Medical
Terminology
Introduction
 Medical language
 Majority of terms are based in
Latin or Greek
 Ex: herpes – based on the
Greek work herpo meaning
“creep along”. Herpes is used
to describe the skin condition
because it seems to “creep
along” the skin.
•Most medical terms can be broken
down into one or more word parts.
–Roots
–Prefixes
–Suffixes
–Linking or combining vowels
•WORD ROOTS
•Are the meaning or base of the term
•Every medical term has at least one word
root
–Ex: hepatitis – hepat is the word root and
means liver.
•SUFFIX
•Attached to the end of the
word root to modify its
meaning.
–Ex: Hepatic – ic (meaning
“pertaining to”) is the suffix.
•PREFIX
•Attached to the beginning of a
word root to modify its
meaning.
–Ex: subhepatic – sub
(meaning “under”) is the
prefix.
•RULES
•Part of the word
•Usually is an “o”
•Used between two word roots
•Used between a word root and
a suffix to ease pronunciation
•RULES
•All prefixes must go at the beginning of
the word
•All suffixes must go at the end of the
word
•All words must have a suffix
•The combining vowel which is usually
an “o” should be dropped when
combining with a suffix that begins with
a vowel.
Word Analysis
HEMATOLOGY
 HEMATO/LOGY
Root
(blood)
Suffix
(Study of)
 When you analyze a
medical term, begin
at the end of the
word.
 The ending of a word
is called a suffix.
 All medical terms
contain suffixes.
Word Analysis
HEMATOLOGY
 HEMAT/O/LOGY
Root
Suffix
(blood)
(Study of)
Combining
Vowel
Root + combining vowel + suffix
 Start at the suffix
 Logy = Study of
 Then go back to the
beginning of the
word.
 Hemat = blood
 Analysis (put it together)
 Study of blood
Word Analysis
BIOLOGIST
 BIO/LOGIST
 Start at the suffix
 Logist = specialist in
(the study of)
 Go to the beginning
Root
(Life)
Root + suffix
Suffix
 Bio = life
(Specialist in)  Analysis
 Specialist in (the
study of) life
Word Analysis
CARDIOGRAM
 CARDI/O/GRAM
Root
(heart)
Suffix
(record)
Root + suffix
 Start at the suffix
 Gram = record
 Go the to beginning
 Cardio = heart
 Analysis
 Record of the heart
Word Analysis
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
 ELECTRO/CARDIO/GRAM
Root
(electricity)
Root
(heart)
Root + root + suffix
 Start at the suffix
 Gram = record
 Go the to
beginning
 Electro = electricity
 Cardio= heart
Suffix
(record)  Analysis
 Record of the
electricity in the
heart
Word Analysis
Roots
 Cardio = heart
 Gastro = stomach
 Hemato = blood
 Dermato = skin
Suffix
 -logy = study of
 -logist = specialist
 -gram = record
 -ac = pertaining to
 -itis = inflammation
CARDIOLOGY
 CARDIO/LOGY
 Study of the heart
CARDIOLOGIST
 CARDIO/LOGIST
 Specialist in the heart
HEMATOLOGIST
 HEMATO/LOGIST
 Specialist in blood
Word Analysis
Roots
 Cardio = heart
 Gastro = stomach
 Hemato = blood
 Derma = skin
Suffix
 -logy = study of
 -logist = specialist
 -gram = record
 -ac = pertaining to
 -itis = inflammation
CARDIAC
 CARDI/AC
 Pertaining to the heart
What’s different?
 The combining vowel is
dropped when the suffix
begins with a vowel.
Word Analysis
Roots
 Cardio = heart
 Gastro = stomach
 Hemato = blood
 Dermato = skin
Suffix
 -logy = study of
 -logist = specialist
 -gram = record
 -ac = pertaining to
 -itis = inflammation
DERMATITIS
 DERMAT/ITIS
 Inflammation of the skin
Word Analysis
Roots
 Cardi/o = heart
 Gastr/o = stomach
 Hemat/o = blood
 Dermat/o = skin
Suffix
 -logy = study of
 -logist = specialist
 -gram = record
 -ac = pertaining to
 -itis = inflammation
GASTRITIS
 GASTR/ITIS
 Inflammation of the
stomach
Word Analysis
Roots
 Cardi/o = heart
 Gastr/o = stomach
 Hemat/o = blood
 Enter/o = intestines
Suffix
 -logy = study of
 -logist = specialist
 -gram = record
 -ac = pertaining to
 -itis = inflammation
GASTROENTEROLOGY
 GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY
 Study of the stomach and
intestines
 2 root words = OK
 2 CV = OK
 Between roots the
combining vowel is not
dropped, even if the second
root begins with a vowel.
Word Analysis
Roots
 Electr/o = electicity
 Encephal/o = brain
 Gastr/o = stomach
Suffix
 -logy = study of
 -logist = specialist
 -gram = record
 -ac = pertaining to
 -itis = inflammation
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM
 ELECTR/O/ENCEPHAL/O/GRAM
 Record of the electricity in the
brain
Word Analysis
Prefix
 a word-part attached to the beginning of
the term
Word Analysis
Prefix
BRADYCARDIA
 Brady = slow
 BRADY/CARD/IA
 Tachy = fast
 Condition of a slow
heart
Root
 Cardi/o = heart
Suffix
 -ia = condition / disease
Word Analysis
Prefix
TACHYCARDIA
 Brady = slow
 TACHY/CARD/IA
 Tachy = fast
 Condition of a fast
heart
Root
 Cardi/o = heart
Suffix
 -ia = condition / disease
Word Analysis - Review
 Root = gives the essential meaning of the term
 Suffix = the word ending
 Prefix = a small part added to the beginning of
a term
 Combining vowel = connects roots to suffixes
and roots to other roots
 Combining form = combination of the root and
a combining vowel
Word Analysis - Rules
 Read the meaning of medical words from
the suffix, then to the beginning of the
word and across
 Drop the combining vowel before a suffix
that starts with a vowel
 Keep the combining vowel between
roots, even if the root begins with a vowel
Expectations
 Every week you will be given new prefixes,
roots, or suffixes to learn.
 You will need to be able to give the meaning
the medical terms created from that list
 You will need to be able to give the medical
term if you are given the meaning
 Spelling is important!