Learning Medical Terminology
Recognizing the
Stems/Prefixes/Suffixes
Prepared by E. Phufas
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It’s all Greek (or Latin) to me!
Learning and understanding the roots of most words in the
field of Health and Medicine can help you to understand
what is being discussed ORIGIN OF MEDICAL TERMS
Hippocrates was a Hippocrates was a Greek physician and
is known as the is known as the “father of medicine.”
75% of medical terms are based on terms are based
on either Greek or Latin words.
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Two basic rules for building medical
words:
Rule 1: A stem word (the main
meaning) is used before a
suffix that begins with a vowel
 Scler/ + Osis = Sclerosis =
(hardening) (abnormal
condition)
 Rule 2: A combining vowel –
usually an o (Sometimes ‘a,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’
‘u,’ or ‘y.’is used to link a stem
word to a suffix that begins with a
consonant and to link a stem word
to another stem word to form a
compound word.
 Colon + o + scope = colonoscope
(colon) (instrument to view)
Colon + o + scopy = the procedure
Sclerosis
Colonoscopy
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Stem (or root) words – main stem (part) of word and can appear at the beginning
(prefix) in the middle or at the end of the word (suffix)
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cardi
gastr or ventr
hepat
nephr or ren
oste or ossi
thorac or steth
arthr
cyt
colp
derm
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
heart
stomach
liver
kidney
bone
chest
joint
root for cell
vagina
skin
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Compound Words
A combining vowel is used to link a stem word
to another stem word to another one for a
compound word such as:
Gastr + o + enter = itis = gastroenteritis
(stomach) (intestine) (inflammation)
Oste + o + arthr + itis = osteoarthritis
(bone) (joint) (inflammation)
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Suffixes pt 1
 A suffix is a word ending. Changing the suffix gives
medical words a new meaning.
 Usually indicates a procedure, condition, disorder
or disease.
 Most suffixes are derived from Greek
or Latin words.
(A suffix that is well known is – ology – the study of)
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What is a SUFFIX part 2
A suffix is the word ending that follows the
word stem and changes its changes its
meaning.
A suffix often indicates the:
procedure
condition
disorder
disease
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Suffixes – terms used in surgery
Notice the connecting vowel
 Enterotomy
 Appendectomy
 Gastrorrhaphy
 Cystoplasty
 Steatorrhea
 Tomy – cut or incision
 Rhaphy- sewing
 Plasty – molding/repair
 Rhea - discharge
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Quick review of surgical terms
 Nephrotomy is…
 Incision of the kidney
 Gastroplasty is…
 Surgical operation for morbid
obesity that changes the shape
of the stomach
 Colporrhaphy is…
 surgical repair of a defect in
the vaginal wall
 Appendectomy is…
 Removal/cutting of appendix
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Source: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp
Suffixes = word endings
Arthr/o + centesis = arthrocentesis
(joint) (puncture)
Thorac/o + -tomy = thoracotomy
(chest) (incision)
Gastro/o + -megaly = gastromegaly
(stomach) (enlargement)
Colon/o + -scopy = colonoscopy
(colon) (see/search)
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Suffix-disease/change in body/used
for diagnoses
Hepatitis: hepa - liver; itis- inflammation of
Splenomegaly: Spleno – spleen; megalylarge
Acrophobia: acro – edge; phobia- fear of
Artheriosclerosis: atherio-artery; sclerosishardening of
Cardiogram: cardio-heart; gram - record or
write
Laparoscopy: laparo-abdomen; scopy- to
look in or search
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PREFIXES
A prefix is a word element located at the beginning of
a word.
 Prefixes can alter the meaning of the
word.
 Usually indicates a number, time,position, direction,
color, or sense of negation.
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prefix means before/in front
 peri - prefix means
around
 hemi - prefix means
half
 micro - prefix means
small
 Neo - prefix means
new
 a part of the word part
of the word that
precedes word root
and changes its
changes
 Often indicates
location, time, or
number.
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Some Prefixes
Peri + cardio + logy = pericardiology
(around) (heart-pericardium) (study of)
Hyper + therm + -ia = hyperthermia
(excessive) ( heat) (condition)
Intra + muscul + -ar = intramuscular
(in, within) (muscle) (relating to)
Macro + gloss + -ia = macroglossia
(large - enlargement) (tongue) (condition)
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Cardi ---?
Do you remember what cardi
means? – it is a root that means
…
 -ogist – suffix that means one
who
 -ology – is a suffix that means the
study of
----------------------------------------------So
Cardiology is…
Cardiologist is…
heart.
the study of
the heart.
one who
studies the
heart.
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Review quiz – 10 questions
1.
All medical terms can be broken down into
word parts. The three word parts are the
prefix, the stem (root), and the suffix.
Usually, only two of these parts are present
in a medical term. The word parts, then, of
a medical term may include the
_________, the stem, and the suffix.
prefix
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2.
The part of the word which gives
basic meaning to the word is
called the ___________.
the
stem
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3. Dermatology is
_____________________________.
The study of skin
The branch of medicine concerned with the
study of the skin, diseases of the skin, and the
relationship of cutaneous lesions to systemic
disease
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=23
957
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4. Osteo is a stem which means bone. A
person who has osteo-arthritis, for
example, has inflammation of the ______
and joint.
bone
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5. Rhino and naso are stems which mean
nose. A person who has rhinitis has
inflammation of the __________.
nose
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6. So…rhinoplasty is
____________________________.
Surgery to reshape the nose
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline
plus/ency/article/002983.htm
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7. Nephritis is
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/ar
ticle/000464.htm
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8. Laryngo is a stem meaning
larynx or voice box. A
laryngoscopy is an
examination of the interior of
the __________.
Larynx
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9. Phlebo and veno are stems which mean
vein. A phlebectomy is the
_____________________________
Surgical removal of veins such as
varicose veins on the surface of the
legs.
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10. Arterio is a stem which means artery. A
person who has arteriosclerosis has
________________________.
Hardening of the arteries
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There are many sources for medical terminology on the internet. Always
consult your instructor for recommended ones.
http://medlineplus.gov/
http://www.medic8.com/MedicalDictionary.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp
http://www.medicinenet.com/diseases_and_cond
itions/article.htm
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