
Importance
 Gives you a better understanding of the equipment
 Allows you to discuss equipment problems with the
user
 Helps you locate "unknown" equipment during
routine preventive maintenance inspections

Structure of Medical Terminology
 Language is standardized
 Most often based on Greek or Latin terminology always means the same thing
 Assures a universal understanding of words
 Constructs words systematically
 Root Word - usually the organ or system being
discussed - the anatomical part
Example: Cardi - Heart
 Prefixes - used in conjunction with the root word to
add specific meaning
Example: Peri - Around
 Suffixes - also used to lend even more meaning to the
root word - usually a condition
Example: Itis - Inflammation
 Compound Words - Two or more roots words joined
together
Example: Histo (tissue) and Ology (the study of) Histology - the study of tissue, or Angio (vessel) and Gram
(a recording) - Angiogram - the recording of a vessel
 Word endings - vary depending on how the word is
used - allow one basic word to be used many ways
 UM or IUM makes the word a noun; Example: Gastrium
(stomach)
 AL would make the word an adjective; Example: Cardial
(heart)
 AC or IC simply means the word pertains to an item;
Example: Hepatic (pertaining to the liver)
•
Terms
 Words dealing with anatomy
• MY - Muscle; Example: Myocardium - heart muscle
• NEPHER - Kidney; Example: Nephitis - inflammation of
the kidney
• NEUR - Nerve; Example: Neurology - the study of
nerves
• OPTHALM - Eye; Example: Opthalmalgia - a pain
(ALGIA) in the eye
• DERMAT - Skin; Example: Dermatitis - inflammation of
the skin
 CYT - Cell
Erythrocyte - a red (ERYTHRO) blood cell
Leukocyte - a white (LEUKO) blood cell
Macrocytes and Microcytes would be large (MACRO) and
small (MICRO) cells respectively
 CEPHAL - Head
Encephaloma is a tumor (OMA) inside (EN) the head
Hydroencephalic means excess water (HYDRO) in the head
 ARTHR – Joint
Example: Arthroplasty is the repair (PLAST) of a joint
 THORAX – Chest
Example: Pneumothorax - air (PNEUMO) trapped in the
chest
 CYST - Bladder or any sac filled with fluid

Example: Cystoplasty - the repair of the bladder
 Words dealing with a condition
 CARCIN - Cancer; Example: Carcinoma - a cancerous
tumor
 MEGAL - Large; Example: Megaloblast - a large stem
cell (BLAST)
 EMIA - Blood; Example: Leukemia - a condition dealing
with white blood cells
 PSYCH - Mind; Example: Psychology - the study of the
mind
 CYAN - Blue; Example: Cyanosis - a condition of
blueness
 Common prefixes
• HYPER - Above; Example: Hyperactive
• HYPO - Below; Example: Hypodermic - below the skin
• SUPRA - Above; Example: Supracostal - above the ribs
(COSTAL)
• INFRA - Below / Beneath; Example: Infracostal - below
the ribs
• BRADY - Slow; Example: Bradycardia - slow heartbeat
• TACHY - Fast; Example: Tachycardia - fast heartbeat
• A or AN - Without; Example: Apnea - without breath
(PNEA)
 Common suffixes
 OSIS - a condition
 PENIA - a decrease in
Example: Thrombopenia - a decrease in platelets
(THROMBO)
 ECTOMY - Excision, from the root word TOME (to cut)
Example: Nepherectomy
 OTOMY - Incision, from the root word tome
Example: Nepherotomy