Chapter 10 NOTES -
Medical Terminology Basics
INTRODUCTION
 Greek influence –source for diagnosis and surgery related terms
 Latin influences – source for most anatomical terms
 Why use medical terminology? Understanding medical terminology adds precision, helps prevent
medical mistakes
10.1 - WORD PARTS
I. Overview
 Medical terms are made up of 2 or more parts each having unique meaning
o Root: is fundamental element of every medical term & establishes basic meaning
o Suffix: short element added to end of root to modify its meaning
o Prefix: short element added before root to modify its meaning
 Health care professionals need only to familiarize themselves with the most commonly used word parts
rather than attempt to memorize every possible medical term
II. Root and Combining Form
 Root = basis for term’s meaning
 Most derived from Greek or Latin
 Compound word: word that contains more than one root
o ie.) cardiovascular
 Vowel (usually o) is inserted between root & suffix that begins with a
consonant to help with pronounciation
o ie.) cardi + o + -logy = cardiology (“study of the heart”)
o Root + combining vowel = combining form
 Many describe substances, organs, or colors (see table 10-1)
III. Suffix
 Letter or combination of letters added to end of a root and modifies root’s meaning
 Can indicate that a word is a noun, adjective, singular or plural
 Typically adds meaning to the beginning of a word’s definition
o Example: psych + o + -logy = psychology (“the study of the mind”)
 Often used to describe a symptom, a disease, or a surgical treatment (table 10-2)
IV. Prefix
 Attached to beginning of a root word or combining form and modifies the root’s meaning
 Indicates position or direction
o ie.) anti- = opposed to
 Indicates size or quantity of measurement
o ie.) micro- = small
 Denotes time or rate of change
o ie.) tachy- = fast or rapid
10.2 - DECODING MEDICAL TERMS
1. Break term into its building blocks
o PREFIX + ROOT + SUFFIX
echo- + cardio + -gram
2. Determine meaning of each part
o echo- = “a returned or reflective sound”
cardio = “heart”
-gram = “record”
3. Join definitions of each part to create overall meaning of term (*remember the meaning of the suffix is
ually moved to the front of the definiton)
o “a record of the heart made by using returned or reflective sounds”
 Try it yourself! Decode hypodermal
 Break it apart=
hypo
+ derm +
al
 Indidivual meaning= below or deficient + skin + relating to
 Overall meaning= “relating to below the skin”
10.3 - SPELLING AND PRONUNCIATION
 Some words sound the same, but are spelled differently & have different meanings:
o ileum (part of intestine) vs. ilium (part of hip bone)
 Some words sound similar, but are spelled differently & have different meanings:
o abduction (to draw away from) vs. adduction (to draw towards)
 When letters are silent in a term, there is a risk of omitting them from a spelled word
o (silent p in pterygium)
 Some combining forms have the same meaning but different origins that compete for usage
o (hystero- vs. metro- vs. utero- all meaning “uterus”)
 Many words look the same & are easily confused
 Pay attention to context – use surrounding word to help determine meaning
 Pronunciation of word parts often changes when combined in different ways and based on region (see
table 10-4)
10.4 - ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
 Abbreviation: Shortened forms of a word or group of words
o Save time and space
o Can cause confusion when not universally understood
o Usage varies in different institutions; follow policies of your institution
 Ex.) Preop= Preoperative or IV=intravaneous
o Acronym: an abbreviation formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase
 Ex.) ASAP= As Soon As Possible or BP= blood Pressure
 Symbols: a form of efficient shorthand communication used in medical records or laboratory reports
10.5 - USING A MEDICAL DICTIONARY
 Specialized reference books used by health care professionals
 Meaning and pronunciation of terms
 Synonyms: words with the same meanings
 Origins of words (etymology)
 Useful appendices: measurements, clinical tests, drugs, diagnoses, body structures, information
resources, & other topics
 Specialized, portable, CD, & online versions
 Medical acronyms & abbreviations book