Scribd
Upload
12 views

2_Fundamental Knowledge for Composing and Usage Medical Terminology 1 2

The document provides an overview of medical terminology, emphasizing the importance of understanding its components: word roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes. It explains how these elements combine to form medical terms and offers examples to illustrate their meanings. Additionally, it highlights the use of medical dictionaries as a resource for mastering medical language.

Uploaded by

oralbekova.alua
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views

2_Fundamental Knowledge for Composing and Usage Medical Terminology 1 2

The document provides an overview of medical terminology, emphasizing the importance of understanding its components: word roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes. It explains how these elements combine to form medical terms and offers examples to illustrate their meanings. Additionally, it highlights the use of medical dictionaries as a resource for mastering medical language.

Uploaded by

oralbekova.alua
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 57

Fundamental Knowledge for Medical Terminology

-1-
Learning Objectives

• Understands basic knowledge about medical terminology.

• Explains the way medical terms are created.


Introduction

• Term: Special words of various sciences, art and profession types.


• Terminology: All technical terms in a science or art. It is a combination
of the following;

Terminus + Logos (LOGY)


Term + Science (Science of terms)
Introduction

• For a layperson, learning the medical language may seem difficult.


- But it becomes easier as one learns the origin and meaning of medical
terms.
• For healthcare professionals, it is already second nature.
Introduction

• The origin of medical terms is borrowed from Latin and Greek.


- But it is unnecessary to learn these languages to become experts in
using and understanding medical terms.

• All we need to do is to study and learn word parts.


Introduction

• It is impossible to memorize thousands of words.

• It is possible to memorize the word parts and the rules that will enable
you to build the thousands of words you may need.
Conceptual Framework

• Medical words consist of 4 basic components or word elements;


1. Word roots
2. Combining form
3. Prefixes
4. Suffixes

• Combining these components/elements determines the word’s


meaning.
Word Root
• A word root contains the basic meaning of the term.

• Usually, it indicates the involved body part.

• Adding other word elements to the root, changes the word’s


meaning.
Word Root
• A word root is also called the base of a word and usually has a Greek
or Latin origin.

• All medical words include at least 1 word root.

• Some have multiple roots that are joined by a vowel called a


combining vowel.
Word Root-Example

• In the word cardiologist;


- The word root is cardi, which means “heart.”
- When you see cardi (or card) as part of a word, you know that the
meaning will have something to do with the heart.
Word Root-Example
• In the word dermatologist;
• The root is dermat, which means “skin.”
• Anytime you see dermat (or derm) as part of a word, the meaning will
have something to do with the skin.
Word Root-Example
• Ren • Pharynx
• Nephron • Gaster
• Ure • Cardia
• Tension • Bronch
• Lipid • Intestine
• Glucose • Vas
• Nazus • Splen
• Rinus • Cranium
Combining Form

• A combining form is a word root with a combining vowel added at the


end.

• This vowel is usually an “o”, but occasionally it is an “i”.

• For example, the combining form, meaning stomach, is gastr/o.


Combining Form-Example
• In the word cardiomyopathy;
- Its means “any disease that affects the structure and function of the
heart”.
- There are 2-word roots: cardi (meaning “heart”) and my (meaning
“muscle”).
- These are followed by the “pathy” (suffix), which means “disease.”
Combining Form-Example
• Let’s divide the word cardiomyopathy to understand.
Prefix
• A prefix usually indicates location, time, number or status.

• Prefixes are attached directly to the beginning of the word.

• Prefixes are not a part of all medical words.

• A word part is a prefix when it is shown, followed by a hyphen (-).


Prefix-Example

• The prefix “hyper-” means excessive or increased.

• In the word endocardium, the prefix is “endo-” (which means “within


or inner”).
Prefix-Example
• The term prenatal is created by joining the suffix “-al” to the word
root “nat” and then adding the prefix “pre-”.
Hyper + protein + emia

prefix root suffix


Hyper + Tension • Hyperglycemia
Hyper + glucose + emia

• Hyponatremia
prefix root
Hypo + natrium + emia
a….
⚫ Deficit, absence
⮚ Aplasia: Absent of any organ

an….
*…..without
⮚ Anaemia: Deficiency of red cells in the blood

ante….
⚫ … before something
⮚ Antenatal, before labour
Pre…
⚫ Before
⮚ Preanaesthetic: before anaesthesia

Post…
⚫ After
⮚ Postnatal: After labour

Exo…
⚫ Beyond, out of something
⮚ Exocardial: Out surface of the heart
Anti…
⚫ opposite, against
⮚ Antibiotic: against bacteria

Contra…
⚫ opposite, against
⮚ Contraception: Against pregnancy

circum… peri…
⚫ around
⮚ Circumoral: Around mouth
⮚ Pericardiac: Around heart
extra…
⚫ very much, more
⮚ Extrasistol: More spasm

En…endo
⚫ inside, in
⮚ Encranial: in skull
⮚ Endoderm: The inner part of skin

Ecto…
• out, outside
⮚ Ectoderm: Outer part of the skin
intra…
⚫ inside
⮚ Intraarticular: Inner part of the joint

hemi… semi…
⚫ half
⮚ Hemialgia: Half-body pain
⮚ Semicanal: Half canal

Hyper…
⚫ More, high
⮚ Hyperactivity: Being more active
Hypo…
⚫ under, low
⮚ Hypotension: Low blood pressure

Infra…
⚫ lower, below, under
⮚ infraaxillar: Under the arm

Super…
⚫ more, over,
⮚ Superexciatation: More excitement
Supra…
⚫ bottom, over, on
⮚ Suprarenal: on kidney
Sym…
⚫ together
⮚ Symbiosis: Living together
Syn…
⚫ together, adjoint
⮚ Syndactylia: Adjoint of hand fingers
Tachy…
⚫ Quick, fast
⮚ Tachycardia: Fast heartbeats
Perfect Prefix

• It is a word component or whole word that attaches to the front of a


root.

• It can drastically change the meaning of a word.

• Example-the prefix extra- changes the word ordinary into extraordinary.


Suffix
• A suffix usually indicates the procedure, condition, disorder, or
disease.

• A suffix always comes at the end of the word.

• A word part is a suffix when it is shown with a hyphen (-) preceding it.
Suffix-Example

• The suffix “-itis” means inflammation.


Suffix

• It gives a verb or adjective meaning to a word, and this is the real


meaning.

• It is categorized into 3 groups;


-Simple
-Compound
-Super
Simple Suffix
-ic -ac -itis
Belong to- An infection
Gaster Gaster
Gastr + ic = Gastric Gastr + itis = Gastritis
Cardia Cardia
Cardiac
Carditis
Compound Suffix

Appendix + Ec + tomy
Appendectomy: It is the surgical removal of the appendix.
- The appendix is a worm-shaped hollow pouch attached to the cecum,
the beginning of the large intestine.
Super Suffix

• A super suffix is a word component that attaches to the end of a root.

• It can change the form of a word from an adjective, for instance, into
an adverb.

• You could add the suffix -ly to the extreme to make extremely.
General Rules

• Be aware that not all medical terms are made up of word parts.

• A word root can not stand alone.

• Adding prefixes and suffixes to the roots changes the word’s meaning.
General Rules

• A prefix is placed at the beginning of the word.

• A suffix is placed at the end of the word root.


General Rules

• Using more than 1 word root in a word creates the need for combining
vowels to connect the roots.

• This creates combining forms used in compound words.


General Rules
• Compound words are usually composed in the following order:
- combining form + word root + suffix
• Example
General Rules
• When several combining forms are used, the order is as follows:
- combining form + combining form + word root + suffix
• Example
General Rules

• Knowing the meaning of the word parts often makes it possible to


figure out the definition of an unfamiliar medical term.

• The word parts are separated to determine the meaning of a medical


term.
For the Separation
• Always start at the end of the word with the suffix, and work toward
the beginning.

• Once you separate the word parts, identify the meaning of each.

• Identifying the meaning of each part provides a definition of the


term.
For the Separation
• Be aware that some word parts have more than one meaning.

• If you have any doubts, use a medical dictionary to double-check your


definition.
Seperation-Example
Seperation-Example

• It comprises two combining forms, a word root and a suffix.


• The suffix -ology means the study of.
• The word root laryng means larynx or throat.
• The combining vowel is not used here, because the word root joins a
suffix that begins with a vowel.
• The combining form rhin/o means nose.
• The combining vowel is used here because the word root rhin joins
another word root.
Seperation-Example

• The combining form ot/o means ear.


• The combining vowel is used here because the word root ot is joining
another word root.
• Together they form otorhinolaryngology, which is the study of the
ears, nose, and throat (ot/o means ear, rhin/o means nose, laryng
means throat, and –ology means study of).
• Because this is such a long term, this speciality is frequently referred
to as ENT (ears, nose, and throat).
Medical Dictionary Use
• Using a medical dictionary and other resources to find the definition
of a term is an important part of mastering the correct use of medical
terms.
• There are some sources such as a traditional book-form dictionary or
with electronic dictionary software, websites, or applications on your
computer or mobile devices.
Commonly Used Prefixes, Word Roots and Suffixes

• Knowing certain common prefixes, roots, and suffixes will help to


identify unfamiliar medical terms.
List of the Commonly Used Prefixes,
Word Roots and Suffixes
Thanks for listening

You might also like