MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY
WORD PARTS ARE THE KEY
PREFIX - ROOT - SUFFIX
 All
medical terms can be broken
down into word parts. The three
word parts that you will be
concerned with are the PREFIX,
the ROOT, and the SUFFIX.
 Usually, only two of these parts
are present in a medical term.
KEY PART #1
 The
main body or basic
component of a word is called
the ______ or _______ word.
 ROOT
– (STEM)
ROOTS
 All
words have a ROOT. Even
everyday words have ROOTs. In
medical terms such as hepatomone,
gastrotome, and arthrotome, the hepat
(meaning liver), gastr (meaning
stomach), and arthr (meaning joint)
are the _________.

ROOTS
COMBINING FORM




The part of the word which gives the basic
meaning to the word is called the
___________.
ROOT
Words with a back slash/ and a combining
vowel are called _________ _________.
COMBINING FORM
COMBINING VOWELS

Certain combinations of stems are hard to
pronounce. This awkwardness of
pronunciation makes it necessary to insert
a vowel called a combining vowel.

Usually the combining vowel is an ‘o,’ but
occasionally it may be ‘a,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’ ‘u,’ or ‘y.’
COMBINING VOWEL RULES
1.
2.
3.
4.
ALWAYS USED BETWEEN ROOT
WORDS
USED WHEN SUFFIX HAS
CONSONANT FIRST
NOT USED BETWEEN PREFIX +
ROOT
NOT USED WHEN SUFFIX HAS
VOWEL FIRST
Key Part #2 - PREFIX
The
______ is the part of
the word which comes
_________ the root.
 PREFIX
BEFORE
PREFIX CATEGORIES
Location
 Time
 Amount
 Color
 Negation
 Size
 Position

LOCATION PREFIXES









intra-/endo- __________ within/inside
em-/en__________ within/inside
inter__________ between/among
peri__________ surrounding
ec-/ecto- __________ outside
retro
__________ behind, back of
post
__________ after, behind
supra/hyper _________ above/excessive
sub-/hypo __________ below/less/under
TIME PREFIXES
 ante-
________ before, in front of
 pre-
________ before, in front of
 intra
________ within, inside
 post
_________ after, behind
NUMBER, AMOUNT OR
COMPARISON PREFIXES

Mono

Bi/Bis
Di/Diplo

Tri
Quadri

Multi-/Poly
Hemi-/Semi
NUMBER, AMOUNT OR
COMPARISON PREFIXES

Hypo-
Hyper-

Tachy-
Brady-

Oligo-
COLOR PREFIXES RHYME







An Invitation to Your Love
Oh! Beauty rare with eyes cyano,
Shimmering, shining hair melano,
Pearly teeth, and lips erythro,
Cheeks where only peaches will grow,
Warm and lovely skin so leuko,
Come sit with me and read a book-oh?
SIZE AND POSITION PREFIXES

Micro
 Macro
Mega
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Emesis
is a stem which means
vomit.
 Hyper is a prefix which means
excessive
 Excessive vomiting =
__________.
 Hyperemesis (hi'per-em'e-sis)
PREFIXES AT WORK
 The
prefix intra- means inside
or within.
 Within the abdomen =
_____________
 intra-abdominal (in'trah-abdom'i-nal)
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Em-
and en- are also prefixes
which mean within or inside
 Pus inside a body cavity =
________________________.
 Empyema (em'pi-e'mah)
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Endo-
is also a prefix meaning
within or inside.
 Metro is the root meaning uterus.
 Inflammation inside the uterus =
___________
 Endometritis (en'do-me-tri'tis)
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Inter-
is a prefix meaning
between.
 The root, costal, means ribs.
 muscles within the ribs =
___________.
 intercostal (in'ter-kos'tal
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Peri-
is a prefix which means
around or surrounding.
 Cardio is the stem for heart.
inflammation around the heart =
__________.
 Pericarditis,per'i-kar-di'tis
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Ec-
and ecto- are prefixes which
mean out and outside
 Pertaining to a pregnancy which
occurs outside the uterine cavity
= __________.
 ectopic ek-top'ik
PREFIXES AT WORK
 Retro-
and post- are prefixes
which mean behind.
 located behind the heart
 situated behind the nose.
 Retrocardial ret'ro-kar'de-al
 Postnasalpost-na'zal
PREFIXES AT WORK
Let’s
play
BINGO!
PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "sub" in the word subcutaneous
means:
Joint
Rib
Under
Over

Under




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "brady" in the word bradycardia
means:
Fast
Low
Slow
Few

Slow




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "hydro" in the word hydrophobia
means:
Gas
Water
Air
Liquid

Water




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "a" in the word afebrile means:


Without
Within
Around
In

Without


PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "tachy" in the word tachycardia
means:
Low
Moderate
Fast
Slow

Fast




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "erythro" in the word erythrocyte
means:
Red
Black
Blue
White

Red




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "an" in the word anesthesia
means:
Without
In
Within
With

Without




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "em" in the word empyema
means:
Out
In
Between
Under

In




PREFIX QUIZ

The prefix "oligo" in the word oliguria
means:
Many/much
Small
Large
Few/scanty

Few/scanty




KEY WORD PART #3 - SUFFIX
The
______ is the part of
the word which comes
_________ the root.
SUFFIX
AFTER
PATHOLOGY SUFFIXES








itis – inflammation
oma, cele - tumor
osis, ago, esis, ia, iasis – condition/disease
malacia – abnormal softening
mega(ly) – abnormal enlargement
scler/o – abnormal hardening
sten/o – abnormal narrowing
necr/o – dead
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES


Gastrocele - gas'tro-sel
Hernia or protrusion of the stomach
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

EMIA = BLOOD

LEUKEMIA =

ANEMIA =

HYPO/HYPERGLYCEMIA =
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

Ectasis, ectasia =
dilation, dilatation, or
expansion
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES
Is, iasis = condition,
formation
or presence of
Nephrolithiasis =
nef'ro-li-thi'ah-sis
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

Itis = inflammation

Encephalitis =
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES


Chondr/o = cartilage
Chondromalacia =
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

Hepatosplenomegaly =
hep'ah-to-sple'no-meg'ah-le
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

Arteriosclerosis =
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES


Lipo = fat
Lipoma =
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

disease is - pathy
nu-rop'ah-the
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES

The suffix for prolapse or downward
displacement is ptosis.
blef'ah-ro-to'sis
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES


The suffix for rupture is -rrhexis.
Cardiiiorrhexis =
kar'de-o-rek'sis
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES





trophy - Growth or nourishment
Hypertrophy =
hi-per'tro-fe
DIAGNOSIS SUFFIXES


fear – phobia
Hydrophobia =
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES





ectomy - removal or
excision
salpingo = tube
oophoro = ovary
salpingooophorectomy =
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES




-stomy = surgical creation of an artificial
opening
colostomy =
ko-los'to-me
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES
binding or fixation is desis
Arthrodesis= ar'throde'sis
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES



suspension or fixation = -pexy.
orchiopexy = or'ke-o-pek'se
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES




plastic repair = -plasty.
Tympano = eardrum
Tympanoplasty = tim'pah-no-plas'te
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES


-centesis = puncture
Arthrocentesis =
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES



tomy - incision or
cutting into
Laparotomy =
PROCEDURE SUFFIXES

-rrhaphy = suture
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES





algia = pain. Dentalgia
-genic = producing or originating. Pyogenic
-lysis = destruction or breakdown
Hemolysis
rrhagia = excessive flow or discharge.
Hemorrhage
excessive discharge or flow = -rrhea.
Diarrhea
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Algia = pain
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Lysis = destruction or breakdown
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Rrhagia = bursting forth with excessive flow
or discharge
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Rrhea = flow or discharge
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Penia = deficiency or decrease
SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Spasm = involuntary contraction
PERTAINING TO SUFFIXES






-ic
-ac
-al
-ar
= pertaining to
= pertaining to
= pertaining to
= pertaining to
Examples – intercostal, cardiac, vascular,
dermatotrophic
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-osis" in the word
dermatophytosis means:
 Drooping
 Condition
 Dilation
 Growing
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-megaly" in the word
hepatosplenomegaly means:
 Softening
 Enlargement
 Swelling
 Hardening
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-iasis" in the word
nephrolithiasis means:
 Suspension/fixation
 Protrusion/swelling
 Growth/nourishment
 Condition/presence
of
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-ectomy" in the word salpingooophorectomy means:
 Opening
of
 Excision of
 Inspection of
 Suspension of
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-ic" in the word otoscopic
means:
 pertaining
to
 softening of
 condition of
 repair of
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-centesis" in the word
arthrocentesis means:
 Originating
in
 Pertaining to
 Puncture of
 Destruction of
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-malacia" in the word
chondromalacia means:
 Hardening
 Producing
 Flowing
 Softening
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-desis" in the word arthrodesis
means:
 Puncture
 Fixation
 Dilation
 Enlargement
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-ar" in the word cardiovascular
means:
 Nourishment
 Inspection
of
 Pertaining to
 Softening of
of
SUFFIXES QUIZ

The suffix "-phobia" in the word
hydrophobia means:
 Disease
 Fear
of
of
 Like of
 Opening of
MED TERM CONFUSION???








EPONYM OR ACRONYM
ILEUM OR ILIUM
ARTERI/O, ATHER/O OR ARTHR/O
INFECTION OR INFLAMMATION
SIGN OR SYMPTOM
DIAGNOSIS OR PROGNOSIS
MUCOUS OR MUCUS
LACERATION OR LESION
MED TERM CONFUSION???








MYC/O, MYEL/O OR MY/O
OLOGIST OR OLOGY
OSTOMY OR OTOMY
PALPATION OR PALPITATION
PROSTATE OR PROSTRATE
PYEL/O, PY/O OR PYR/O
SUPINATION OR SUPPURATION
VIRAL OR VIRILE
WORD PARTS – MED TERM
LET’S
FIND OUT
WHAT WE KNOW

Group Test!