Module 3 – Unit 2: Reading & Vocabulary
Building Medical Vocabulary
Think About It What does “epigastric” mean? Can you divide it into three parts:
prefix, root, and suffix? Do you know what each part means?
Read the following statements and decide if each is True (T) or False (F), based on your
knowledge of medical terminology. If possible, think of an example to support your
answer.
1.
Medical terms can be made up of as many as four parts.
T
F
2.
T
F
3.
The main part of a medical word is called the “root.
”
Linking vowels help make words easier to pronounce.
T
F
4.
A medical term can have only one root.
T
F
5.
The most common vowel used for linking is “i.”
T
F
Read the following passage about medical terminology. After you finish reading, check
your answers above.
How Does Medical Terminology Work?
Most medical terms can be broken down into one or more word parts. For simplicity in
explanation, we will say that there are four possible word parts, and any given medical
term may contain one, some, or all of these parts. We will classify these word parts as (1)
roots, (2) prefixes, (3) suffixes, and (4) linking or combining vowels. An example of a
word with three of the above parts is the medical term "pericarditis", which means
"inflammation of the outer layer of the heart". Pericarditis can be divided into three parts:
peri - card – itis
Once divided into its essential parts, pericarditis can be translated: the prefix "peri"
translates to "surrounding", the root "card" translates to "heart", and the suffix "itis"
translates to "inflammation". Hence, pericarditis is an inflammation of the area
English Health Train: Module 3 – Unit 2
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surrounding the heart, or an inflammation of the outer layer of the heart, anatomically
known as the pericardium.
Medical terms always consist of at least one "root", although they may contain more. The
root of a word is that part which contains the essential meaning of the word. An example
of this was seen above in the term "pericarditis". The root of the word – “card” - refers to
the heart, so any prefix or suffix added to the root (card) will only function to add to the
specificity of that word. An example of this would be the prefix "brady", which means
"slow". If "brady" is added to the root "card", the term "bradycard" - which roughly
means "slow heart" - is created. Then, if the suffix "ia" - which means "abnormal state" –
is added to "bradycard", the medical term "bradycardia" is formed. The translation of
bradycardia (brady - card - ia) is slow - heart - abnormal state, or the abnormal state of a
slow heart rate.
As was discussed above, a medical term must have at least one root, but does not have to
have a prefix and/or a suffix. An example of this is the term "sternocleidomastoid", which
is a muscle that has attachments at the sternum, the clavicle, and the mastoid. The term
sternocleidomastoid can be divided into three parts (three roots, in this case):
stern - o - cleid - o - mastoid.
Notice that there are vowels between the three roots. These are "linking or combining
vowels", which serve to make a term easier to pronounce. The vowel used most of the
time is "o", but other vowels such as "i" and "a" are also used. Combining vowels are
often used between roots and suffixes or roots and other roots, but they are not used
between prefixes and roots.
Adapted from: University of Minnesota.
http://www.gen.umn.edu/faculty_staff/jensen/1135/medterms/mterm2.html. Retrieved 11/02/04.
Scanning Medical Texts: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
1. Scan the short passage and underline the six words below in the passage.
2. Divide the words into roots, prefixes, suffixes, and linking vowels.
3. Decide on the meaning of each word by checking the meanings of the root,
prefix, and suffix in the charts that follow the passage.
asymptomatic
lymphadenopathy
neurological
conjunctivitis
myaligias
myocarditis
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Clinical Manifestations of West Nile Virus Infection
Most persons with West Nile virus infection are asymptomatic. Approximately
one in five infected persons develops a mild, febrile illness, and approximately one in
150 infected persons manifests neurological symptoms. Symptomatic illness generally
follows an incubation period of two to 15 days. The majority of symptomatic patients
have a self-limited, febrile illness, occasionally with headache, nausea, and vomiting.
Chills, myalgias, and overwhelming fatigue are common complaints. Some patients may
have lymphadenopathy and conjunctivitis. Occasionally, patients develop a brief
myocarditis associated with West Nile virus infection.
Adapted from: The Journal of the American Medical Association. http:// jama.ama-assn.org/.
Retrieved 11/03/04.
ROOT
card, cardi
coron
cyt
ceph
gastr
cerebr
myo, myco
neur
neph
oste
lymph
vaso
derm
arthr, articul
gengiv
conjunctiv
adeno
MEANING
heart
heart
cell
head
stomach
brain
muscle
nerve
kidney
bone
lymph
vessel
skin
joint
gum
conjunctiva
gland
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PREFIX
aepiendoperiprecontrabihypoabambihemibradyhydro
mono
SUFFIX
-ac
-al
-ar
-ary
-eal
-ial
-ic
-ical
-ous
-ectomy
-otomy
-itis
-oma
-oscopy, -scopic
-plegia
-emia
-opathy
-algia
MEANING
without
on, upon, over
within
surrounding
before
against
double
under, too little
away from
both sides
half
slow
water
one
MEANING
Pertaining to (adjective)
surgical removal, excision
cutting, incision
inflammation
tumor, swelling
visual examination
paralysis
related to blood
disease
pain
English Health Train: Module 3 – Unit 2
Copyright 2006 San Francisco Welcome Back Center