Med term CH01__1

Medical Terminology

Specialized vocabulary used by health-care providers.

Word Root (WR)

Foundation of the word that contains its main meaning, usually derived from Latin or Greek.

Combining Form (CF)

Created when a word root is combined with a vowel, helping connect word elements.

Suffix

Word element placed at the end of a word that changes the meaning of the medical word.

Prefix

Word element placed at the beginning of a word that typically changes the meaning.

-ectomy

A suffix indicating surgical removal, as in appendectomy.

-itis

A suffix indicating inflammation, as in appendicitis.

-oma

A suffix denoting a tumor or growth, as in neuroma.

Define Medical Words

Steps include defining the suffix, the first part (WR/CF/prefix), and middle part (WR/CF).

Building Medical Words Rule 1

A WR links a suffix that begins with a vowel.

Building Medical Words Rule 2

A CF links a suffix that begins with a consonant.

Building Medical Words Rule 3

A CF links a root to another root to form a compound word.

Examples of Prefixes

hyper- (high), hemi- (half), epi- (upon), post- (after), inter- (between).

Combining Vowel

Usually an 'o', but can also be 'i' or 'e', used to form a combining form.

Pronouncing Medical Words

Diacritical marks and capitalization aid in pronunciation.

Examples of Words with CFs

mamm/o (mammogram), psych/o (psychology), laryng/o (laryngospasm).