Medical Terminology Notes
Medical Terminology
Origins of Medical Terms
- Most medical terms come from Greek and Latin.
- Organ names often have Latin roots.
- Diseases and procedures affecting organs commonly have Greek roots.
- Some terms are modern, named after the person who discovered the illness or procedure (eponyms).
Prefixes
- Provide details about a specific area of an organ.
- Give information about the parts involved.
- A prefix is always located at the beginning of a word.
- Not every medical term has a prefix.
Common Medical Suffixes
- Ectomy: Removal
- Itis: Inflammation
- Edema: Swelling
- Dynia: Pain
Eponyms
- A term named after the person who discovered the illness or procedure.
Acronyms
- An abbreviation formed from the initial letter(s) of a word or phrase.
Prefixes Defined
- A unit of meaning attached to the front of a word.
Root Words
- The core or foundation of the word’s meaning.
- All medical terms have at least one root.
- A root is the only part that can sometimes “live” by itself as a separate word.
Combining Vowels
- In medical terminology, a word part added to the end of the root without changing the meaning.
- The root and combining vowel together.
- Many combining forms name body parts.
Suffixes
- The unit of meaning attached to the end of the word.
- Generally turns a word into a diagnosis or medical procedure.
- Can change the part of speech from a noun to an adjective.
Rules for Adding Suffixes
- If the suffix begins with a consonant, add it directly to the combining form.
- If the suffix starts with a vowel, you typically don’t need to use the combining vowel.
- You’ll need to use the combining vowel if the suffix starts with a consonant.
Root Word Meaning
- A root provides the overall meaning of the medical term.
Examples of Prefixes in Medical Terms
- Hypoglycemia: Contains the prefix "hypo"
- Dysphagia: Contains the prefix "dys"
- Antibiotic: Contains the prefix "anti"
- Hyperthyroidism: Contains the prefix "hyper"
- Bradycardia: Contains the prefix "brady" meaning slow