Medical
Terminology
-
Medical terminology is the language used
by physicians and other members of health
team to:
1. Aid in communication.
2. Reduce the entire phrase into a
single term.
Eg. The condition of bluish discoloration of
the hands and feet is called “acrocyanosis”
Acro: limbs Cyan: blue Osis: condition
It includes the medical words that
describe or define a disease, a condition or
clinical signs and symptoms.
_
Medical terminology is essential and
beneficial for:
-
1- Students in medicine, pharmacy, nursing and
in other allied health sciences.
2- Health professionals such as
a- Pharmacists,
b- Specialists in allied medical sciences
- Nurses
- Clinical laboratory professionals
- Biomedical technologists,
- Radiologists,
- Community health specialists such as
medical record administration, health
educators and dieticians,
- Medical secretaries and librarians and
- People interested in translation and
arabinisation of medical sciences.
-
The word building system
1
The medical words consists of three
parts:-
1- The word root
2- The prefix
3- The suffix.
1- The word root:
i
Is the foundation of the word for example:
peri/card/itis,
endo/card/itis,
cardio/megaly
The part card ,means heart, is considered
as the word root.
In medical term, the word root may be an
organ, tissue, cell, fluid or cavity.
The word root:
-
- Indicate the organ or part that is
modified by a prefix or suffix or both.
“The medical term has 1 root or more”
One: gastritis
Two: gastr-o-enteritis
Three: Oto-rhino-laryngology
The compound word :
-
Is formed when two or more word roots are
used to build the word e.g.
Short/wave
Short/hand
This compound word has a specific meaning
and could not be separated.
The combining word :
-
Is formed of two word roots or more joined
by a vowel such as
Therm/o/meter
Micr/o/scope
The part of the word will retain its specific
meaning irrespective of its presence in
different words or positions in the words such
as:
Gastr/o/enter/o/logy
Enter/o/col/itis
-
-In this two words, enter- means the small intestine
in spite of the different positions in the two
words.
-Gastr- means stomach, while -logy means science,
thus the meaning of gastroenterology is the
science of digestive system (stomach and
intestine).
- In the enterocolitis, the part col means colon and
itis means inflammation, so the meaning is
inflammation of small intestine and colon.
-
2- The suffix
The suffix means an ending of the word which
will convert word into:
- A noun such as port/er
- Adjective such as microscop/ic
- Modify the meaning of the word such
gaster/itis and gastro/logy.
“Not all medical terms have suffixes”
3- The prefix
-
The prefix is the part that precedes the medical
word and changes its meaning e.g.
Tachy/cardia
Brady/cardia
Cardia means the heart and prefix tachy/
means increase in rate and brady/ means
decrease in rate.
Combining Vowel:
A letter (usually O, occasionally E or I) may be
added to:
1. Connect roots to suffixes & roots to other roots.
2. Make pronunciation easier.
Notes:
1. When the suffix begins with a vowel, the
combined vowel in the root is dropped.
Eg. meningo & itis  meningitis
psychology & ic  psychologic
2. When the suffix and the root have the same
vowel, one vowel is dropped.
Eg. cardi & it is  carditis
3. Suffix Beginning with rh:
When a suffix (rh) is added to a root, the r is
doubled  (rh) becomes (rrh)
eg. haem/o = blood
rhage = bursting
haemorhage is wrong, the correct is hemorrhage
Plural Endings:
When we change a singular to a plural, usually we add “S”
at the end of the word.
Exceptionally, some plural endings do not follow this rule:-
Formula
Vertebra
Formulae
Vertebrae
Lumen
Lumina
Index
Indices
Diagnosis
Diagnoses
Ganglion
Ganglia
Fungus
Ovum
Fungi
Ova
The most commonly used prefixes
-
Prefix
aananteanticoncontradysect-
Meaning
without
not
before
against
together
against
difficult, painful
outside, outer
Example
apnea
anesthesia
antepartum
antipyretic
connective tissue
contraception
dysuria
ectopic beats
Prefix
endepiequiexhyperhypopolypara-
Meaning
Example
inside, inner
over, upon
equal
out
above
below
many
beside, near
endocarditis
epidermis
equipotent
expectorant
hypertension
hypotension
polyarthritis
parametrium
-
Prefix
Meaning
perperipreprosemisubsupratrans-
through
around
before
before
half
below
over, excess
across
-
Example
percutaneous
pericarditis
precardium
prognosis
semicircular canal
subnormal temp.
suprarenal gland
transabdominal
Prefixes Pertaining to Colour
Prefix
Meaning
Example
Definition
Cyan
Blue
Cyanosis
Erythr
Rubi
Red
Red
Erythrocyte
Rubella
Bluish colouration of skin
(lack of O2)
Red blood cell
Acute viral infectious disease
caused by rubella virus
Melan
Black
Melanin
Xanth
Yellow
Xanthoma
Dark pigment that colours the
hair and skin
Yellow raised area on skin
Polio
Grey
Polioencephalitis
An inflammation of the grey
matter of brain
Prefix
Meaning
Example
Definition
chloro
green
Chlorophyll The green pigment in plants
Alb
Leuk
White
White
Albino rats
Kind of experimental rats
Leukemia - A serious disease in
which
the blood
contains
too
many
white
cells causing
weakness & death
Leukocyte - White blood cells
Cirrh
gluco
Orange
yellow
Silvery
Liver
Cirrhosis
Glucoma
Polio
Grey
Polioencephalitis
One of the serious liver
diseases
One of the serious eye
diseases
An inflammation of the
grey matter of brain
The most commonly used suffixes
1
Suffix
Meaning
-algia
-ectasia
-ectomy
-aemia
-genic
-graph
-ic
-itis
pain
expansion
surgical excision
blood
origin
to write
pertaining
inflammation
Example
myalgia
gastroectasia
nephroectomy
anaemia
myogenic
electrocardiograph
gastric
gastritis
Suffix
Meaning
-lithiasis
-logy
-lysis
-malacia
-mania
-megaly
-oid
-oma
stone in
study of
dissolution
softening
madness
enlargement
similar
tumor
-
Example
nephrolithiasis
pharmacology
haemolysis
osteomalacia
hypomania
splenomegaly
lipoid
nephroma
Suffix
-pathy
-penia
-phobia
-plasty
-rhea
-spasm
-stomy
Meaning
disease
decrease
fear
repair
to flow
contraction
opening
-
Example
neuropathy
leucopenia
hydrophobia
hernioplasty
rhinorrhea
broncospasm
gastrostomy
The most commonly used word roots
-
word root
meaning
example
adenangioarthrcardCerebrocholcost cyt -
gland
vessel
joint
heart
brain
bile
rib
cell
adenoma
angiogenesis
arthritis
cardiopathy
cerebral
cholilithiasis
costal cartilage
cytology
word root
meaning
dermencephalentergastrglycoheamhepathyster-
skin
brain
small intestine
stomach
sweet
blood
liver
uterus
-
example
dermatology
encephalitis
enteropathy
gastroectasia
glycosuria
haemorrhage
hepatomegaly
hysterectomy
word root
meaning
leuk(c)liplithmeningmynephrooculusophthalmosteo-
white
lipid (fat)
stone
membrane
muscle
kidney
eye
eye
bone
-
example
leukocytes
lipoma
lithiasis
meningitis
mylagia
nephropathy
ocular
ophthalmitis
osteoporosis
word root
meaning
example
-
pneumproctpsychradiRensplenvas-
lung
rectum
mind
ray
kidney
spleen
vessel
viscer-
internal organ
pneumonia
proctoscope
psychology
radiotherapy
renal faliuer
splenomegaly
vasodilation
vasoconstriction
visceral
The clinical description of disease
-
- Clinical is derived from (clin)= at bedside.
- To describe a disease, some important
headings are essential to know.
Etiology
- Eti = cause
- Logy = study or science dealing with
Thus, the word etiology means studying the
cause of the disease and its predisposing factors
such as tumor, allergy, infection….etc.
Pathogenesis
-
Path- = disease
genesis = origin
Thus the word pathogenesis means the
study of disease development from the start
of the condition till the establishment of the
disease.
Pathology
The science that deal with the cause and
nature of the disease by microscopic and
naked-eye examination.
Symptoms
-
The feelings noticed by the patient due to the
disturbances caused by the disease.
Signs
The features of the disease or deformation.
It is observed by the physician, relatives or the
patient himself.
Diagnosis
Dia- =through,
-gnosis = knowledge
The name of the disease is reached through
knowledge of its sign and symptoms and through
clinical investigation.
Investigations
_
The methods used to reach the definitive
diagnosis such as laboratory tests which
include : biochemical, bacteriological,
histological, haematological and radiological.
Clinical examinations
Examination of the patient by using the
physicians skills, his hands, stethoscope,
blood pressure apparatus or other aids to
know the physical signs of the disease.
Anatomy
_
The science that deal with the body systems
regarding structure and relations.
Prognosis
Pro = beforehand
gnosis = knowledge
Thus, the meaning is the prediction of the
progress, and termination of a disease.
Complications
Undesirable events in the progress of the
disease such as bleeding from stomach ulcer.
Prophylaxis
-
Protection from a disease.
Prophylactic
Protective against a disease.
Syndrome
Set of signs and symptoms running together.
Disease
A state of ill-health resulting from structural
changes associated with functional alteration.
Relapsing
-
Repeated recurrence of disease for several times.
-Logist
Specialist in type of study in health and disease.
Surgeon
Sur = hand
geon = work
Physician who uses instruments to remove or
repair a diseased tissue or organ.
Acute
The severe signs and symptoms of the disease
that occur in short duration.
Chronic
-
The signs and symptoms of mild nature start
slowly and gradually and maintained for a long
time.
Subacute
The severity and duration of the signs and
symptoms are between acute and chronic.
Indications
The use of drugs in the diagnosis, prevention
or treatment of specific disease.
Contra-indications
-
The disease in which the use of a drug will be
harmful or will aggravate the condition.
Inflammation
Cellular, lymphatic and vascular reactions
against an irritant in order to localize and remove
the irritant.
Repair
A replacement of a damage tissue by a new
one.
Regeneration
The division and reproduction of the cells.
Degeneration
A metabolic and morphological changes resulting
from irritation not severe enough to kill cells.
-
Necrosis
A local death of a mass of tissue which occur
either directly or follow severe degeneration.
Thrombosis
The formation of compact body (from blood
elements) inside a blood vessel or the heart.
Embolism
Insoluble body which circulates in the blood until
it occlude a small vessel.
Thrombo-embolism
The movement of a thrombus from its site and
production of embolism.
-
Edema
Accumulation of excess fluid in tissue spaces,
pulmonary alveoli or inside the cells.
Ischemia
A decrease of blood supply to an organ due to
occlusion of its artery.
Infarction
An area of necrosis caused by sudden occlusion
of the arterial supply by thrombosis or embolism.
Haemorrhage
-
The escape of blood outside the blood vessels or
the heart.
Shock
An acute circulatory failure i.e. hypotension and
tissue hypoxia.
Bacterial infection
The invasion of the body by pathogenic bacteria
and development of pathological changes.
Toxaemia
The presence of toxins in the circulating blood.
Septicaemia
-
The presence of a large number of multiplying
bacteria and their toxins in the blood due to low
body resistance.
Immunity
The ability of the body to overcome infection by
the microorganism by producing antibodies.
Diabetes melletus
Metabolic disease due to decrease or complete loss
of insulin leading to increase in the blood glucose
level (hyperglycemia).
The clinical diagnostic signs
-
Stethoscope
Instrument which is used to hear sounds elicited
from heart, lungs or abdomen.
Sphygmomanometer
Instrument which is used to measure the blood
pressure.