Med term CH01__1

Introduction to Medical Terminology

• Medical terminology is a specialized vocabulary used by healthcare providers.

• Comprised of word elements, or parts, which include:

  • Word root (WR)

  • Combining form (CF)

  • Suffix

  • Prefix

Word Elements

Word Root (WR)

• The foundation of a medical word that holds its main meaning.

• Often derived from Latin or Greek.

• Majority of medical words contain at least one word root.

• Some words like "heart" and "blood" do not have a word root deriving from early versions of French or English.

Examples of Word Roots

• hepat in hepat/itis

• tonsill in tonsill/ectomy

• gastr in gastr/oma

• laryng in laryng/itis

Combining Form (CF)

• Created by combining a word root with a vowel (combining vowel).

• Commonly uses "o," but can be "i" or "e."

• Facilitates the pronunciation of certain word combinations.

• Combines word elements without adding meaning.

Examples of Combining Forms

• mamm/o in mamm/o/gram

• psych/o in psych/o/logy

• laryng/o in laryng/o/spasm

• hepat/o in hepat/o/megaly

Suffix

• An element placed at the end of a word.

• Alters the meaning of the medical word.

• Usually indicates pathology, condition, symptom, procedure, or part of speech.

Examples of Suffixes

• -ectomy in append/ectomy

• -itis in appendic/itis

• -oma in neur/oma

• -tomy in crani/o/tomy

• -scope in gastr/o/scope

Prefix

• An element added at the beginning of a word.

• Often similar to English prefixes.

• Changes the meaning of the medical word.

• Not always used in every medical term.

• Indicates number, time, position, measurement, direction, or negation.

Examples of Prefixes

• hyper- in hyper/tension

• hemi- in hemi/plegia

• epi- in epi/derm/al

• post- in post/nat/al

• inter- in inter/cost/al

Defining Medical Words

Steps for Definition

1. Define the suffix first.

2. Define the first part (WR, CF, or prefix).

3. Define the middle part (WR or CF).

Building Medical Words

Rules for Building Medical Words

• Rule 1: A WR links a suffix that starts with a vowel.

• Rule 2: A CF links a suffix that begins with a consonant.

• Rule 3: A CF links a root to another root regardless of the next root's initial character (e.g., gastr/o/intestin/al).

Pronouncing Medical Words

• Diacritical marks and capitalization aid in pronunciation.

• Guidelines for pronunciation can be located in the textbook's inside front cover and at the end of the "Anatomy and Physiology Key Terms" tables.