Exploring Medical Language - Chapter 1: Introduction to Medical Language

Chapter 1: Introduction to Medical Language

• Importance of Understanding Chapter 1

  • Chapter 1 is the most important chapter in the text because it introduces word parts—word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combining vowels—and the rules for combining them to build medical terms.
  • You will use this information in each subsequent chapter to analyze, build, define, and spell terms built from word parts.

• Lesson 1.1 Medical Language — Objectives

  • Describe the origins of medical language.
  • Define two categories of medical terms.
  • Identify and define the four word parts and the combining form.
  • Analyze and define medical terms using the meanings of word parts.
  • Build medical terms using the meanings of word parts.

• What is Medical Terminology?

  • Specialized vocabulary used for communication among healthcare professionals.

• Origins of Medical Language

  • Greek and Latin word parts
  • Eponyms — derived from the name of a person or place
  • Acronyms — formed from the first letters of words in a phrase
  • Modern Language — derived from the English language

• Categories of Medical Terms

  • Terms built from word parts
  • Terms NOT built from word parts

• Medical Terms Built from Word Parts (1 of 2)

  • Word Roots (WR)
  • Suffixes (S)
  • Prefixes (P)
  • Combining vowel (CV)

• Medical Terms Built from Word Parts (2 of 2)

  • Recap: Four Word Parts (WR, S, P, CV)

• Four Word Parts

  • 1. Word Root (WR): fundamental meaning of a medical term
  • 2. Suffix (S): attached to the end of a medical term to modify its meaning
  • 3. Prefix (P): attached to the beginning of a medical term to modify its meaning
  • 4. Combining Vowel (CV): used to ease pronunciation; usually an “o”

• Combining Vowel Guidelines (1 of 2)

  • 1. When connecting a word root and a suffix, a combining vowel is USED if the suffix DOES NOT BEGIN with a vowel.
  • 2. When connecting a word root and a suffix, a combining vowel is USUALLY NOT USED if the suffix BEGINS with a vowel.

• Combining Vowel Guidelines (2 of 2)

  • 3. When connecting two word roots, a combining vowel is USUALLY USED even if vowels are present at the junction.
  • 4. When connecting a prefix and a word root, a combining vowel is NOT USED.

• Combining Form

  • Word root with its combining vowel attached
  • arthr/o (example of a combining form)

• Word Parts List (1 of 3)

  • Word roots: arthr = joint; hepat = liver; ven = vein; oste = bone

• Word Parts List (2 of 3)

  • Suffixes: -itis = inflammation; -ic = pertaining to; -ous = pertaining to; -pathy = disease; -megaly = enlargement

• Word Parts List (3 of 3)

  • Prefixes: intra- = within; sub- = under
  • Combining vowel: o

• Techniques for Learning Medical Terms Built From Word Parts

  • Analyzing
  • Defining
  • Building

• Analyzing (1 of 4)

  • Example term: arthropathy

• Analyzing (2 of 4)

  • Divide the term into word parts with slashes: arthr/o/pathy

• Analyzing (3 of 4)

  • Label each word part: WR = word root, CV = combining vowel, S = suffix, P = prefix
  • Example labeling: WR CV S arthr/o/pathy

• Analyzing (4 of 4)

  • Label each combining form: CF
  • Example: arthr/o/pathy CF: arthr/o

• Defining

  • Apply definition of word parts: -pathy = disease; arthr/o = joint
  • Therefore: arthr/o/pathy = disease of the joint

• Building (1 of 3)

  • Place word parts together
  • Beginning of the definition usually indicates the suffix
  • Add combining vowel

• Building (2 of 3)

  • Term meaning disease of the joint: arthr/o/path(y) [conceptual presentation of the construction; final term is arthr/o/pathy]

• Building (3 of 3)

  • Final arrangement: arthr / o / pathy
  • WR CV S

• Medical Terms NOT Built from Word Parts (1 of 2)

  • Eponyms — Alzheimer disease
  • Acronyms — AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)

• Medical Terms NOT Built from Word Parts (2 of 2)

  • Modern language — Complete blood count with differential
  • Terms from Greek and Latin not easily translated — Orthopedics