PHARMACEUTICAL
TERMINOLOGY
Chapter 4
TERMINOLOGY
Medicine has a language of its own, and its
vocabulary includes terms built from Greek and
Latin word parts, eponyms, acronyms and
modern language.
 The majority of medical terms come from Greek
and Latin word parts, some of which were used
by Hippocrates and Aristotle more than 2400
years ago.

WORD ROOTS

A word root is the word part that is the core of
the word, it contains the fundamental meaning of
the word.
Card
 Cyst
 Gastr

heart
bladder
stomach
SUFFIX

A suffix is a word part attached to the end of the
word root to modify its meaning.

Cardi/ac

-ac is a suffix meaning pertaining to
PREFIX

A prefix is a word part attached to the beginning
of a word root to modify its meaning.

Sub/hepat/ic
Sub- is a prefix that means under
 Hepat – is a word root
 -ic is a suffix meaning pertaining to

COMBINING VOWELS

A combining vowel is a word part, usually an ‘o’
and used to ease pronunciation

A combining vowel is:




Placed to connect two word roots
 Oste/o/arthr/itis
Placed to connect a word root and a suffix
 Arthr/o/plasty
Not used to connect a prefix and a word root
 prenatal
Not used when the suffix begins with a vowel
 Hepat/ic
ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The cardiovascular system pumps and
transports blood throughout the body. It consists
of the heart and blood vessels.
 The heart pumps blood containing oxygen and
nutrients to the body tissues through the
arteries.
 The blood carrying carbon dioxide and waste is
carried from the tissues through the veins to
organs of excretion.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The Endocrine system regulates body activities
through the use of chemical messengers called
hormones. When released into the bloodstream
hormones influence metabolic activities, growth,
and development.
 Hormones are excreted by endocrine glands and
transported throughout the body.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The digestive system (gastrointestinal tract), is
made up of several digestive organs. The organs
connect to form a continuous passageway from
the mouth to the anus.
 With the help of accessory organs, the digestive
tract prepares ingested food for use by the body
cells through physical and chemical digestion and
elimination

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The integumentary system is composed of the
skin, nails, and glands. The skin forms a
protective covering for the body that, when
unbroken, prevents entry of bacteria and other
invading organisms.
 The skin also protects the body from water loss,
damaging effects of ultraviolet light, and
regulates body temperature.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The lymphatic system has three functions: to
return excessive tissue fluid to the blood, absorb
fats and fat-soluable vitamins from the small
intestine and transport them to the blood, and
provide defense against
infection
Organ System
Terminology
 The lymphatic system is a network of vessels,
ducts, nodes, and organs.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The functions of the muscular system are
movement, posture, joint stability and heat
production.
 The body contains more than 600 muscles which
give shape and movement to it.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The nervous system and the endocrine systems work
together to regulate and control other body systems.
 The nervous system has two parts

The peripheral nervous system – made up of the cranial
nerves, which carry impulses between the brain, neck,
head, spinal nerves which carry messages between the
spinal cord and abdomen, limbs, and chest.
 The central nervous system – consists of the brain and
spinal cord.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The functions of the skeletal system are to provide a
framework for the body, to protect the soft body parts
such as the brain, store calcium, and produce blood
cells.
 There are 206 bones in the body which are held
together at joints by connective tissue called ligaments
and cartilage.

A tendon is connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones
 A ligament is connective tissue that attaches one bone to
another at a joint

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The female reproductive system produces the
female egg cells (ovum) and hormones (estrogen and
progesterone) and also provides for menstruation,
conception, and pregnancy.
 The function of the male reproductive system is to
produce, sustain, and transport sperm, the male
reproductive cell, and to secrete the male hormone
testosterone.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The function of the respiratory system is the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the
atmosphere and body cells. This process is called
respiration.
 Inhalation brings air into the lungs and exhalation
expels air from the lungs.
 Respiration, or breathing, normally occurs every 3 to 5
seconds.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
The urinary system removes waste material from
the body, regulates fluid volume and maintains
electrolyte concentration in the body fluid.
 Urine is produced as plasma water is filtered. Urine
leaves the kidney through the ureters, collects in the
bladder, and is excreted through the urethra.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
Senses: Hearing – the functions of the ear are to
hear and provide the sense of balance. The ear is
made up of three parts, the external ear, the middle
ear and the inner ear.
 We hear because sound waves vibrate through the ear
where they are transformed into nerve impulses that
are then carried to the brain.

ORGAN SYSTEM TERMINOLOGY
Senses: Eye – The eyes are organs of vision and are
located in a bony protective cavity of the skull called
the orbit.
 The eyelids protect and lubricate the eye.
 The conjunctiva is the membrane between the eye and
the eyelid. Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the
conjunctiva) is also known as “pink eye.”
