Introduction to Medical LanguageFlashcards

This set of flashcards covers the fundamentals of medical terminology, including the purpose, origins, pronunciation rules, word parts (roots, suffixes, and prefixes), and the system for translating medical terms.

Medical Language Purpose

Allows health care professionals to be clear, communicate quickly, and provide comfort to patients.

Origins of Medical Language

Mainly derived from Greek and Latin, with modern influences from German, French, and English.

Eponym

A medical term named after a person, for example, Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Acronym

A medical term formed from the first letters of a phrase, such as MRI.

Ultima

The last syllable in a word.

Penult

The almost-last syllable in a word.

Antepenult

The syllable just before the penult; emphasis usually falls on this third-to-last syllable.

Root

The foundation or subject of a medical term, functioning like a noun.

Suffix

The word ending that gives essential meaning to a medical term.

Prefix

A word part added to the beginning of a term to further modify the root.

gen/o

A root meaning creation or cause, as in pathogenic.

hydr/o

A root meaning water, as in hydrophobia or dehydration.

morph/o

A root meaning change, as in morphology.

myc/o

A root meaning fungus, as in dermatomycosis.

necr/o

A root meaning death, as in necrosis.

orth/o

A root meaning straight, as in orthodontist.

path/o

A root meaning suffering or disease, as in pathology.

phag/o

A root meaning eat, as in aphagia.

plas/o

A root meaning formation, as in hyperplasia.

py/o

A root meaning pus, as in pyorrhea or pyemia.

scler/o

A root meaning hard, as in scleroderma.

sten/o

A root meaning narrowing, as in stenosis.

troph/o

A root meaning nourishment or development, as in trophology or hypertrophy.

xen/o

A root meaning foreign, as in xenograft.

-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -tic, -ous

Adjective suffixes meaning pertaining to.

-ia, -ism, -y

Noun suffixes meaning condition.

-ium

A noun suffix meaning tissue or structure.

-icle, -ole, -ule, -ula

Diminutive suffixes meaning small.

-iatrics, -iatry

Complex suffixes meaning medical science.

-iatrist

A suffix meaning a specialist in medicine of.

-logist

A suffix meaning a specialist in the study of.

-logy

A suffix meaning study of.

-algia, -dynia

Suffixes meaning pain.

-cele

A suffix meaning hernia, which is a bulging of tissue into an area where it does not belong.

-emia

A suffix meaning blood condition.

-iasis

A suffix meaning presence of.

-itis

A suffix meaning inflammation.

-lysis

A suffix meaning loosen or break down.

-malacia

A suffix meaning abnormal softening.

-megaly

A suffix meaning enlargement.

-oid

A suffix meaning resembling.

-oma

A suffix meaning tumor.

-osis

A suffix meaning condition.

-pathy

A suffix meaning disease.

-penia

A suffix meaning deficiency.

-ptosis

A suffix meaning drooping.

-rrhage, -rrhagia

Suffixes meaning excessive flow.

-rrhea

A suffix meaning flow.

-rrhexis

A suffix meaning rupture.

-spasm

A suffix meaning involuntary contraction.

-centesis

A suffix meaning puncture.

-gram

A suffix meaning written record.

-graph

A suffix meaning an instrument used to produce a record.

-graphy

A suffix meaning the process of recording.

-meter

A suffix meaning an instrument used to measure.

-metry

A suffix meaning the process of measuring.

-scope

A suffix meaning an instrument used to look.

-scopy

A suffix meaning the process of looking.

-desis

A suffix meaning binding or fixation.

-ectomy

A suffix meaning removal.

-pexy

A suffix meaning surgical fixation.

-plasty

A suffix meaning reconstruction.

-rrhaphy

A suffix meaning suture.

-stomy

A suffix meaning the creation of an opening.

-tomy

A suffix meaning incision.

a-, an-

Negation prefixes meaning not.

anti-, contra-

Negation prefixes meaning against.

de-

A negation prefix meaning down or away from.

ante-, pre-, pro-

Time/speed prefixes meaning before.

brady-

A time/speed prefix meaning slow.

tachy-

A time/speed prefix meaning fast.

post-

A time/speed prefix meaning after.

re-

A time/speed prefix meaning again.

ab-

A direction/position prefix meaning away.

ad-

A direction/position prefix meaning toward.

circum-, peri-

Direction/position prefixes meaning around.

dia-, trans-

Direction/position prefixes meaning through.

e-, ec-, ex-

Direction/position prefixes meaning out.

ecto-, exo-, extra-

Direction/position prefixes meaning outside.

en-, endo-, intra-

Direction/position prefixes meaning in or inside.

epi-

A direction/position prefix meaning upon.

sub-

A direction/position prefix meaning beneath.

inter-

A direction/position prefix meaning between.

bi-

A size/quantity prefix meaning two.

hemi-, semi-

Size/quantity prefixes meaning half.

hyper-

A size/quantity prefix meaning over.

hypo-

A size/quantity prefix meaning under.

macro-

A size/quantity prefix meaning large.

micro-

A size/quantity prefix meaning small.

mono-, uni-

Size/quantity prefixes meaning one.

oligo-

A size/quantity prefix meaning few.

pan-

A size/quantity prefix meaning all.

poly-, multi-

Size/quantity prefixes meaning many.

con-, syn-, sym-

General prefixes meaning with or together.

dys-

A general prefix meaning bad.

eu-

A general prefix meaning good.

Combining Vowel

A letter (most commonly 'o') added to more easily combine the root with other word parts.

Combining Form

The combination of an existing root and a combining vowel.

Medical Term Translation Order

Translate the suffix first, then the prefix (if present), and finally the root or roots.