prefix dextr/o/cardia heart
sinistr/o/cardia
dors/algia
pain
epi/gastrium
stomach
inter/costal
ribs
to the right of
to the left of
back
upon
between
dextr/o-
sinistr/o-
dors/o-
epi-
inter-

25. Prefixes of Position Example Meaning Prefix hypo/dermic skin
mes/o/sternum
chest plate
retro/cervical
neck
postero/lateral
to the side
under, below, beneath
in the middle
after, backward
located behind
hypo-
infra- or Sub-
mes/o-
medi-
retr/o-
postero-

26. Prefixes of color Example Meaning Prefix albumin/oid resemble
chlor/emia
blood
glauc/oma
Polio/myel/itis
cirrh/osis
abnormal condition
white
green
gray
yellow
alb-
albumin/o-
leuk/o-
chlor/o-
glauc/o-
polio-
cirrh/o-
xanth/o-

27. Prefixes of Color Example Meaning Prefix cyan/o/derma skin melan/oma
tumor
erythr/o/cyte
cell
purpur/ic
pertaining to
blue
black
red
purple
cyan/o-
melan/o-
erythr/o-
rube/o-
purpur/o-

28. Prefixes of Number and Measurement
Example
Meaning
Prefix
primi/para
to bear offspring
mono/nucleus
kernel
bi/lateral side
di/plegia paralysis
hemi/plegia
paralysis
first
one
two
half
primi-
uni-
mono-
bi-
di-
hemi-

29. Prefixes of Number and Measurement
Example
Meaning
Prefix
hyper/tension
hypo/tension
strain
multi/para
to bear offspring
tri/cephalus
quadri/plegia
paralysis
macro/cephaly
micro/gastria
over, excessive
under, below
many
three
four
large
small
hyper-
hypo-
multi-
poly-
tri-
quadri-
macro-
micro-

30. Prefixes of Negation Example Meaning Prefix a/phasia speech
an/encephaly
head
ar/rhythmia
rhythm
im/mature
in/complete
without, not, lack of
not
a- (used before a consonant)
an- (used before a vowel)
ar-
im-
in-

31. Prefixes of Direction Example Meaning Prefix ab/normal regular, usual
ad/sternal
circum/renal
peri/renal
ec/topia
place
dia/rrhea
flow
trans/thorax
from, away from
to, toward, near
around
out from
through, across
ab-
ad-
circum-
peri-
ec-
ex-
dia-
per-
trans-

32. Prefix of Direction Example Meaning Prefix ecto/derm exo/phthalmia
extra/bronchial
endo/cranial
intra/muscular
para/colon
super/lactation
supra/pubic
ultra/sonic
outside
in, within
near, beside,
beyond
above
beyond, excess
ecto-
exo-
extra-
endo-
intra-
par-
para-
super-
supra-
ultra-

33. Miscellaneous Prefixes
Example
Meaning
Prefix
anti/bacterial
contra/indicated
brady/cardia
tachy/cardia
dys/pepsia
digestion
eu/pnea
hetero/cellular
homo/sexual
against
slow
rapid
bad, difficult
good, easy
different
same
anti-
contra-
brady-
tachy-
dys-
eu-
hetero-
homo-

34. Miscellaneous Prefixes
Example
Meaning
Prefix
hidr/osis
hydro/phobia
mal/nutrition
meta/carpal
pan/hyster/ectomy
pseudo/mening/itis
scler/osis
sym/podia
syn/chilia
sweat
water
ill, bad, poor
after, beyond
all
false
hard
union
hidr/o-
hydr/o-
mal-
meta-
pan-
pseudo-
scler/o-
sym-
syn-