MULT 1110 Ch 1 - Intro to Medical Term

3 types of medical terms

1. Latin and Greek

2. Modern English

3. Eponym (persons name or another noun)

Prefixes

• come before the word

• indicate abnromal conditions, numbers, positions, and times

Suffixes

• come at the end of the word

• indicates conditions, diseases, procedures, professionals

Word root

• foundation of the term

• indicates body structure, organs, and body sytem

Combining vowel

• “o”

• used to connect word parts to make them easier to say and spell

Combining form

word root + vowel

arthr

joint

carcin

cancer

cardi

heart

cephal

head

electr

electricity

gastr

stomach

hepat

liver

my

muscle

oste

bone

rhin

nose

-ectomy

surgical removal

-gram

a record

-itis

inflammation

-logy

study of

-megaly

enlarged

-pathy

disease

a-

without

bi-

two

dys-

abnormal

inter-

between

post-

after

sub-

under

Building plurals

specific ways in which you pluralize medical terms

Word ends in -a

add -e

Word ends in -ax

drop -x and add -ces

Word ends in -ex

drop -ex and add -ices

Word ends in -is

drop –is and add –es

Word ends in -ix

drop –x and add –ces

Word ends in -ma

keep –ma and add –ta = mata

Word ends in -on

drop –on and add –a

Word ends in -us

drop –us and add –i

Word ends in -um

drop –um and add –a

Word ends in -x

drop –x and add –ges

Word ends in -y

drop –y and add –ies