Intro to Medical Termiology - Ch. 1

Chapter 1

Four different word parts or elements that can be used to construct medical terms

word roots, combining vowel, prefix, suffix

Word Roots

Foundation of the term. Gives general sense of the word’s meaning. Often refers to a body system or part. It can also describe an action (e.g., cis = to cut)

Prefix

A word part added to the beginning of a word root, which modifies its meaning. Can indicate location (of organ), time (frequency), or number of parts. Not all med terms have a prefix.

Suffix

A word part added to the end of a word root, which modifies its meaning. Can indicate a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech. Only mandatory word part.

Combining Vowels

A vowel, often "o," used to link word roots with suffixes or other roots, facilitating pronunciation. Used between two word roots (even if the second word roots begins with a vowel) or between a word root and a suffix that starts with a consonant

Word Roots (2 of 2) - T/F

Med terms may have more than one root. Not all med terms have a root (i.e., one prefix and one suffix)

Combining Form

Written in the form word root/combining vowel (e.g., cardi/o). This is used when writing a word root by itself.

bi/o

life

carcin/o

cancer

cardi/o

heart

chem/o

chemical

cis/o

to cut

dermat/o

skin

enter/o

small intestine

gastr/o

stomach

gynec/o

women

hemat/o

blood

immun/o

immunity (protection)

laryng/o

voice box

nephr/o

kidney

neur/o

nerve

ophthalm/o

eye

ot/o

ear

path/o

disease (word root)

pulmon/o

lung

rhin/o

nose

a- 1

without 1

an- 2

without 2

anti-

against

auto-

self

brady-

slow

de- 3

without 3

dis-

apart from

dys-

painful, difficult, abnormal

endo-

within, inner

epi-

above

eu-

normal

ex-

outward

extra-

outside of

hetero-

different

homo-

same

hyper-

excessive

hypo-

below, insufficient

in-

not, inward

inter-

between

intra-

within

macro-

large

micro-

small

neo-

new

non- 1

not 1

para-

beside, abnormal, two like parts of a pair

per-

through

peri-

around

post-

after

pre- 1

before 1

pro- 2

before 2

pseudo-

fake

re-

again

retro-

backward, behind

sub-

under

syn-

together

tachy-

fast

trans-

across

ultra-

beyond

un- 2

not 2

bi-

two

hemi-

half

mono-

one

multi- 1

many 1

nulli-

none

pan-

all

poly- 2

many 2

quadri- 1

four 1

semi-

partial, half

tetra- 2

four 2

tri-

three

-algia 1

pain 1

-cele

protusion

-cyte

cell

-dynia 2

pain 2

-ectasis

dilation

-gen

that which produces

-genesis

produces

-genic

producing

-ia

condition

-iasis 1

abnormal condition 1

-ism

state of

-itis

inflammation

-logical

pertaining to study of

-logist

one who studies

-logy

study of

-lytic

destruction

-malacia

abnormal softening

-oma

tumor, mass

-opsy

view of

-osis 2

abnormal condition 2

-pathy

disease (suffix)

-megaly

enlarged

-plasm

formation

-plegia

paralysis