Medical Terminology Systems
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Basic Elements of a Medical
Word
Medical Word Elements
Specialized vocabulary used by
health-care practitioners
A medical word consists of:
Word root
Combining form
Suffix
Prefix
Word Roots
The core of a medical term
Contains the fundamental meaning
Most are derived from Greek or Latin
Ex. Greek word derm and Latin word
cutane both refer to the skin
Examples of Word Roots
Greek or Latin Word Root
Meaning
Word
Nephros (Gr)
Nephr
Kidney
Oris (L)
Or
Mouth
Renes (L)
Ren
Kidney
Dermatos (Gr)
Derm
Skin
Combining Form
Word root to which a vowel is added
Enables two elements to be
connected
Examples of Combining Forms
Word
Root
Gastr
Vowel
O
Combining Meaning
Form
Gastr/o
stomach
Hepat
O
Hepat/o
Liver
Immun
O
Immun/o
Oste
O
Oste/o
Immune,
safe
bone
Suffixes
Word element placed at the end of a
word or word root that changes the
meaning of the word
A suffix usually indicates a procedure,
condition, disease, or part of speech
Examples of Suffixes
Combining
Form
Gastr/o
(stomach)
Suffix
-itis
Medical
word
Gastritis
(inflammation)
Meaning
Inflammation
of the
stomach
-megaly
Gastromegaly Enlargement
of the
stomach
-oma
Gastroma
Tumor of the
stomach
Prefixes
Word element attached to the
beginning of a word or word root
A prefix usually indicates a number,
time, position, direction, or negation
Examples of Prefixes
Prefix
Word
Root
Hyper- Therm
(above (heat)
normal)
Suffix
Meaning
Hyperthermia Condition
of
(condition)
excessive
heat
-ia
Intramuscular Within
the
(muscle) (relating
muscle
Intra- Muscul -ar
(in,
within)
Medical
Word
to)
Basic Rules
Defining Medical Words
Building Medical Words
Defining Medical Words
Rule #1
Define the suffix or last part of the word
Rule #2
Define the first part of the word (word,
root, combining form, or prefix)
Rule #3
Define the middle parts of the word
Example of Defining Rules
“Gastroenteritis”
Combining
Form
Gastr/o
Stomach
Rule 2
Middle
Enter/
Intestine
Rule 3
Suffix
-itis
inflammation
Rule 1
Definition – inflammation of the stomach
and intestine
Building Medical Words
Rule #1
A word root links a suffix that begins with a
vowel
Example
Hepat/ + -itis = hepatitis
– Inflammation of the liver
Rule #2
A combining form links a suffix that begins with
a consonant
Example
Hepat/o +
– Liver cell
cyte
= hepatocyte
Building Medical Words
Rule #3
Use a combining form to link a root to
another root to form a compound word
Example
Oste/o + chondr/
=osteochondritis
+ -itis
– Inflammation of bone and cartilage
Pronunciation Guidelines
Inside front cover of textbook