Syrian Private University
Faculty of Medicine
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
LECTURE 5
M.A.KUBTAN MD - FRCS
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Building Medical Terms
Word Root
Prefix
Suffix
Combining forms
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Forming Medical Terms
Medical Term
Word root
Suffix
Prefix
Combining forms
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Forming Medical Terms Part 2
Medical terms are formed from two or more
word parts.
Suffix
Prefix
Word root
•The main part
of a word which
contains the
basic meaning.
•Word parts
attached to
the beginning
of a word that
modifies the
meaning.
•Word parts
attached to the
end of a word
that modifies
the meaning.
Combining forms
•The word root and a combining vowel that
enable two parts toM.A.Kubtan
be connected.
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Word Roots and Combining
Forms
[BLAST(O)]
Combining Forms
Meaning
blasto
immature cells
carcin(o)
cancer
chrondro
cartilage
cry(o)
cold
crypt(o)
hidden
cyan(o)
blue
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Word Roots and Combining
Forms
[CYT(O)]
Combining Forms
Meaning
cyt(o)
cell
dextr(o)
right
dors(o)
back
erythr(o)
red
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Word Roots and Combining
Combining
Forms[GALACT(O)]
Meaning
Forms
galact(o)
milk
gluco
glucose
glyco
sugars
gyn(o)
women
home(o)
same
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Word Roots and Combining
CombiningForms
Forms [KINESI(O)
Meaning
lact(o)
milk
leuk(o)
white
lith(o)
stone
narco
sleep; numbness
necro
death; dying
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Word Roots and Combining
Combining Forms
Forms [NOCT(O)]
Meaning
noct(i)
night
oncho
tumor
path(o)
disease
phago
eating
phon(o)
sound; voice
pseud(o)
false
pyo
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Word Roots and Combining
Combining Forms
Meaning
Forms [PYRO]
salping(o)
tube
schiz(o)
split; division
scler(o)
hardening
scolio
crooked; bent
somato
body
spiro
breath; breathe
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Prefixes
Prefix
•Prefixes are attached to the beginning of words.
•Modifies the meaning of the word or word root.
•Indicates size, quantity, position of, and location.
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Prefixes
Prefix
(brachy–hypo)
Meaning
brachy
short
brady
slow
contra
against
dys
abnormal; difficult
hemi
half
hyper
above normal
hypo
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below normal
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Prefix
Meaning
Prefixes (pro–un)
pro
before; forward
re
again; backward
retro
behind; backward
semi
half
supra
above; over
tachy
fast
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Suffixes
Prefix
•Attaches to the end of the word and carries the
underlying meaning of the word.
•Suffixes can also be combining forms.
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Suffix
Suffixes (ad–crine)
Meaning
-algia
pain
-asthenia
weakness
-blast
immature; forming
-cidal
destroying; killing
-clast
breaking
-crine
secreting
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SuffixSuffixes
(emesis–graphy)
Meaning
-emesis
vomiting
-emia
blood
-esthesia
sensation
-globin
protein
-gram
a recording
-graph
recording instrument
-graphy
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process of recording
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Suffix
-ic
Suffixes (ic–malacia)
Meaning
pertaining to
-ism
condition; disease
-itis
inflammation
-logist
one who practices
-lysis
destruction of
-malacia
softening
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Suffix
Suffixes (penia-phrenia)
Meaning
-penia
deficiency
-pepsia
digestion
-pexy
fixation
-phage
eating; devouring
-phobia
fear
-phonia
sound
-phrenia
of the mind
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Suffix Suffixes
(rrhexis-tropia)
Meaning
-spasm
contraction
-stasis
stopping; constant
-stenosis
narrowing
-tomy
cutting operation
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Apply Your Knowledge
Using various word parts, build terms for the
following meanings.
Meaning
Term
•Absence of blood
anemia
•Bluish color of hands and feet
cyanosis
•Equal vision in both eyes.
isopia
•Fast heart.
tachycardia
•Breakdown of sugar.
glycolysis
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Apply Your Knowledge Part 2
Using various word parts, build terms for the
following meanings.
Term
Meaning
•Lack of white blood cells.
leukopenia
•Softening of bone.
osteomalacia
•Inflammation of a vein.
phlebitis
•Nerve pain.
neuralgia
•Science of skin and its diseases.
dermatology
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