Medical Terminology: Chapter 1

Asclepius

(1200 B.C.) Believed in the provision of healing through believe in the supernatural
-Much of his primitive healing philosophy was based in ancient Greek mythology
-Asclepius was believed to travel with a staff with a snake wrapped around it. This would be the basis for the modern symbol of the medical profession-the Caduceus, which has two snakes wrapped around a staff-one representing health and the other disease. On the top of the Caduceus are wings which represent the messenger of the Greek gods-Mercury
-There was a need for a practice of healing based on compassion/empathy, logic, and natural means.

Hippocrates

-A contemporary of Asclepius, believed in the natural, compassionate, and logical approach to healing. Considered the "Father of Modern Medicine"
-Had a good understanding of anatomy but DID NOT PERFORM ANATOMICAL DISSECTIONS

Claudius Galen

-200 A. D.-Roman physician and philosopher who was interested in the "why" of body functions
-Conducted dissections on animals-mainly fetal pigs
-Demonstrated the heart was involved in the pumping of blood through cutting (incision) into fetal pig cardiac muscle and observing massive blood splatter
-Galen did not perform human dissections. Although he observed the function of the heart, he did not know that the blood circulated throughout the body
-Galen is considered the "Father of Experimental Physiology"

Andreas Vesalius

-Mid-Sixteenth Century (1500s) -Considered "Father of Anatomy" due to his many detailed dissections of the human cadaver which were illustrated in great detail by many of the artists of the time.

John Hunter

-Mid-1700s anatomist who performed many autopsies (2000 +)
-Was able to provide detailed anatomical studies of the ways in which disease and illness could alter the structure of normal human anatomy.

William Morton

-Mid-Nineteenth Century dentist who was the first to carry out the first successful use of general (surgical) anesthesia
-Used ether to remove a tumor from the jaw of a patient.

word root

the foundation of a medical term and provides the general meaning of the word

combining vowel

A vowel that is added to the word root to make the term easier to pronounce (o is the most common combining vowel)

combining forms

created when a word root is combined with a vowel

aden

gland

carcin

cancer

cardi

heart

chem

chemical

cis

to cut

cyst

bladder

dermat

skin

enter

small intestine

gastr

stomach

gynec

female

hemat

blood

hydr

Water

immun

immunity

laryng

voice box

nephr

kidney

neur

nerve

ocul

eye

opt

eye

ophthalm

eye

ot

ear

path

disease

pulmon

lung

rhin

nose

perfixes

give information about the location of an organ, the number of parts, or the time

a-

without, away from

an-

without

ante-

before, in front of

anti-

against

auto-

self

brady-

slow

contra-

against

de-

without

dys-

painful, difficult, abnormal

endo-

within, inner

epi-

upon, over

eso-

inward

eu-

normal, good

ex-

external, outward

exo-

outward

extra-

outside of

hetero-

different

homo-

same

hydro-

water

hyper-

over, above

hypo-

under, below

in-

not; inward

infra-

under, beneath, below

inter-

among, between

intra-

within, inside

macro-

large

micro-

small

myo-

to shut

neo-

new

pan-

all

para-

beside, near; abnormal; two like parts of a pair

per-

through

peri-

around

post-

after

pre-

before, in front of

pro-

before

pseudo-

false

retro-

backward, behind

sub-

below, under

supra-

above

tachy-

rapid, fast

trans-

through, across

ultra-

beyond, excess

un-

not

number prefixes

Pertaining to the number of items or measurement

bi-

two

hemi-

half

mono-

one

multi-

many

nulli-

none

poly-

many

primi-

first

quadri-

four

semi-

partial, half

tetra-

four

tri-

three

suffix

attached to the end of a word to add meaning

-algia

pain

-cele

hernia, protrusion

-cyte

cell

-dynia

pain

-ectasis

dilation

-gen

that which produces

-genesis

produces, generates

-genic

producing, produced by

-ia

state, condition

-iasis

abnormal condition