medical terminolgoy: ch 1

four elements that are used to build medical words

word root, combining form, suffix, and prefix

word root

§Foundation of a medical word that contains its main meaning.

§Usually derived from Latin or Greek language.

§Most medical words contain at least one WR.

combining form (CF)

§Created when a WR is combined with a vowel, known as a combining vowel.

§Difficulty pronouncing certain combinations of WRs requires insertion of a vowel.

§No meaning of its own but enables two or more word elements to be connected.

what is the most common combing vowel

o

suffix

§Word element at the end of a word.

§Changes the meaning of a medical word.

§Contained in most medical words.

§Usually an indication of a pathology, condition, symptom, therapeutic or diagnostic procedure, or part of speech.

prefix

§Word element at the beginning of a word.

§Many are the same as those used in the English language.

§Changes the meaning of a medical word.

§Not contained in all medical words.

Usually an indication of a number, time, position, measurement, direction, or negation3 ste

3 steps for defining medical words

1.Define the suffix first.

2.Define the first part of the word (WR, CF, or prefix).

3.Define the middle part of the word (WR or CF).

inflammation of the stomach

gastritis

inflammation of the bone and joint

osteooarthritis

inflmamaiton of many nerves

plyneuritis

appendectomy

excision of the appendix

3 rules for building medical words

§Rule 1: WR links a suffix that begins with a vowel.

§Rule 2: CF (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant.

§Rule 3: CF (root + o) links a root to another root to form a compound word.

–Rule 3 holds true even if the next root begins with a vowel, as in gastr/o/intestin/al.

excision, removal

-ectomy

surgical puncture

-centesis

crushing

-tripsy

seperaton; detruction; loosening

-lysis

incision

-tomy

fixation

-pexy

suture

-rrhaphy

surgial repair

-plasty

forming an opening

-stomy

binding, fixation

-desis

instrument to cut

-tome

instrument for examining

-scope

visual examination

-scopy

instrument for recording

-graph

process of recording

-graphy

instrument for measuring

-meter

act of measuring

-metry

record, writing

-gram

pain

-algia, -dynia

formaiton, growth

-plasia, -plasm

forming, producing, origin

-gen, -genesis

bursting forth (of)

-rrhage, -rrhagia

swelling

-edema

hernia, swelling

-cele

stone, calculus

-lith

abnormal condition

-osis

involuntary contraction, twitching

-spasm

narrowing, stricture

-stenosis

discharge, flow

-rrhea

disease

-pathy

inflammation

-itis

tumor

-oma

rupture

-rrhexis

paralysis

-plegia

dilation, expansion

-ectasis

vomiting

-emesis

blood conditon

-emia

abnormal condition (produced by something specified)

-iasis

Adjective suffixes -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -ic, -ile,
and -ous mean:

pertaing to

Noun suffixes -esis, -ia, and -ism mean:

condition

Noun suffixes -ician and -ist mean:

specialist

Noun suffix -iatry means

medicine, treatment

is

es

us

i

y

ies

a

ae

thrombus

thrombi

ovum

ova

fungus

fungi

diagnosis

diagnoses

dipl-, diplo-

double

macro-

large

home-, homeo-

same

mono-, uni-

one

micro

small

circum-, peri-

around

a-, an-

without, not

super-

upper, above

post

after, behind

pre-, pro-

before, in front

primi-

first

dia-, trans-

through, across