Exhaustive Medical Terminology Study Guide

Page 1

Overview

Initial title page and introductory overview.

Page 2

Chapter 1: Intro to Med Term

Medical terminology relies extensively on Latin and Greek origins.

Rationale for Medical Terminology

• To be clear: Ensures precise standard terminology across medical contexts.
• Communicate quickly: Facilitates fast, unambiguous communication among health professionals.
• Provide comfort to patients: Talking in a professional manner instills confidence so that practitioners seem to know what they are doing.

Language Origins

• Greek:
  • Greeks were the 1st to study Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) and develop theories about medicine.
  • Hippocrates: Known as the "Father of Medicine"; origin of the Hippocratic Oath.
• Latin:
  • Served as the global language of the Scientific Revolution.
  • Represented the 1st universal language in Europe and the United States.
• Dead Languages:
  • Both Greek and Latin are dead languages, meaning they do not change over time.
  • This permanence makes them an ideal, unchanging medium for medical communication.
• Eponyms:
  • Terms named after a person.
  • Derived from -onyma, meaning "name".

Principles of Medical Terminology Pronunciation

• Deconstruction: Terms must be broken down to be understood.
• Pronouncing Terms Correctly:
  • Correct pronunciation depends on placing emphasis on the correct syllable.
  • Pronunciation focuses on the last syllables of a term:
  • Ultima: The last syllable.
  • Penult: The almost last (second to last) syllable.
  • Antepenult: The 3rd to last syllable. Emphasis is usually placed here.

Page 3

Principles of Medical Terminology Components

Structural Components

• Prefix: Positioned at the beginning; descriptive in nature.
• Root: Positioned in the middle; represents the subject (e.g., hepato-).
• Suffix: Positioned at the ending; defines the meaning or condition (e.g., -itis meaning inflammation).
  • Example combining root and suffix: Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).
  • Suffixes can indicate a disease, disorder, condition, procedure, process, specialty, test, etc.

Word Roots

• Functions as the subject or noun of the word.
• Usually refers to body parts, organs, and body fluids.
• Usually followed by a combining vowel (commonly -a- or -o-).
• Root words can have two terms with identical or equivalent meanings:
  • renal and nephro both refer to the kidney.
  • Adrenaline and Epinephrine both refer to hormones secreted by the kidney.
  • Angio- and vaso- both refer to a vessel.
  • Patho- refers to feelings or disease.

Suffix Classifications

• Pertaining to: -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -tic, -ous.
• Condition: -ia, -ism.
• Tissue: -ium.
• Condition or Procedure: -y.
• Small / Diminutive: -icle, -ole, -ule, -ula.

Complex Suffixes

Complex suffixes are formed by combining other suffixes, roots, and prefixes:

• -logist: Specialist in the study of.
• -ist: Specialist.
• -logy: Study of.
• -iatrist: Specialist in medicine of.

Page 4

Suffixes

Medical Science and Condition Suffixes

• -iatry: Medical science.
• -iatrics: Medical science.
• -algia: Pain.
• -dynia: Pain.
• -cele: Hernia.
• -iasis: Presence of.
• -lysis: Loosen / break down.
• -malacia: Abnormal softening.
• -megaly: Enlargement.
• -oid: Resembling.
• -oma: Tumor.
• -osis: Condition.
• -pathy: Disease.
• -penia: Deficiency.
• -ptosis: Drooping.
• -rrhage: Excessive flow.
• -rrhea: Excessive flow.

Test Suffixes

• -centesis: Puncture.
• -gram: Written record.
• -graph: Instrument used to produce a record.
• -graphy: Process of recording.

Page 5

Treatment Suffixes

• -desis: Binding / fixation.
• -pexy: Surgical fixation.
• -plasty: Reconstruction.
• -rrhaphy: Suture.
• -stomy: Creation of an opening.
• -tomy: To cut.

Singular vs. Plural Conversions

• -ex $\rightarrow$ -ices
  • Example: Cortex $\rightarrow$ Cortices
• -ix $\rightarrow$ -ices
  • Example: Appendix $\rightarrow$ Appendices
• -is $\rightarrow$ -es
  • Example: Neurosis $\rightarrow$ Neuroses
• -ma $\rightarrow$ -mata
  • Example: Carcinoma $\rightarrow$ Carcinomata
• -on $\rightarrow$ -a
  • Example: Ganglion $\rightarrow$ Ganglia
• -um $\rightarrow$ -a
  • Example: Bacterium $\rightarrow$ Bacteria
• -us $\rightarrow$ -i
  • Example: Syllabus $\rightarrow$ Syllabi
• -a $\rightarrow$ -ae
  • Example: Larva $\rightarrow$ Larvae

Prefixes

Prefixes denote location, time, speed, and negation.

Speed, Direction, and Negation Prefixes

• a-: Not.
• an-: Not.
• contra-: Against.
• de- / dee-: Down (e.g., dehydration).
• pro-: Before.
• brady-: Slow.
• ab-: Away.
• ad-: Toward.

Page 6

Prefixes (Continued)

Directional, Spatial, and Locational Prefixes

• dia-: Through.
• oligo-: Few.
• peri-: Around.
• circum-: Circle.
• ab-: Away from body.
• ad-: Towards body.
• ect- / exo- / ex-: Out.
• trans-: Across.
• extra-: Outside.
• endo- / en-: Within.
• intra-: Within (e.g., intraosteously).
• epi-: Upon.
• sub-: Beneath.
• inter-: Between.

Quantitative and Relative Size Prefixes

• bi-: Two.
• uni- / mono-: One.
• tri-: Three.
• hemi- / semi-: Half.
• hyper-: Above / high.
• hypo-: Below.
• micro-: Small.
• macro-: Large.
• poly-: Multiple.
• oligo-: Few.

Page 7

Prefixes (Continued)

• pan-: All.
• multi-: Many.
• con- / sym- / syn-: Together or with.
• eu-: Good.
• mal- / dys-: Bad.
• chrom-: Color.

Word Analysis Examples

Fibromyalgia

• Fibro-: Fiber
• My-: Muscle
• -algia: Pain of
• Meaning: Pain of fiber and muscle tissue.

Diplopia

• Diplo-: Two / double
• -opia: Eyes / condition of
• Meaning: Double vision (condition of double eyes).

Bronchogenic Carcinoma

• Broncho-: Lungs / bronchi
• -genic: Origin (genesis)
• Carcin-: Cancer
• -oma: Tumor
• Meaning: Cancerous tumor originating in the lungs or bronchi.