l1 Flashcards
Special vocabulary used by health care
professionals for effective and accurate
acommunication
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
Used to describe such things as parts of the body,
locations in the body, bodily functions, diseases,
surgical and clinical procedures, measurements,
medical instruments, and many others.
medical terminology
importance of medterm
Creates Standard
Communication, Understands
Diagnostic and
Therapeutic
Procedures, Deciphers Complex
Information, Easier and Faster
Documentation
word elements
word root, combining form, suffix, prefix
The basic foundation of a medical
term, usually derived from Latin
or Greek, which provides the
primary meaning.
word root
A word root combined with a
vowel (usually “o” but sometimes
“i” or “e”), which makes it easier
to attach to a suffix or another
root.
Combining Form
A word element attached to the
end of a root or combining form
that modifies its meaning. It often
indicates a procedure, condition,
disorder, or disease.
suffix
A word element added to the
beginning of a root or combining
form to modify its meaning. It
often indicates location, number,
time, or status.
prefix
ALSO KNOWN AS ROOT WORD OR ROOT
Word Root
Foundation of a medical term
and contains its primary
meaning.
word root
Other word elements are added
to ___ to create a
medical terminology
word roots
Derived from either Greek or
Latin language
word root
A root word to which a
combining vowel has been added
in order to link the root to a
second root word or to a suffix.
Combining Form
The vowel, known as a
“combining vowel” is usually
o and sometimes an i
Word element placed at the end
of a word that changes the
meaning of the entire word.
suffix
Suffix usually describes a
pathology (disease or
abnormality), symptom, surgical
or diagnostic procedure or part
of speech.
-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -ic, -iac means
pertaining to
-oid
resembling
-ician
specialist
-logy
study of
-itis
inflammation
-megaly
enlargement
-oma
tumor
-malacia
softening
-sclerosis
hardening
-stenosis
narrowing
-y
condition
-ectomy
surgical removal
-plasty
surgical repair
-tripsy
crushing
-tomy
surgical incision
-centesis
puncture
-graph
instrument for recording
scope
instrument for examining
-metry
act of measuring
epi-
above, upon
Word element placed at the
beginning of a word that
changes the meaning of the
entire word
Prefix
usually indicates a
number, time, position, direction
or negation.
prefix
inter-
between
hypo-
below
para-
beside
peri-
around
ab-
away from
trans-
across, through
supra-
superior
sub-
under
macro-
large
micro-
small
multi-
many
Rule 1: In building medical word, the
____ should come first,
followed by the ____ then
___.
prefix, word
root/combining form, suffix
Rule 2: A ____ links a suffix that
begins with a vowel
word root
Rule 4: A_____ links a root to another root to form a compound word. This rule holds true even if the next root begins with a vowel.
combining form
Rule 3: A combining form links a suffix
that begins with a ____.
consonant
DEFINING MEDICAL TERMS
STEP 1: Define the ____
suffix
DEFINING MEDICAL TERMS
Action 2: Define the first part of the word which may be a
word root,
combining form or
prefix.
DEFINING MEDICAL TERMS
Action 3: Define the ___
middle
part/s of the word.
DEFINING MEDICAL TERMS
action 4: ____
combine
plural of -a
ae
plural of pleura
pleurae
plural of -ax
ces
plural of thorax
thoraces
plural of -en
ina
plural of lumen
lumina
plural of -is
es
plural of diagnosis
diagnoses
plural of ix/ex
ices
plural of apex
apices
plural of -on
a
plural pf ganglion
ganglia
plural of -um
a
plural of bacterium
bacteria
plural of -us
i
plural of bronchus
bronchi
plural of -y
ies
plural of deformity
deformities
G ASSUMES THE SOFT SOUND OF J WHEN THE PRECEDING LETTER IS
e, i or y
C assumes the soft sound of s when the preceding letter is
e, i or y
G ASSUMES A HARD SOUND WHEN PRECEDING OTHER LETTERS SUCH AS
a or o
C assumes a hard sound when preceding other letters such as
a or o
PH SOUNDS LIKE
F
X sounds like
Z
WHEN I IS AT THE END OF THE WORD IT IS PRONOUNCED AS
eye or ee
The combination ch sometimes pronounced like
k or chiy
