 Importance
 Gives you a better understanding of the equipment
 Allows you to discuss equipment problems with the user
 Helps you locate "unknown" equipment during routine preventive maintenance inspections
 Structure of Medical Terminology
 Language is standardized
• Most often based on Greek or Latin terminology - always means the same thing
• Assures a universal understanding of words
 Constructs words systematically
• Root Word - usually the organ or system being discussed - the anatomical part
 Example: Cardi - Heart
• Prefixes - used in conjunction with the root word to add specific meaning
 Example: Peri - Around
• Suffixes - also used to lend even more meaning to the root word - usually a condition
 Example: Itis - Inflammation
• Compound Words - Two or more roots words joined together
 Example: Histo (tissue) and Ology (the study of) - Histology - the study of tissue, or Angio (vessel) and Gram (a recording) - Angiogram - the recording of a vessel
 Word endings - vary depending on how the word is used - allow one basic word to be used many ways
 UM or IUM makes the word a noun; Example: Gastrium (stomach)
 AL would make the word an adjective; Example: Cardial (heart)
 AC or IC simply means the word pertains to an item; Example: Hepatic
(pertaining to the liver)
 Terms
 Words dealing with anatomy
• MY - Muscle; Example: Myocardium - heart muscle
• NEPHER - Kidney; Example: Nephitis - inflammation of the kidney
• NEUR - Nerve; Example: Neurology - the study of nerves
• OPTHALM - Eye; Example: Opthalmalgia - a pain (ALGIA) in the eye
• DERMAT - Skin; Example: Dermatitis - inflammation of the skin

• CYT - Cell
 Erythrocyte - a red (ERYTHRO) blood cell
 Leukocyte - a white (LEUKO) blood cell
 Macrocytes and Microcytes would be large (MACRO) and small (MICRO) cells respectively
• CEPHAL - Head
 Encephaloma is a tumor (OMA) inside (EN) the head
 Hydroencephalic means excess water (HYDRO) in the head
• ARTHR – Joint
 Example: Arthroplasty is the repair (PLAST) of a joint
• THORAX – Chest
 Example: Pneumothorax - air (PNEUMO) trapped in the chest
• CYST - Bladder or any sac filled with fluid
 Example: Cystoplasty - the repair of the bladder
 Words dealing with a condition
• CARCIN - Cancer; Example: Carcinoma - a cancerous tumor
• MEGAL - Large; Example: Megaloblast - a large stem cell (BLAST)
• EMIA - Blood; Example: Leukemia - a condition dealing with white blood cells
• PSYCH - Mind; Example: Psychology - the study of the mind
• CYAN - Blue; Example: Cyanosis - a condition of blueness
 Common prefixes
• HYPER - Above; Example: Hyperactive
• HYPO - Below; Example: Hypodermic - below the skin
• SUPRA - Above; Example: Supracostal - above the ribs (COSTAL)
• INFRA - Below / Beneath; Example: Infracostal - below the ribs
• BRADY - Slow; Example: Bradycardia - slow heartbeat
• TACHY - Fast; Example: Tachycardia - fast heartbeat
• A or AN - Without; Example: Apnea - without breath (PNEA)
 Common suffixes
• OSIS - a condition
• PENIA - a decrease in
 Example: Thrombopenia - a decrease in platelets (THROMBO)
• ECTOMY - Excision, from the root word TOME (to cut)
 Example: Nepherectomy
• OTOMY - Incision, from the root word tome
 Example: Nepherotomy