Medical Terminology
Chapter 1: Introduction to
Medical Terminology
Mrs. Spearman
Objectives:
1. I can identify the roles of the four types of
word parts used in forming medical terms.
2. By using your knowledge of word parts, I can
analyze unfamiliar medical terms
3. I can define commonly used prefixes, word
roots, combining forms, and suffixes.
The Language of Medicine

The language of medicine is specialized
vocabulary used by health-care
professionals.
Writing is Key
•Correct spelling is essential because
•A misspelled word may have an
entirely different meaning.
•Correct spelling helps with the
pronunciation of the medical term.
Word Parts
There are 4 word parts associated with
medical term
•Word Roots
•Combining Forms
•Prefixes
•Suffixes
Word Roots
The word root is the main body of a word.
•All words have a word root.
•Word roots are the building blocks for most medical
terms
Examples:
Word Root
Meaning
Use in a Word
Gastr
Stomach
Gastrology
Cardi
Heart
Cardiology
or
mouth
oral
Combining Forms
•
A word root + (/) combining vowel = combining form
The most frequently used vowel is o.
 Examples:

Word Root
Combining
Vowel
Combining
Form
Meaning
Gastr
o
Gastr/o
Stomach
Cardi
o
Cardi/o
Heart
Or
o
Or/o
Mouth
Write It

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Write either WR (for “word root” or CF (for
“combining form”) to identify these word parts.
______
______
______
______
______
______
cyan/o
erythr/o
melan/o
leuk
neur/o
enter
Prefixes
Suffixes
A word roots are
usually written with a
prefix and/or a suffix
to form a medical
term.
 When written by itself
a prefix is usually
followed by a hyphen
(-)
 Examples:


◦ Pre◦ Post-
A suffix is attached to
the end of a word
root to create a
medical term.
 A suffix is usually
preceded by a
hyphen (-) when the
suffix is written by
itself
 Examples:
◦ -cyte
◦ -itis
◦ -al
Write It
Identify the following word parts as a P
(for prefix), S (for suffix), or CF (for
combining form) for the following word
parts:
1. ____ peri7. ____ -itis
2. ____ tonsill/o
8. ____ pre3. ____ dermat/o
9. ____ -pathy
4. ____ eu10.____ rhin/o
5. ____ -ology
6. ____ hydr/o

Reminder

Remember that when combining forms
are written alone, they contain a
combining vowel, usually an o, as in
cardi/o.
Combining Word Parts to Write
Terms

Rules for creating medical terms using a
combining form and suffix:
 The combining vowel is used before suffixes
that begin with a consonant.
▪ Example: gastr/o + -megaly = gastromegaly
 The combining vowel is used when joining
together more than one combining form
▪ Example: gastro/ + enter/o + -megaly =
gastroenteromegaly
 Do not use a combining vowel if the suffix
begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, or u)
▪ Example: gastr/o + -itis = gastritis
More Examples

Prefix + Combining Form + Suffix
◦ Poly-

+ arthr/o + -itis = polyarthritis
Combining Form + Suffix
◦ Arthr/o + -itis = arthritis

Prefix + Suffix
◦ Dys- + -pnea = dyspnea
Building Terms with a Combining
Form and Suffixes
Combining
Form
Suffixes
Ot/o
-itis
-logy
Term and Meaning
Otitis, inflammation of the ear
Otology, study of the ear
-plasty
Otoplasty, plastic surgery of the
ear
-rrhea
Otorrhea, discharge from the
ear
-tomy
Ototomy, incision of the ear
Decipher these medical terms based on
their word parts:
Word
Prefix Combining Suffix
form
cardiologist
cardi/o
-ologist
gastralgia
gastr/o
-algia
neuralgia
neur/o
-algia
Meaning
Build It (Remember the rules)

Write terms from these word parts
1. dys- + -pnea = __________________
2. enter/o + -ic = __________________
3. eu- + -pepsia = __________________
4. tonsill/o + -itis = __________________
5. dermat/o+ -ologist = ___________________
6. pre- + nat/o + -al= __________________
7. leuk/o + -cyte = ____________________
8. appendic/o + -itis = _________________
9. Hyper- + -emia = ___________________
10. endo- + cardi/o + -al = _______________
Determining a Word’s meaning

To determine a word’s meaning:
◦ Always start at the suffix, and work toward
the beginning.
◦ As you separate the word parts, identify
the meaning of each. Identifying the
meaning of each part should give you a
definition.
◦ Because some word parts have more than one
meaning, it is also necessary to determine what
body system the term is referring to. (Example:
myel/o means spinal cord or bone marrow)
Otorhinolaryngology
Combining Forms Indicating Color
Combining
Form
Meaning
Example
Cyan/o
Blue
Cyanosis (-osis means abnormal
condition or disease) blue
discoloration of the skin due to lack of
oxygen
Erythr/o
Red
Erythrocyte (-cyte means cell) red
blood cell
Leuk/o
White
Leukocyte—white blood cell
Melan/o
Black
Melanosis—abnormal condition of
deposits of black pigment in body
tissues
Poli/o
Gray
Poliomyelitis—(myel/o means spinal
cord, -itis means inflammation) viral
infection of the spinal cord
Suffixes Related to Pathology
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-ology
Study of
-algia,dynia
pain
Gastralgia—pain in the stomach OR
Gastrodynia (-algia is commonly used)
-itis
Inflammation
Gastritis—inflammation of the stomach
-malacia
Abnormal
softening
Arteriomalacia—softening of an artery
(arteri/o means artery)
-sclerosis
Hardening
Arteriosclerosis—hardening of an artery
-megaly
Enlargement
Hepatomegaly—enlargement of the liver
(Hepat/o means liver)
-necrosis
Tissue death
Arterionecrosis—tissue death of an
artery
-stenosis
Abnormal
narrowing
Gastrology—study of the stomach
Arteriostenosis—abnormal narrowing of
an artery
Suffixes Related to Procedures
Suffix
Meaning
-centesis
Surgical procedure
to remove fluid
-graphy
Process of
Angiography—process of recording
recording a picture an (x-ray) of a blood vessel (angi/o
or record
means blood vessel)
-gram
Picture or record
-plasty
Surgical repair
-scopy
Example
Abdominocentesis—surgical
procedure to remove fluid from the
abdomen (abdomin/o means
abdomen)
Angiogram—picture of a blood
vessel
Rhinoplasty—surgical repair of the
nose (rhin/o means nose)
Visual examination Arthroscopy—visual examination of
a joint (arthr/o means joint)
The “Double R” Suffixes
Suffix
Meaning
-rrhage,
-rrhagia
Bleeding
-rrhaphy
Surgical suture
(stitch)
-rrhea
Flow or
discharge
-rrhexis
Rupture
Example
Hemorrhage—loss of large amount of
blood in short time (hem/o means
blood)
Myorrhaphy—surgical suturing a
muscle (my/o means muscle)
Diarrhea—frequent flow of watery
stool (dia- means through)
Myorrhexis—rupture of a muscle
Prefixes
Prefix
Meaning
Pre-
Before
Peri-
Surrounding
Post-
After
Example
Prenatal—time and events
before birth
Perinatal— time and events
surrounding birth
Postnal—time and events
after birth
Contrasting Prefixes
Prefix
Meaning
Prefix
Meaning
Ab-
Away from
Ex. Abnormal
Ad-
Toward
Ex. Addicition
Dys-
Bad, difficult, painful
Ex. Dysfunctional
Eu-
Good or normal
Ex. Euthyroid
Hyper-
Excessive or
increased
Ex. Hypertension
Hypo-
Deficient or
decreased
Ex. Hypotension
Inter-
Between or among
Ex. Interstate
Intra-
Within or outside
Ex. Intramuscular
injection
Sub-
Under, less, or below
Ex. Subcostal
(cost/o means rib)
Super-,
Supra-
Above or
Excessive
Ex. Supracostal
Commonly Confused Terms
Combining Form
Meaning
Example
Arterio/o
Artery
Endoarterial—pertaining
to the lining within an
artery
Ather/o
Fatty substance or
plaque
Athr/o
Joint
Atherectomy—surgical
removal of a fatty
substance
Arthralgia—pain in a
joint
Commonly Confused Terms
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-ectomy
Surgical excision or
removal
Appendectomy—surgical
removal of the appendix
-ostomy
Surgical creation of a
artificial opening
-otomy
Surgical incision or
cutting
Colostomy—surgical
creation of an artificial
opening into the colon
Lithotomy—surgical
incision to remove stones
(lith/o means stone)
Commonly Confused Terms
Combining Form
Meaning
Myc/o
Fungus
Myel/o
Bone marrow or
spinal cord
My/o
Muscle
Example
Mycosis—abnormal
condition of fungus
Myelopathy—disease in
the spinal cord
(-pathy means disease)
Myopathy—disease in the
muscle tissue
Commonly Confused Terms
Combining Form
Meaning
Example
Pyel/o
Renal pelvis; part of
kidney
Py/o
Pus
Pyoderma—pus skin
infection
Pyr/o
Fire or fever
Pyromaniac—person
that loves fire
Pyelitis—inflammation
of the renal pelvis
Write It! Directions:
Select the correct answer.
1. The medical term gastritis or gastrosis describe inflammation of
the stomach.
2. An appendectomy or appendicitis is the surgical removal of the
appendix.
3. The abnormal hardening of the walls of an artery is called
arteriosclerosis or arterionecrosis.
4. An inflammation of the stomach and small intestine is know as
gastritis or gastralgia or gastroenteritis.
5. The term meaning pain in a joint is
arthralgia or arthritis or arteritis.
Write It! Word Surgery
Divide each term into its word parts. (You may not need all the lines provided.)
1. Otorhinolaryrngology is the study of the ear nose and throat.
_________ _____________ ________________ _______________
2. The term mycosis means abnormal condition caused by fungus.
__________ _____________ ________________ ________________
3. Poliomyelitis is a viral infection of the gray matter of the spinal cord.
__________ _____________ ________________ ________________
4. Neonatology is the study of disorders of the newborn.
__________ _____________ ________________ ________________
5. The term endarterial means pertaining to the interior or lining of an artery.
__________ _____________ ________________ ________________
Infection


Invasion of the body by a
disease-producing
organism
Signs and symptoms of
infection include:
• malaise (feeling of
discomfort),
• chills and fever,
• redness,
• heat,
• swelling, or
• exudate from a wound. (fluid
(pus) that leaks from infected
wound).
Inflammation

Inflammation—the
body’s response to
injury

Signs of inflammation:
◦ erythema (redness),
◦ hyperthermia (heat),
◦ edema (swelling),
◦ and pain.
Look-Alike Sound-Alike Terms