ch 1: intro to med term

prefix (p)

located at beginning of word, modifies meaning of word root

word root (wr)

core of a term that refers to body part or body system

suffix (s)

located at end of word: indicates a procedure, condition, or disease

combining vowel (cv)

usually the letter “o”; connects word parts to ease pronunciation

terms of greek & latin origins

built from word components and translated literally

non-component terms

not built from components; must be learned by memorizing

eponym

condition, procedure, or disease named after a person (ex: parkinson’s)

acronym

formed from initial letters and pronounced as a single word (ex: AIDS)

initialism

formed from initial letters where each letter is pronounced individually (ex: UTI)

modern language

derived from modern spoken English (ex: post-traumatic stress disorder)

anatomical

refers to body structure, direction, or movement (ex: medial)

disease & disorders

refers to structural/functional deviations with signs & symptoms (ex: bronchopneumonia)

diagnostical/procedural

processes used to identify a condition/injury (ex: ultrasound)

therapeutic

treating or curing a disease (ex: nebulizer)

macron (-)

straight line above vowel that indicates a long vowel sound

breve (u)

u-shaped mark above a vowel indicates a short vowel sound

capital letters

signify primary emphasis during spoken pronunciation