Introduction to Medical Terminology Notesheet
To understand medical terminology, it is essential to understand the process of___________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________.
Analysis of words will make medical terminology easier to ____________________________________________.
Word parts generally come from two language origins:
_________________ and _________________
5 BASIC WORD PARTS:
1.Root words 2. Suffixes
3. Prefixes
4. Combining vowel
5. Combining form
1. Root Word- ___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________.
Examples:
cardi cephal –
gastr –
cyt –
thoracA medical term can have one or more root words. (Ex. – cardi/o/thorac/ic - _____________________________
_________________________________________________.)
2. Suffixes- _______________________________________________________________ _______________
_______________________________________________________________. Read from the suffix
backwards to the root word for the correct meaning. Suffixes can be nouns or adjectives.
**All medical words have suffixes.
Examples:--itis=
-ic=
-logy=
-lysis=
Read from the suffix backwards to the root word for the correct meaning.
Example:
1. Gastritis2. Arthritis3. Gastric3. Prefixes ______________________________________________________________________________________________.
**Not all medical words have prefixes.
Examples: epi- ______________ pre-__________________ hyper- ________________ sub-_________________
4. Combining Vowels- ________________________________________________________________________.
**Usually an ‘o’
Has no meaning of its own
5. Combining Form– ______________________________________________________ ___________________.
Examples: Hemat/o –
Cardi/o –
Gastr/o –
Oste/o –
RULES FOR USING COMBINING VOWELS
1. When the ending of the root word and the beginning of the suffix are both consonants, use a combining vowel.
Example – ________________________________________________________________________.
2. When the ending of the root word is a consonant, and the beginning of the suffix is a vowel,
do not use a combining vowel.
Example – ________________________________________________________________________.
3.
A combining vowel is always used when _________________________________________________________.
Example – cardi/o/thorac/ic = _________________________________________________
4.
A prefix does not require a combining vowel.
Example – epi/gastr/ic =______________________________________________________
TAKING TERMS APART
Determine a medical word’s meaning by looking at the component pieces.



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______________________________________ (ALL medical terms will have one)
______________________________________ (NOT all medical terms will have one)
______________________________________ (there may be more than one)
Identify the meaning of each word part as you separate them
Remember! If you have any doubt about the correct meaning of a word, use a medical dictionary (appendix, internet)
to double check the definition.
In medicine, SPELLING is critical!!!
One wrong letter could mean an entirely different place on the body or test to be performed.