Lesson 1 Introduction to Medical Terminology Flashcards
What is the foundation for all medical professions?
Medical terminology
What is the easiest way to master medical terminology?
By understanding how medical terms are constructed
When does the medical language date back to?
The fourth and fifth century B.C.E.
Who is considered the ‘father of medicine’?
Hippocrates
What languages does the vocabulary of medicine originate from?
Greek and Latin
What type of words do we often get from Latin?
Body organs
What type of words do we often get from Greek?
Diseases and procedures
What is the term for words that are named for the person who discovered the illness or procedure?
Eponyms
What is an acronym?
An abbreviation formed from the initial letter or letters of a word or phrase
What are the component parts of medical terms that are focused on when analyzing medical terms?
Prefix, root, combining vowel, combining form, and suffix
What is a prefix?
A unit of meaning attached to the front of a word
What is a root?
The core or foundation of the word’s meaning
What is a combining vowel?
A vowel (most often ‘o’) added to the end of the root, without changing the meaning
What is a combining form?
The root and combining vowel together
What is a suffix?
A unit of meaning attached to the end of the word
When analyzing medical vocabulary, in what order should you determine the meaning of a term?
First look at the suffix, then the prefix, then the root(s)
What does the prefix PRE- mean?
‘Before, or in front of’
What does the root FIX mean?
‘Attach, or fasten’
What does the suffix -ITIS mean?
Inflammation
What does the suffix -ECTOMY mean?
Removal
What does the suffix -ALGIA mean?
Pain
What does the suffix -CYTE mean?
Cell
What does the suffix -MEGALLY mean?
Enlargement
What does the suffix -OMA mean?
Mass, tumor
What does the suffix -RRHEA mean?
Discharge
What does the suffix -CENTESIS mean?
Puncture
What does the suffix -GRAM mean?
Record or picture
What does the suffix -GRAPHY mean?
Process of recording
What does the suffix -SCOPE mean?
Instrument for viewing
What do adjective suffixes often mean?
Pertaining to
What do word roots provide?
The overall meaning of the medical term and information on which body system is involved
When is a combining vowel placed?
Between two word roots or a word root and a suffix
What do you need to determine when using a combining vowel with a word root and suffix?
If the suffix begins with a consonant or a vowel
What is the specialist called who administers anesthetic agents prior to and during surgery?
Anesthesiologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats disorders of the skin?
Dermatologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats disorders and malfunctions of the glands of internal secretion?
Endocrinologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats disorders of the female reproductive system?
Gynecologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders of the blood and blood-forming tissues?
Hematologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders of the kidneys?
Nephrologist
What is the specialist called who provides medical care to women during and immediately after pregnancy?
Obstetrician
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats malignancies?
Oncologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders of the eye?
Ophthalmologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, and throat?
Otorhinolaryngologist
What is the specialist called who analyzes tissue and performs autopsies?
Pathologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses, treats, and prevents disorders and diseases of children?
Pediatrician
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats disorders and diseases of the anus and rectum?
Proctologist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats chemical and mental illness?
Psychiatrist
What is the specialist called who diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders of the urinary system of females and the genitourinary system of males?
Urologist
Are medical terms themselves capitalized?
No
What are some of the tricky Greek spelling changes when a singular form is changed to the plural form?
a becomes ae, ax becomes aces or axes, en becomes ina, is becomes es, is becomes a, ix becomes ices or ixes, nx becomes ges, on becomes a, um becomes a, us becomes i, y becomes ies
