Presentation: Intro to Medical Terminology Flashcards
BUILDING WORDS FROM WORD PARTS
What is medical Terminology?
Medical terminology is the language of the medical profession. It is a language that requires consistent comprehension, definition, pronunciation, and spelling. Medical terms are made up of word roots combined with various prefixes and suffixes, all are which are understood throughout the medical community.
Word Root Defined
A word root is the core part of a word. It is the foundation, or building block, of a medical term and the component to which prefixes and suffixes are attached.
Rules to Remember
One of the most important rules to remember is that the meaning of the word root will not change, regardless of the prefixes and suffixes attached to it. When separated roots are written, they are joined by a accompanying commbining vowel. Look at the root cardio/o. The root itself is cardi and the combining vowel is o. As you will learn, the combining vowel helps with spelling and pronunciation.
What They Tell Us In Medical Terminology
Medical terminology word roots will tell you one of three things; the body system refered to, the body part refered to, or the action to be performed.
PREFIX
pre-
before, in front of
prefrontal - in front of the frontal bone
PREFIX
pseudo-
false
pseudocyesis - false pregnancy
PREFIX
retero-
backward, behind
retrograde - movement in a backward direction
PREFIX
sub-
below, under
subcutaneous - under, below the skin
PREFIX
super-
above, excess
supernumerary - above the normal number
PREFIX
supra-
above
suprapublic - above the public bone
PREFIX
tachy-
rapid, fast
tachycardia - fast heartbeat
PREFIX
trans-
through, across
transurethral - across the urethra
PREFIX
ultra-
beyond, excess
ultrasound - high frequency sound waves
PREFIX
pan-
all
pancarditis - inflamation of all the heart
PREFIX
para-
beside, beyond, near
paranasal - near or along the nose
PREFIX
per-
through
percutaneous - through the skin
PREFIX
peri-
around
pericardial - around the heart
PREFIX
post-
after
postpartum - afterbirth
inter-
among, between
intervertebral - between the vertebrae
intra-
within, inside
intravenous - inside, within a vein
macro-
large
macrocephalic - having a large head
micro-
small
microcephalic - having a small head
neo-
new
neonate - new born
hetero-
different
heterograft - a graft from another person’s body
homo-
same
homozygous - having two identical genes
hyper-
over, above
hypertrophy - overdevelopment
hypo-
under, below
hypoglossal - under the tongue
infra-
under, beneath, below
infraorbital - below, under the eye socket
brady-
slow
bradycardia - slow heart beat
dys-
painful, difficult
dyspnea - difficult breathing
endo-
within, inner
endoscope - instrument to view within
epi-
upon, over
epigastric - upon or over the stomach
eu-
normal, good
eupnea - normal breathing
a-
without, away from
aphasia - without speech
an-
without
anoxia - without oxygen
ante-
before, in front of
antepartum - before birth
anti-
against
antibiotic - against life
auto-
self
autograft - a graft from one’s own body
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
albin/o
Combining Form
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
white
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
bi/o
Combining Form
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
life
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
cry/o
Combining Form
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
cold
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
cutane/o
Combining Form
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
skin
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
cyan/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
blue
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
derm/o
dermat/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
skin
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
diaphor/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
profuse sweating
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
electr/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
electricity
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
ichthy/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
scaly
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
kerat/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
hard
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
lip/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
fat
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
melan/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
black
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
myc/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
fungus
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
necr/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
death
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
pil/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
hair
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
py/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
pus
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
rhytid/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
wrinkle
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
seb/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
oil
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
ungu/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
nail
Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels
xer/o
When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.
dry
Beginning - Prefix
The prefix begins a word
Bridge - Combining Vowels
The combining vowel is a bridge that connects the root to the suffix. Note, that in this course, all roots show the appropriate combining vowel with a slash, which indicates that the vowel can be dropped as needed. For example; hem/o - blood - and bi/o - life.
Ending - Suffix
The suffix ends the word
Suffixes Defined
In general, a suffix attaches at the end of a word root - using a combining vowel if the suffix begins with a consonant - and modifies the word accordingly - turning the word root into a noun, adjective, or verb.
Rules To Remember
Suffixes are written with a hyphen at the beginning to signify to the reader that they must connect to another word part - typically a word root. - Consider these examples -
-algia
-ism
-itis
What Suffixes Tell Us in Medical Terminology
In medical terminology, suffixes are;
Symptomatic; Suffixes can refer to symptoms or evidence of an illness. For example, -algia refers to pain.
What Suffixes Tell Us in Medical Terminology
Procedural; Suffixes can refer to surgical or operative procedures. For example, -ectomy refers to removal.
What Suffixes Tell Us in Medical Terminology
Diagnostic; Suffixes can refer to the illnesses themselves. For example, -emia refers to the blood.
Common Medical Suffixes
-algia
pain
gastralgia - stomach pain
Common Medical Suffixes
-cele
hernia, protrusion
cystocele - protrusion of the bladder
Common Medical Suffixes
-cise
cut
excise - to cut out
Common Medical Suffixes
-cyte
cell
erythrcyte - red cell
Common Medical Suffixes
-dynia
pain
cardiodynia - heart pain
Common Medical Suffixes
-ectasis
dilation
bronchiectasis (dialated bronchi)
Common Medical Suffixes
-gen
that which produces
mutagen (that which produces mutations
Common Medical Suffixes
-genesis
produces, generates
osteogenesis
Common Medical Suffixes
-genic
produces, produced by
carcinogenic (producing cancer)
Common Medical Suffixes
-la
state, condition
hemiplegia (condition of being half paralyzed)
-lasis
abnormal condition
lithiasis - abnormal condition of stones
-ism
state of
hypothyroidism - state of low thyroid
-itis
inflammation
cellulitis - inflamation of cells
-logist
one who studies
cardiologist - one who studies the heart
-logy
study of
cardiology - study of the heart
-lysis
destruction
osteolysis - bone destruction
-malacia
abnormal softening
chondromalacia - abnormal cartilage softening
-megaly
enlargement, large
cardiomegaly - enlarged heart
-oma
tumor, mass
carcinoma - cancerous tumor
