Medical Terminology Review

Medical Terminology

Word Elements

  • Medical terms are built from word roots, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes.
  • Word Root: The foundation of the word, usually indicating a body part (e.g., tonsil in tonsillitis).
  • Combining Form: Word root + vowel (usually 'o', sometimes 'i' or 'e') used to join elements (e.g., arthro, gastro, neuro).
  • Suffix: Added to the end of a word to modify its meaning, often describing a pathology, symptom, procedure, or part of speech.
  • Prefix: Added to the beginning of a word, indicating number, time, position, direction, or negation.

Combining Forms

  • Used when the suffix begins with a consonant (e.g., arthrocentesis).
  • Examples: arthro (joint), gastro (stomach), neuro (nerve).
  • If the suffix begins with a vowel, it is linked to a word root (e.g., arthritis).

Prefixes

  • Indicate number, time, position, direction, or negation.
  • Examples:
    • Pre- (before), post- (after) as in prenatal and postnatal.
    • a- (without) before a consonant (e.g., amastia).
    • an- (without) before a vowel (e.g., anesthesia).
    • endo- and intra- (within).

Suffixes

  • Describe pathology, symptom, surgical/diagnostic procedure, or part of speech.
  • Surgical suffixes: -centesis, -clasis, -lysis (e.g., arthrocentesis, osteoclasis, thrombolysis).
  • Diagnostic suffixes: -gram, -graph, -scope, -scopy (e.g., electrocardiogram, electrocardiograph, endoscope, endoscopy).
  • Pathological suffixes: -algia, -cele, -edema, -malacia (e.g., neuralgia, hepatocele, lymphedema, chondromalacia).

Plural Forms

  • -ma to -mata (e.g., sarcoma to sarcomata).
  • -us to -i (e.g., thrombus to thrombi).
  • -ix to -ices (e.g., appendix to appendices).
  • -um to -a (e.g., diverticulum to diverticula).
  • -y to -ies (e.g., ovary to ovaries).
  • -is to -es (e.g., diagnosis to diagnoses).
  • -en to -ina (e.g., lumen to lumina).
  • -a to -ae (e.g., vertebra to vertebrae).
  • -ax to -aces (e.g., thorax to thoraces).

Defining Medical Words

  1. Define the suffix.
  2. Define the first part (word root, combining form, or prefix).
  3. Define the middle parts (word root or combining form).
    • Example: Osteoarthritis (inflammation of bones and joints).

Building Medical Words

  • Word root + suffix (beginning with a vowel) (e.g., append + ectomy = appendectomy).
  • Combining form + suffix (beginning with a consonant) (e.g., colono + scope = colonoscope).
  • Combining form + word root (compound word) (e.g., osteo + chondr + itis = osteochondritis).