Health Sciences 1101
Medical Terminology
Module 1
Introduction and Basic
Medical Terms
Building Medical Terms
Word Root: The main part of the medical term. Typically
reflects the body part involved
Combining form: The word root + a vowel. The vowel allows
the root to be combined with a prefix, suffix or another
word root.
Prefix: Word element located at the beginning of a word.
Usually indicates a number, time, position etc.
Suffix: Word element located at the end of a word. Usually
indicates a procedure, condition or disease.
Word Building Rules
1. If the word root links directly to a suffix
that begins with a vowel, then you
can just mash the two together.
Word root
Suffix
Term
Gastr
-itis
gastritis
Append
-ectomy
appendectomy
Leuk
-emia
leukemia
Word Building Rules
2. If the suffix you are adding to a word
root begins with a consonant, then you
need the combining form of the word
root (root + vowel)
Word root
Suffix
Term
Therm
-meter
thermometer
Hepat
-toxic
hepatotoxic
Ureter
-lith
ureterolith
Word Building Rules
3. When combining 2 or more roots, you
always use the combining form, even if the
second word starts with a vowel.
Word root
Word Root
Suffix
-itis
Term
Oste
chondr
osteochondritis
Leuk
cyte
-penia
leukocytopenia
Gastr
enter
-itis
gastroenteritis
Examples
Therapy using chemicals
Chem + -therapy
chemotherapy
The study of the skin
dermat + -ology
dermatology
Excessive amount of lipids in the
blood
hyper- + lipid + -emia
hyperlipidemia
The measurement of heart
function using electricity
Electr- + cardi- + -gram
Electrocardiogram
A shortness of white blood cells in
the blood
leuk- + cyt + -penia
dermatology
Inflammation in the lungs caused
by the inhalation of of fine
silica dust?
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
You probably don’t need to remember that guy.
Pronunciation
Macrons and breves
The macron: Ā, Ē, Ī, Ō, Ū
The macron gives the long sound of the vowel,
like in rate, rebirth, side, over, and unite.
The breve: Ă, Ĕ, Ĭ, Ŏ, Ŭ
The breve gives the short sound of the vowel, like in
apple, ever, it, not, and hut.
Vowel Sound Examples
Ēlephant
Tăble
Păpēr
Pencīl
Găs trek tō mē (gastrectomy)
Sĕf-ă-lăl-jē-ă (cephalalgia)
Accent or Syllable Emphasis
Capital letters indicate the primary accent for the
medical term. This is the syllable that receives the
emphasis.
CapiTAL letTERS inDICate the priMARy accENT for the
mediCAL term.
Hippopotamus?
HippoPOtamus
HippopoTAMus
Suffixes
Diagnostic:
Recording Measuring Viewing
A record:
-gram
Instrument: -graph -meter -scope
Act of:
-graphy-metry -scopy
A telegram is a printed message sent using a
telegraph. You look at tiny things using a
microscope and the act of using a microscope is
microscopy.
Suffixes - Pathological
(Pathological = having to do with abnormal
conditions):
-trophy
nourishment, development
(dys/trophy = bad development)
-osis
abnormal condition (primarily blood
cells)
-iasis
abnormal condition (specific cause)
-pathy
disease
-toxic
poisonous
-itis
inflammation
-plegia
paralysis
-algia, -dynia pain
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Suffixes - Pathological
-stenosis
-malacia
-megaly
-penia
-oma
-lith
-emia
-emesis
-phobia
narrowing
softening
enlargement
decrease, deficiency
tumor
stone
blood condition
vomiting
fear
Suffixes - Pathological
Swelling, enlargement-edema swelling due to fluid retention
-cele
a swelling or hernia
-ectasis
expansion or dilation of an existing
space
Suffixes - Surgical
Cutting suffixes:
-tome
-tomy
-ectomy
-stomy
cutting instrument
an incision
surgical removal, excision
procedure that forms an opening
(from Latin “stoma” = mouth)
Suffixes - Pathological
The rrh suffixes:
-rrhea
discharge, flow (diarrhea)
-rrhexis
rupture
-rrhage, rrhagia
bursting of, burst out in rage
And from the surgical suffixes,
-rrhaphy
suturing
Suffixes - Surgical
Physical changes:
-centesis surgical puncture to remove fluid
-plasty
surgical repair
-desis
fixation, immobilization of a bony joint
-pexy
fixation of an organ
-tripsy
crushing (like kidney stones)
-rrhaphy suturing
-lysis
separation, destruction, dissolving
-clast
to break
Prefixes
Size:
Microsmall
(micro/scope)
Macro- large
(macro/cyte)
Time:
Pre, Pro- before
(pre/natal)
Postafter
(post/mortem)
Prefixes
Relative position:
HypoSuperDia, TransCircum, PeriEndo, IntraRetro-
under, below
above, over
across, through
around
in, within
behind
Prefixes
A, AnMono, UniDipl, DiploPrimiHomo, Homeo-
without
one
double
first
same
Analyzing Words
1. Define the suffix.
2. Define the prefix.
3. Define the middle of the
word.
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Singular/Plural Word Endings
Singular
-us
-a
-um
Plural
-i
-ae
-a
-is
-ax
-ix, ex
-en
-on
-es
-ces
-ices
-ina
-a
-ma
-y
Examples
thrombus / thrombi
vertebra /vertebrae
diverticulum / diverticula
diagnosis / diagnoses
thorax / thoraces
appendix / appendices
lumen / lumina
spermatozoon/
spermatozoa
-mata
sarcoma / sarcomata
-ies
ovary / ovaries
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