Chapter 1 - Medical Terminology

prefix

lith-

stone

suffix

-iasis

condition of (or prescense of)

combining form

lith + iasis

lithiasis = condition/prescence of stones in the body

prefix

psych-

mind

suffix

logy-

study of

combining form

psych + ology

psychology = study of the mind

prefix

caud-

tail

suffix

-al

pertaining to

combining form

caud + al

caudal = pertaining to the tail

prefix

or-

mouth

combining form

or + al

pertaining to the mouth

word root

cardi

heart

combining form: cardio/o (cardiology)

word root

gastr

stomach

combining form: gastr/o

word root

oste

bone

combining form: oste/o

word root

chol

bile

combining form: chol/e

prefix

anti-

against

ex: antibacterial = against bacteria

prefix

hyper-

excessive/raised

prefix

pre-

something you do before

suffix

-mania

obsession

suffix

-itis

inflammation

rule when joining combining forms

• the combining vowel is used before suffixes that begin with a consonant and before another word root

• the combining vowel is dropped if the suffix also begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u)

eponyms

names derived from a person’s name

acronyms

names derived from the first letter of a series of words

forming plural nouns with special endings

1. is becomes es (diagnosis becomes diagnoses)

2. um becomes a (bacterium becomes bacteria)

3. us becomes i (bronchus becomes bronchi)

4. a becomes ae (patella becomes patellae)

5. ix becomes ices (cortex becomes cortices)

6. ex becomes ices (index becomes indices)

7. ax becomes aces (thorax becomes thoraces)

8. ma becomes s or mata (carcinoma becomes carcinomata) might be mispelled

9. on becomes a (spermaton becomes spermata) might be mispelled

10. nx becomes nges