Medical Terminology word building

intro

• 4 elements: word root, combining form, suffix and prefix
• 3 rules of work rood building: defining, pronunciation and suffix s → p

word root - main meaning/foundation

• from latin or greek
  • ex hepat in hepat/itis
• contain at least 1 word root
• usually tells body part
  • ex cardi = heart

combining form - word root + vowel

• makes it easier to pronounce, no relation to word
  • ex. psych + o in psych/o/logy

suffix - end of word

• changes meaning
• usually indicates pathology, condition, symptom, therapeutic, diagnostic procedure or part of speech (noun vs adj)
  • ex -ectomy in append/ectomy

prefix - beginning of word

• changes meaning
  • not in all med words
• usually indicates number, time, position, measurement, direction or negotiation
  • ex hyper in hyper/tension

3 steps to define:

• suffix, first part of word (wr, cf or p) then define middle part (wr or cf)
  • ex gastr/itis - inflammation of stomach

3 building rules:

• wr links s that begins with a vowel
• cf (root + o) links s that begins with consonant
• cf (root + o) lniks a root to another root to form a compound word