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Medical Terminology

This document provides an overview of medical terminology and how terms are constructed. It discusses the main word parts used in medical terminology including roots, suffixes, and prefixes. Roots often indicate body parts or conditions, suffixes indicate processes or conditions, and prefixes indicate location or number. Examples are provided for many common word parts. Guidelines are offered for combining word parts to form terms. Context is given for look-alike and sound-alike terms that could be confused. The origin of medical terminology in Latin and Greek is also briefly addressed.

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Ardi Widiatmika
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286 views

Medical Terminology

This document provides an overview of medical terminology and how terms are constructed. It discusses the main word parts used in medical terminology including roots, suffixes, and prefixes. Roots often indicate body parts or conditions, suffixes indicate processes or conditions, and prefixes indicate location or number. Examples are provided for many common word parts. Guidelines are offered for combining word parts to form terms. Context is given for look-alike and sound-alike terms that could be confused. The origin of medical terminology in Latin and Greek is also briefly addressed.

Uploaded by

Ardi Widiatmika
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

dr. Siti Farida I.T. Santyowibowo, SpM MEU Univ. Mataram Mataram

The WORD PARTS


Root word:
The basic meaning of the word, usually, but not always, indicate the involved part of the body

Suffix:
Comes at the end of the word. Usually, but not always, indicate procedure, condition, disorder, or disease

Prefix:
Always comes at the beginning of the word. Usually, but not always, indicate location, time, number, or status

WORD ROOTS
Indicating body parts:
Myel/o (spinal cord) My/o (muscle) Oste/o (bone) Myel/o (bone marrow) Neur/o (nerve) Arthr/o (joint)

WORD ROOTS
Indicating color
Cyan/o: blue Cyanosis= blue discoloration of the skin (cyano=blue, -osis=condition Erythr/o: red Erythrocyte= mature red cells (erythr/o= red, cytes= cells) Leuk/o: white Leukocytes = white blood cells (leuk/o= white, -cytes= cells)

WORD ROOTS
Melan/o: black Melanosis = any condition of unusual deposits of black pigment (melan/o= black, -osis= condition) Poli/o: gray Poliomyelitis = a viral infection of the gray matter of the spinal cord (poli/o= gray, myel= spinal cord, -itis= inflammation)

Word Root Guidelines


A word root cannot stand alone Combining vowels apply when adding suffixes to word root Prefixes are placed at the beginning of the word, combining vowels are unnecessary

Word Root Guidelines

Neur/o + plasty: combining vowel o = Neuroplasty Neur/o + itis: combining vowel not used, = Neuritis Gastr/o + enter/o = gastroenter Gastr/o + enter/o + itis = gastroenteritis A prefix is added to the word root without a combining vowel

SUFFIXES
Meaning Pertaining to Changes the word root into an adjective
Cardi cardiac

Examples
-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal,- ical, -ial, -ic -ine, -ior, -ory, -ous, -tic Abdominal, pulmonary, brachial, colonic

SUFFIXES
Suffixes as noun endings Changes the root into a noun
Crani + -um = cranium

Examples:
-a, -e, -um, -us, -y

SUFFIXES
Meaning abnormal condition/ disease Gastr/o + osis = gastrosis Examples:
-ago, -esis, -ia, -iasis, -osis, -ion, -ism, Lithiasis, diathesis, uremia, botulism

SUFFIXES
Suffixes related to pathology Pathology = the study of disease Examples:
-algia, -dynia, -itis, -malacia, -megaly, -necrosis, -sclerosis, -stenosis Cephalgia, acrodynia, gastritis, keratomalacia, arterionecrosis, hepatomegaly, arteriosclerosis, arteriostenosis

SUFFIXES
Suffixes related to Procedures Examples:
-centesis, -ectomy. graphy, -gram, plasty, -scopy Amniocentesis, thyroidectomy, arteriography, arteriogram, labioplasty, endoscopy

SUFFIXES
Double RRs -rrhage/ -rrhagia: bursting forth -rrhaphy: to suture or stitch -rrhea: abnormal discharge or flow of body fluids -rrhexis: rupture

PREFIXES
A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to change the meaning of that term Prefixes usually indicate location, time, or number Example:
Natal = pertaining to birth Prenatal= the time and events before birth Perinatal= the time and events surrounding birth Postnatal= the time and events after birth

Contrasting and Confusing Prefixes


Ab-: away from
Abnormal: not normal, away from normal

Ad-: toward, in the direction of


Addiction: drawn toward or a strong dependence on a drug of substance

Dys-: bad, difficult, painful


Dysfunctional: an organ/ part not working properly

Eu-: good, normal, well, easy


Euthyroid: a normally functioning thyroid gland

Contrasting and Confusing Prefixes


Hyper-: excessive or increase Hypertension: blood pressure that is higher than normal Hypo-: deficient or decreased Hypotension: blood pressure that is lower than normal Inter-: between or among Interstitial: between, but not within parts of a tissue Intra-: within or inside Intramuscular: within the muscle Sub-: under, less, below Subcostal: below a rib or ribs Supra-: above or excessive Supracostal: above or outside the ribs

Determining meanings on the basis of word parts


Otorhinolaryngology:
Ear Nose Larynx Study of Nerve Choroid Retina Inflammation

Neurochorioretinitis:

SPELLING: forming plurals


-a -ex/ -ix -is -ae -ices -es Bursa
Appendix Diagnosis

bursae
appendices diagnoses

-itis
-nx -on

-ides
-ges -a

Meningitis
Phalanx Criterion

meningitides
phalanges criteria

-um
-us

-a
-i

Diverticulum
Alveolus

diverticula
alveoli

LOOK ALIKE, SOUND ALIKE TERMS AND WORD PARTS

Arteri/o, ather/o, athr/o Ileum, ilium Infection, inflammation Laceration, lesion Mucous, mucus Myc/o, myel/o, my/o -ologist, -ology -ostomy, -otomy

LOOK ALIKE, SOUND ALIKE TERMS AND WORD PARTS

Palpation, palpitation Prostate, prostrate Pyel/o, py/o, pyr/o Supination, suppuration Suturing, ligation Triage, trauma Viral, virile

Origin of Words
Latin Greek others

Root words
Body part Abdomen Blood Bone Brain Eyelid Kidney Nose Greek root Lapar/oHaemat-/hemat-/ haem-

Latin Root AbdominSanguiOssiCerebr/o PalpebrRenNas-

Oste/o Encephal/o BlepharoNephroRhino-

Things to do
Look for more words and find their meanings

REFERENCE
Ehrlich, A.; Schroeder, C.L.; (2004) Introduction to Medical Terminology, Thomson - Delmar Learning, Canada

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