Lecture Notes: Combining Forms, Word Roots, and Suffixes

Combining Form Basics

  • A combining form is not one of the 4 word parts; it is a combination of the word root + combining vowel.
  • The textbook presents word roots as combining forms so that you know which combining vowel to use; it is almost always an o.
  • Example: Cardi/o

Common Combining Forms

  • bi/o = life
  • carcin/o = cancer
  • cardi/o = heart
  • enter/o = small intestine
  • gastr/o = stomach
  • hemat/o = blood
  • neur/o = nerve
  • path/o = disease
  • pulmon/o = lung
  • These are a small portion of the combining forms you will need to know. A complete list can be found in the textbook.
  • Word parts are not chapter-specific; these will be used throughout the semester.

Word Roots

  • Foundational meaning of the word
  • 1 or more word roots in a Medical Term
  • Multiple word roots - ALWAYS use the combining vowel between word roots
  • Examples:
    • Cardiopulmonary = cardi/o + pulmon + ary
    • Tracheolaryngobronchitis = trache/o + laryng/o + bronch + itis
    • Gastroenteritis = gastr/o + enter + itis
  • For clarity with notation:
    • Cardiopulmonary = cardi/o+pulmon+ary\text{cardi/o} + \text{pulmon} + \text{ary}
    • Tracheolaryngobronchitis = trache/o+laryng/o+bronch+itis\text{trache/o} + \text{laryng/o} + \text{bronch} + \text{itis}
    • Gastroenteritis = gastr/o+enter+itis\text{gastr/o} + \text{enter} + \text{itis}

Suffixes

  • Suffixes modify/add information to the term.
  • Rules to follow:
    • If a suffix starts with a vowel, DO NOT use the combining vowel.
    • If a suffix starts with a consonant, USE the combining vowel.
  • Examples:
    • -itis: cardiitis, tendonitis, hepatitis
    • -logy: cardiology, pulmonology, terminology

Suffixes: Categories and Examples

  • Categories: Common, Adjective, Surgical, Procedural
  • Common suffixes:
    • -algia = pain
    • -cyte = cell
    • -genesis = produces
    • -oma = tumor
    • -opsy = view of
    • -osis = abnormal condition
    • -sclerosis = hardening
    • -ectomy = surgical removal
    • -otomy = cutting into
    • -pexy = surgical fixation
    • -plasty = surgical repair
    • -tome = instrument to cut
  • These are just a small sample of suffixes in chapter 1. A complete list can be found in the textbook.
  • Adjective suffixes: examples and details are not listed in the transcript; refer to the textbook for the full set.
  • Procedural suffixes: examples and details are not listed in the transcript; refer to the textbook for the full set.
  • Practical note: Suffixes help indicate the type of process, condition, or procedure described by the term.