Medical Terminology
Basic Word Structure
What is a medical term?
The majority of medical terms in current use are
composed of Greek and Latin word parts. Most of
the terms related to diagnosis and surgery have
Greek origin, and most anatomic terms come from
Latin.
Example:
1) The word medicine is derived from the Latin
word medicina which means the art, or
science of restoring and preserving health.
2) The word dermatology is derived from the
Greek word derma and means skin.
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Basic Elements of Medical Terms
To analyze medical terms, you need to understand
Four elements that are used to form words. These
four elements are the Root, the Combining form, the
Suffix, and the Prefix.
1) The Root is the main part or foundation of the
word, i.e., GASTRIC.
2) A Combining form is the root plus a vowel.
The vowel, usually / O /, is called a
combining vowel, GASTR/O/SCOPE.
3) The Prefix is a syllable added to the
beginning of the root, ABNORMAL. (AB)
means “away from”
4) The Suffix is a syllable added to the end of
the root or combining form, GASTRIC.
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Example (1)
Root
+
Abdomin
+
“abdomen”
Suffix
AL
“pertaining to”
ABDOMINAL: “pertaining to the abdomen”
Example (2)
Prefix +
Sub
+
“below”
Root
+
Suffix
gastr
“Stomach”
+
ic
“Pertaining to”
SUBGASTRIC: “pertaining to below the stomach”
Example (3)
Root
+ /O/ +
Root
ELECTR Combining
“electricity”
vowel
CARDI
“heart”
+
/O/ +
Suffix
Combining
vowel
GRAM
“record”
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM: “record of the electricity in the heart”
Example (4)
Root
+
GASTR
“stomach”
/O/ +
Combining
vowel
Root
+
/O/ +
Suffix
ENTER
Combining
LOGY
“intestines”
vowel “study of”
GASTROENTEROLOGY: “study of the stomach and the intestines”
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Exercise 1
Complete the following sentences:
1- Word beginnings are called_______________________
2- Word endings are called__________________________
3- The main part of the word is known as_______________
4- A letter linking a suffix and a root, or linking two roots, in a
medical term is called the________________________
5- The combination of a root and a combining vowel is known
as the______________________
Exercise 2
Using slashes divide the following terms into their
component parts and give the meaning for the whole term:
1- gastric___________________________________
2- abdominal________________________________
3- electrocardiogram__________________________
4- subgastric_________________________________
5- gastroenterology____________________________
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