Shivam Singh - Medical Terminology Flashcards UNIT 1

Medical Terminology

Universal language for healthcare workers

Early medical terms come from...

Latin and Greek medical books

Newer medical terms come from...

English or names

Roots

Basic meaning, body system/part, can be more than 1

Prefix

Beginning, describe root, not all terms have

Suffix

End of a term, disease/process/treatments/study,

Adjective suffixes

Pertaining/relating to (-ac, -al, -eal, -atic, - ary, -an, -ous)

Combining form

/o/ before suffix if it starts with a consonant and before 2nd root always

-s (plural)

-es

-is (plural)

-es

-y (plural)

-ies

-a (plural)

-ae

-x (plural #1)

-ces

-ex/ix (plural)

-ices

-us (plural) (bronchus = ?)

-i

-x (plural #2)

-ges

-um (plural)

-a

-ma (plural)

-mata (or just add s)

-on (plural) (ganglion = ?)

-a (-ti__/-si__ just add s)

Anatomical Position

Standard reference to describe human body (upright, palms and body forward, arms at side)

Lateral

Away from the midline (side)

Medial

Towards the midline

Anterior/ventral

Towards the front

Posterior/dorsal

Towards the back

Superior/cephalic

Towards the head

Inferior/caudal

Away from the head

Proximal

Closer to the origin

Distal

Away from the origin

Coronal/frontal plane

Divides body into front and back

Sagittal plane

Divides body into left and right

Midsagittal/medial plane

Divides body into EQUAL left and right halves (from midline)

Transverse/axial plane

Divides body into top and bottom

Supine position

Flat on back

Lateral position

On either side, upper knee flexed

Prone position

Lying on stomach, head to the side

Fowler position

Semi-sitting, elevated knees

Sims position

Side-lying version of lateral position, lower arm by side

Epidemiology

The study of how diseases spread and who they effect

Mortality

Rate of death in a population

Morbidity

Presence of an illness or disease (incidence and prevalence)

Incidence

Number of new cases

Prevalence

Number of all cases

Eponym

Medical term named after a related person/place