Intro to Medical Terminology

Prefix

Word part added to the beginning of a word to change meaning.

Suffix

Word part added to the end of a word to modify meaning

Root Word

basic foundation of a word; conveys the core meaning

Combining form

Root word plus a vowel (usually o)

acronym

word formed from the initial letters of other words

abbreviation

shortened form of a word or phrase

Eponym

disease or procedure named after a person

Pronunciation

the way a word is spoken

Spelling

Correct arrangement of letters in a word

Definition

the meaning of a word or phrase

Medical language

standardized language used in healthcare

Singular/Plural

Form variation of a word based on number

Anatomy

study of body structure

Physiology

study of body function

Pathology

study of a disease

Etiology

Cause of a disease

Epidemiology

Study of disease distribution

Congenital

condition present at birth

Genetic Disorder

disease caused by a variation in DNA

Infectious disease

illness caused by pathogenic organisms

Nosocomial

Hospital acquired infection

Idiopathic

Disease with unknown cause

Prognosis

Forecast of disease outcome

Diagnosis

Identification of a disease