Chapter 1
Basic Word Structure
CHAPTER SECTIONS
I .
Word Analysis
II .
Combining Forms, Suffixes, and Picture
III.
Exercise
IV.
Review
V.
Pronunciation of terms
VI.Practical Applications
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
•
•
To divide medical terms in to component parts
To analyze, pronounce, and spell medical terms
using common combining forms ,suffixes, and
prefixes
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
A. 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
Notice how the following medical term is analyzed. Can
you locate the two combining forms in this term?
GASTROENTEROLOGY
Notice how the following medical term is analyzed. Can you locate the
two combining forms in this term?
GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY
Root
(“stomach”)
root
(“intestines”)
suffix
(“study of”)
The two combining forms are GASTR/O and ENTER/O.
The entire word means “study of the stomach and the
intestine. “
Here are other words that are divided into component
parts:
GASTROSCOPE
Combining form
(“stomach”)
suffix
(“instrument to visually
examine”)
Here are other words that are divided into
component parts:
GASTR/O/SCOPE
Combining form
(“stomach”)
suffix
(“instrument to visually
examine”)
mean “instrument to visually examine
the stomach”.
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
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM
root
(“electricity”)
root
(“heart”)
combining vowel
suffix
(“record”)
combining vowel
COMBINNING FORMS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMBINING
FORM
MEDICAL
MEANING
TERM
MEANING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Aden/o
gland
adenoma_________________________
adenitis _________________________
-ITIS means “inflammation.”
Arthr/o
joint
arthritis__________________________
Bi/o
life
biology__________________________
-LOGY mean “study of “.
biopsy _________________________
-OPSY means “to view.” Living tissue is
removed and viewed under a microsope.
Carcin/o
carcinoma____________________________
cancerous
-OMA means “mass” or “tumor.”
Cardi/o
heart
Cardiology___________________________
Cephal/o
head
cephalic____________________________
-IC mean “pertaining to.”
Cerebr/o
cerebrum,
cerebral____________________________
largest part
-AL means “pertaining to, ”the Figure shows the
of the brain
cerebrum .
cerebrovascular accident (CVA___________
-VASCULAR means “pertaining to blood
vessels”; a CVA is commonly known as a
stroke.
Cyst/o
urinary
cystoscope__________________________
Cyt/o
cell
cytology_______________________________
Dermat/o
skin
dermatitis____________________________
Derm/o
Electr/o
dermal______________________________
electricity
electrocardiogram (ECG,EKG)_____________
-GRAM means “record.”
Encephal/o
brain
electroencephalogram (EEG)_____________
This record is helpful in determining if a patient
has a seizure disorder, such a epilepsy.
Enter/o
intestine
enteritis_____________________________
(often the
Figure shows the small and large intestines.
small
ENTER/O is used to describe the small
intestine)
intestine and COLON/O are the combining for
the large intestine (colon).
Erythr/o
red
erythrocyte
-CYTE means “cell.” Figure below shows the three major
types of blood cells.
Gastr/o
stomach
Gastroscopy_______________________________
-SCOPY means “process of viewing.”
Gnos/o
knowledge diagnosis_______________________________
-SIS means “state of”; DIA-means “complete.”
A diagnosis is the complete knowledge gained
after testing and examining the patient. The
Plural of diagnosis is diagnoses.
prognosis__________________________
PRO- means “before.” A prognosis is a prediction
(“before knowledge”) that is actually made after
the diagnosis. It forecasts the outcome of
treatment.
Gynec/o
woman
gynecology ----------------------------------------
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
The following table consists of suffixes showing disease or change in the body.
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-algia
pain
arthralgia
joints
-cele
hernia
gastrocele
stomach
-dynia
pain,
swelling
urodynia
urine
-ectasis
dilation,
expansion
bronchiolectasis
bronchus
-(a)emia
blood
leuk(a)emia
white
-gen
producing,
beginning
carcinogen
cancer
-iasis
abnormal condition, formation of,
presence of
cholhgelithiasis
gall stone
The following table consists of suffixes showing disease or change in the body.
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-itis
inflammation
-malacia
softening
-megaly
enlargement
-oid
resemble
-oma
tumour
-osis
abnormal condition,
hepatitis
stomach
osteomalacia
bone
splenomegaly
spleen
fibroid
fibres
adenoma
gland
dermatosis
skin
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-pathy
disease
nephropathy
kidney
-penia
decrease,
deficiency
erthyropenia
red (cell)
-phagia
eating,
swallowing
dysphagia
difficult
-phasia
speech
aphasia
without
-plegia
paralysis,
stroke
hemiplegia
half
-phobia
fear
acrophobia
heights
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-ptosis
prolapse, falling
dropping
blepharoptosis
eyelid
-rrhage
burst
haemorrhage
blood
-rrhea
discharge,
flow of watery stools
diarrhea
-rrhexis
rupture
enterorrhexis
intestines
-sclerosis
hardening
artheriosclerosis
joints
-spasm
involuntary
contraction,
twitching
bronchospasm
bronchus
Suffixes used for diagnoses
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-gram
record of data
encephalogram
brain
-graph
instrument for recording
cardiograph
heart
-graphy
act of recording data
radiography
-meter
instrument for measuring
craniometer
cranium
-metry
measurement of
audiometry
audio (hearing)
-scope
instrument for viewing
laryngoscope
larynx
-scopy
examination of
laparoscopy
abdomen
Suffixes: Surgery-incisions
These suffixes describe types of incisions made during surgery.
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-ectomy
removal
mastectomy
breast
-centesis
tap, puncture
thoracentesis
chest
-stomy
mouth, forming an opening
colostomy
colon
-tomy
incision,
to cut into
tracheotomy
trachea
The following suffixes also describe surgery in terms of repairing, rebuilding,
reconstructing, or binding
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-desis
binding ,
stabilization
pleurodesis
pleural membrane (lining of
the lung)
-rrhapy
Suture, stitch
Arteriorrhaphy – artery
-pexy
fixation,
suspension
gastropexy
stomach
-plasty
formation,
plastic repair
rhinoplasty
nose
-clasis
to break down,
refracture
osteoclasis
bone
-lysis
loosen, free form adhesions,
destruction
enterolysis
small intestine
-tripsy
to crush
cholelithotripsy
gallstone
The following suffixes show the word parts. In other words, these
suffixes show whether a word is an adjective, noun, singular or plural
or a diminutive of a larger word.
Adjective endings that mean "pertaining to" are:
Adjective endings
Example
-ac
cadiac
heart
-al
skeletal
skeleton
-ary
salivary
saliva
-ic
pelvic
pelvis
The following suffixes show the word parts. In other words, these suffixes show
whether a word is an adjective, noun, singular or plural or a diminutuve of a larger
word.
Adjective endings that mean "pertaining to" are:
Adjective endings
Example
-ical
surgical
surgery
-ous
venous
vein
-tic
paralytic
paralysis
-ar
muscular
muscles
Nouns endings
These suffixes show the word is a noun.
Noun endings
-iac
Meaning
indicates person afflicted
Example
hemophiliac
with certain diseases or
conditions
-ia
-is
an unhealthy state
forms the noun from the root
-ism
condition, state of being
-ist
one who specializes
-y
condition, process
anesthesia
cutis
skin
alcholism
alcohol
radiologist
radiology
neuropathy
nervous system
disease
These suffixes show the word is a small version of a thing.
Diminutive ending
Meaning
-ole
-icle
-ule
Example
artiole
artery
small, little
minute
particle
piece
veinule
vein
These suffixes indicate whether the noun is singular or plural.
Singular
Plural
Example
Example
Singular
Plural
a
ae
patella
patellae
ax
aces
thorax
throraces
en
ina
lumen
lumina
ix or ex
ices
index
indices
These suffixes indicate whether the noun is singular or plural.
Singular
Plural
Example
Example
Singular
Plural
sis
ses
diagnosis
diagnoses
on
a
ganglion
ganglia
um
a
ovum
ova
us
i
digitus
digiti
y
ies
deformity
deformities
ma
mata
carcinoma
carcinomata
b. 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)
Suffix
Medical
Word
Meaning
Hyperthermia Condition of
excessive heat
(condition)
-ia
normal)
Intra- Muscul -ar
(in,
within)
(muscle) (relating
to)
Intramuscular Within the muscle
Insert table 3-1
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
Example of Defining Rules
“Enterocolitis”
Combining
Form
Enter/o
Intestine
Rule 2
Middle
col/
colon
Rule 3
Suffix
-itis
inflammation
Rule 1
 Definition – inflammation of the colon 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 +

cyte
= hepatocyte
Liver cell
 Rule #3
 Use a combining form to link a root to another root to form
a compound word
 Example

Oste/o + chondr/ + -itis =osteochondritis
 Inflammation of bone and cartilage