Medical Terminology: Introduction and Elements

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the elements of medical terminology, common word roots, suffixes, prefixes, and rules for building and pluralizing terms.

Eponyms

Medical terms based on a person's name, such as Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease.

Word Root

The foundation of most medical terms that gives the essential meaning, frequently referring to a body structure, organ, or system.

Suffix

The element found at the end of a medical term that all terms must have; it provides information such as conditions, diseases, or surgical and diagnostic procedures.

Prefix

The element found at the beginning of a medical term that provides information about abnormal conditions, numbers, positions, or times.

Combining Vowel

Usually an "o", it is used to connect word parts together and make terms easier to spell and pronounce, though it has no meaning.

Combining Form

The combination of a word root plus a combining vowel, written as the word root/vowel (e.g., gastr/o).

cardi

Word root meaning heart.

gastr

Word root meaning stomach.

hepat

Word root meaning liver.

rhin

Word root meaning nose.

cephal

Word root meaning head.

arthr

Word root meaning joint.

my

Word root meaning muscle.

oste

Word root meaning bone.

electr

Word root meaning electricity.

carcin

Word root meaning cancer.

-ectomy

Suffix meaning surgical removal.

-itis

Suffix meaning inflammation.

-megaly

Suffix meaning enlarged.

-logy

Suffix meaning study of.

-gram

Suffix meaning record or picture.

-pathy

Suffix meaning disease.

inter-

Prefix meaning between.

a-

Prefix meaning without.

dys-

Prefix meaning abnormal, difficult, or painful.

sub-

Prefix meaning below or underneath.

bi-

Prefix meaning two.

post-

Prefix meaning after.

Combining Vowel Rule (Suffix)

The combining vowel is not necessary if the suffix begins with a vowel; it is used only if the suffix begins with a consonant.

Combining Vowel Rule (Word Roots)

A combining vowel is used between two word roots even if the second word root begins with a vowel.

dysmenorrhea

A medical term meaning abnormal or painful menstrual flow, composed of dys- (prefix), men (word root), and -rrhea (suffix).

Dermatofibroma

A medical term meaning fibrous skin tumor, composed of dermat (word root), fibr (word root), and -oma (suffix).

Pluralization: -a

If a word ends in -a (singular, e.g., Vertebra), the plural ending is -ae (Vertebrae).

Pluralization: -um

If a word ends in -um (singular, e.g., Ovum), the plural ending is -a (Ova).

Pluralization: -us

If a word ends in -us (singular, e.g., Alveolus), the plural ending is -i (Alveoli).

Pronunciation: ch

At the beginning of a word, it has a hard k sound (e.g., Chemical).

Pronunciation: pn

At the beginning of a word, pronounce only the n (e.g., Pneumonia); in the middle of a word, pronounce p and n separately (e.g., Apnea).