d - MCAT Test

Chapter 1: Concepts of

Medical Terminology

Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Chapter Objectives

• Purpose of medical terminology.

• Terms: root, suffix, and prefix.

• Combining forms and why they are used.

• Languages from which most medical word parts are derived.

• Pronouncing words according to the pronunciation guide

• Some features of medical dictionaries.


Key Terms acronym An abbreviation formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase combining form A word root combined with a vowel to link the root with a suffix. Combining forms are shown with a slash between the root and the vowel, as in neur/o .

compound word A word that contains more than one root prefix A word part added before a root to modify its meaning root suffix

The fundamental unit of a word

A word part added to the end of a root to modify its meaning


Concepts of Medical Terminology

• Special vocabulary used by health care professionals for effective and accurate communication

• Based on Latin and Greek words

• Consistent and uniform throughout the world


Word Parts

• Root

– Fundamental unit of each medical word

– Establishes basic meaning of word

– Part to which prefixes and suffixes are added


Word Parts (cont’d)



• Suffix

– Short word part or parts added to the end of a word

– Modifies the meaning of the root

– Indicated by a dash before the suffix (-itis)



•

Prefix

-Short word part added before a root

-Modifies the meaning of the root

-Followed by a dash (pre-)



• Begin with “learn”

– Learn + -er = one who learns

– Re + learn = to learn again

• Greek word for heart is kardia

– Forms word root cardi

• Latin word for lung is pulmo

– Forms word root pulm


Combining Forms


Combining Forms (cont’d)

• Insert an ‘o’ before a suffix beginning with a consonant when added to a root

– -logy = “study of”

– Neur = “nerve or nervous system”

• Neur + o + logy = neurology (study of the nervous system)



• Roots shown with a combining vowel are called combining forms

– Vowels added after a slash

– Called roots

– Neur/o

• Combining vowel omitted if suffix begins with a vowel

• Neur + itis = neuritis (inflammation of a nerve)




Word Derivations

• Most word parts derived from Greek (G) and Latin (L)

– Muscle is Latin for ‘mouse’

– Coccyx named for the cuckoo’s bill


Words Ending in x

• When you add a suffix to a wording ending in x, the x is changed to a g or a c

– If there is a consonant before the x, the x is changed to a g (pharynx becomes pharyngeal)

– If a vowel comes before the x, the x is changed to a

c (thorax becomes thoracotomy)


Suffix Beginning with rh

• When you add a suffix beginning with rh to a root, the r is doubled

– Hem/o (blood) + -rhage (bursting forth) = hemorrhage (a bursting forth of blood)


Pronunciation

• Use phonetic pronunciations provided

• Repeat words aloud

• Pronunciations may change when parts are combined


Pronunciation (cont’d)

• Vowels with no pronunciation marks get short pronunciation

– ‘a’ as in hat

• Short line over vowel gives it long pronunciation

– ‘ā’ as in say

• Accented syllable indicated with capital letters

– as in AK-sent


Soft and Hard c and g

• Soft c, as in racer = (RĀ-ser)

• Hard c, as in candy = (KAN-dē)

• Soft g, as in page, written as j = (pāj)

• Hard g, as in grow = (grō)


Silent Letters and Unusual Pronunciations

• Silent letters and unusual pronunciations can be a problem, especially if they appear at the start of a word


Word and Phrase Abbreviations

• Can save time

• May cause confusion

• Acronym = abbreviation formed from first letter of each word in a phrase

– ASAP = as soon as possible


Symbols

• Used as shorthand in case histories

• ® = right

•  = increase


Test

1.

The main part of a word is called the:

(a) origin

(b) prefix

(c) root

(d) extension


Test

1.

The main part of a word is called the:

(a) origin

(b) prefix

(c) root

(d) extension


Pretest

2.

A word part at the beginning of a word is a(n):

(a) prefix

(b) combining form

(c) preview

(d) root


Pretest

2.

A word part at the beginning of a word is a(n):

(a) prefix

(b) combining form

(c) preview

(d) root


Test

3.

A word part at the end of a word is the:

(a) vowel

(b) adjective

(c) insertion

(d) suffix


Test

3.

A word part at the end of a word is the:

(a) vowel

(b) adjective

(c) insertion

(d) suffix


Test

4.

Most medical words are derived from the languages:

(a) French and Italian

(b) Greek and Latin

(c) English and German

(d) Greek and Arabic


Test

4.

Most medical words are derived from the languages:

(a) French and Italian

(b) Greek and Latin

(c) English and German

(d) Greek and Arabic


Test

5.

The adjective form of cervix, meaning “neck,” is:

(a) cervical

(b) cervixal

(c) cervous

(d) cerviral


Test

5.

The adjective form of cervix, meaning “neck,” is:

(a) cervical

(b) cervixal

(c) cervous

(d) cerviral


Test

6.

The ch in the word chemistry is pronounced like the letter:

(a) s

(b) h

(c) k

(d) f


Test

6.

The ch in the word chemistry is pronounced like the letter:

(a) s

(b) h

(c) k

(d) f


Test

7.

The ps in the word psychology is pronounced like the letter:

(a) p

(b) s

(c) j

(d) k


Test

7.

The ps in the word psychology is pronounced like the letter:

(a) p

(b) s

(c) j

(d) k


Test

8. The pn in the word pneumonia is pronounced like the letter:

(a) p

(b) u

(c) m

(d) n


Test

8. The pn in the word pneumonia is pronounced like the letter:

(a) p

(b) u

(c) m

(d) n


9.

The symbol ® means:

(a) right

(b) review

(c) redirect

(d) register

Test


9.

The symbol ® means:

(a) right

(b) review

(c) redirect

(d) register

Test


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