History of Medicine and Basic Terms and Word Parts

Module 1

Where does healthcare date back to?

The ancient Greeks, who were inspired by the ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians

What was Hippocrates largely responsible for?

The gradual emancipation of medicine from religious and folk healing

Hippocratic Oath

One of the most important documents of the Hippocratic Corpus

When and where were the first formal medical schools formed?

Salerno, Bologna, Paris, Oxford, Salamanca in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries

Cardi-

heart (kardia, Greek)

Gastr-

stomach (gaster, Greek)

Oste-

disease of the bone (osteon, bone, Greek)

Nephr-

kidney (nephros, Greek)

Mast-

breast (mastos, Latin)

Mamm-

breast (mamma, Greek)

Neur-

nerve (neuron, Greek)

Cerebr-

brain (cerebrum, Latin)

Aden-

gland (aden, adenos, Greek)

Ophthalm-

eye (ophthalmos, Greek)

-tomy

the making of an incision (tome, Greek)

-ectomy

the surgical removal of something (ektoma, Greek)

-plasty

surgical repair (plastos, formed/shaped, Greek)

-clasis

to break/fracture (klasis, Greek)

-rrhaphy

suture (rhaphe, Greek)

-algia

pain (algos, Greek)

-edema

swelling (oidema, Greek)

-emia

blood condition (haima, blood, Greek)

-iasis

abnormal or morbid condition (iasis, healing, mode of healing, remedy, cure, Greek)

-itis

inflammation (-ites, converts noun to adj. and agreed with the word for disease (nosos), Greek)

-megaly

pathological enlargement (megas, Greek)

-oma

tumor (tumor/neoplasm, Greek)

-pathy

disease (pathos, suffering, disease, Greek)

-penia

decrease, deficiency (penia (poverty, need), Greek)

-plegia

paralysis (plege/blow/stroke, Greek)

-rrhea

discharge/flow (rhoia, Greek)

-stenosis

narrowing, structure (stenosis, Greek)

-trophy

nourishment, development (trophe, Greek)

-ac

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining/relating to

-eal

pertaining to

-ic

pertaining to

-ical

pertaining to

-ile

pertaining to, capable

-oid

resembling

-ory

pertaining to, characterized by

-ous

pertaining to

-tic

pertaining to

A-, An-

without, not (a-, an-, Greek and in-, Latin)

Circum-, Peri-

around (circum, Latin and peri, Greek)

Dia-, Trans-

through, across (dia, Greek and trans, Latin)

Dys-

bad, painful, difficult (dys, Greek)

Endo-, Intra-

in, within, (endon, Greek and intra, Latin)

Homo-, Homeo-

same (homoios, Greek)

Hyper-

excessive, above normal (hyper, Greek)

Hypo-, Sub-

under, below, deficient (hypo, Greek and sub, Latin)

Macro-

large (makros, Greek)

Micro-

small (mikros, Greek)

Mono-, Uni-

one (monos, Greek and unus, Latin)

Post-

after, behind (post, Latin)

Retro-

backward, behind (retro, Latin)

Super-

above, upper (super, Latin)

Algesi/a

Gr. algos=pain, pain

Cardi/o

Gr. kardia=heart, heart

Cephal/o

Gr. kephale=head, head

Cerebr/o

Lat. cerebrum=brain, cerebrum (largest part of brain)

Derm, Dermat/o

Gr. derma=skin, skin

Ectom/y

Gr. ektome=excision, excision of an organ or gland

Enchephal/o

Gr. enkephalos=brain, brain

Enter/o

Gr. enteron=intestine, intestine

Erythr/o

Gr. erythros=red, red

Estheti-, Estheti-

Gr. aisthesis=sensation, perception, feeling, sensation

Gastr/o

Gr. gaster=belly, stomach

Glyc/o

Gr. glykys=sweet, sugar

Hem/o, Em/o

Gr. haima=blood, blood

Log/o

Gr. logos=study, study, science

Megal/o

Gr. megas=large, large, enlarged

My/o

Gr. mys=muscle, muscle

Oste/o

Gr. osteon=bone, bone

Peps/i

Gr. peptein=to digest, digest

Pneum, Pneumon, Pneumat/o

Gr. pneumon=lung, lung, air

Seps/is, Sept/i

Gr. septos=putrid, sepsis=putrification, pathogen or their toxins

Therm/o

Gr. thermo=heat, heat

Thromb/o

Gr. thrombos=clot, coagulation, clot, clotting

Ur/o

Gr. ouron=urine, urinary tract/urine

Arteri/o

Gr. arteria=an air duct, artery

Arthr/o

Gr. arthros=joint, joint

Hepat/o

Gr. hepat=liver, liver

Hyster/o

Gr. hysteria=womb, uterus

Lingu/o

Lat. lingua=tongue, tongue

Ot/o

Gr. ous, otos=ear, ear

Path/o

Gr. pathos=suffering, disease, disease

a/gastr/ic

without a stomach

Dys/peps/ia

difficult digestion condition

Ecto-

outside, outer

Ect/o/derm

outer skin, outer layer of cells in a developing embryo

Endo-

inside, inner

End/o/derm

inner skin, inner layers of embryo cells

Epi-

over, upon

Epi/derm/al

upon skin

Hyper/therm/ia

more than normal heat

Peri/cardi/al

around the heart, pericardium=the fibro-serous sac enclosing the heart

Hypo/derm/ic

under the skin

Epigastric

pertaining to region over the stomach