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WARM-UP:
WHAT ARE SOME
PARTS OF A TRAIN?
HOW DO THESE PARTS WORK
TOGETHER TO CREATE ONE
UNIT?
Introduction to
Veterinary Medical
Terminology
Building Blocks of Words
It’s all Greek to me!
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Some may say that veterinarians speak Greek,
they are right!
Most terms used in veterinary medicine are
based on Latin or Greek.
Latin is the universal language of medicine and
the Greeks were the founders of modern
medicine.
The Linking Parts
The key to learning terminology is to break down each
word into parts and learn the most common roots,
prefixes, suffixes, and combing forms.
Word Structure
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Root Word
Combining Form
Prefix
Suffix
Root Word
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•
•
This word part usually indicates the involved body part.
Acts as the foundation of most medical terms.
There can be more than one in a word (“compound word”).
Root words are like box cars, carrying cargo on a train.
Without the box cars, together with the engine there is not a complete
train.
Compound Words
Rootword 1
+ CV
+
Rootword 2
Heart
+
worm
Medi
+ “o” +
later
Crani
+ “o” +
caud/al
Dors
+ “o” +
palm
+ Suffix
New word
Heartworm
+ -al
Mediolateral
+ -al
Craniocaudal
+-ar
Dorsopalmar
Word Structure
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Root Word
Combining Form
Prefix
Suffix
Word Structure: Combining Form
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Vowel commonly used: “o”
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General Rule 1: If the suffix starts with a consonant,
connect the rootword and the suffix with the vowel “o”.
Example 1:
Root Word
+
CV
Suffix
New word
Cardi
+
-o-
-logy
Cardiology
study of
Study of the heart
“Heart”
Word Structure: Combining Vowel
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General Rule 2: If the suffix starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u)
DO NOT USE the vowel “o”.
Just attach the suffix to the root word.
Example 2:
Root Word +
Suffix
New word
Hepat/o
-osis
Hepatosis
liver
-disease process
- disease process in
the liver
Word Structure: Combining Vowel
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General Rule 3: If the suffix begins with the same
vowel as the root word, DO NOT
repeat the vowel.
Example 3:
Root Word +
Cardi
heart
Suffix
New word
-itis
Carditis
-inflammation of
- inflammation of the
heart
Word Structure
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Root Word
Combining Vowel
Prefix
Suffix
Prefix
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Alone they have some meaning, but they are not complete
words without the rest of the word parts.
Usually indicates location, time, number, or status.
This always comes at the beginning of word.
•They are like the train’s engine, it leads the train
and announces the coming train.
Prefix
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Example:
Prefix
+
Root Word
brady + cardi/a
“slow”
“heart”
New word
bradycardia
slow heart (rate)
Exercise on Prefixes
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a-, an- (without or not having)
anti - (against)
brady- (slow)
contra- (against, opposed)
de- (remove, take away, loss of)
dys- (difficult, troubled)
pyo - (pus)
hyper- (high)
1.
________ biotic
(against life)
2.
________ thermia
(high temperature)
3.
________ horn
(remove the horn)
Word Structure
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Root Word
Combining Form
Prefix
Suffix
Suffix
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Written AFTER a root word to form a new word.
Follows root word altering the words meaning.
Determines if word is a noun, adjective or other
type of word.
•Like a caboose, on a train, it is always comes at the end of a
word.
Word Structure: Suffix
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Example:
Root Word+
Suffix
Tonsil
+
New word
-itis
Tonsilitis
-itis = inflammation of Inflammation of
the tonsils
Root Words 1
ARTH/OCARDI/OCHEM/OCEPHAL/OCERVIC/O-
COL/OCUTANE/OCYAN/O-
CYST/O-
DENT/IDERMA/A-
Joint
Heart
Drug; chemical
Head
Neck
Colon; large intestine
Skin
Blue
Urinary; Sac of fluid
Tooth
Skin
Root Words 2
ELECTR/OENCEPHAL/OENTER/OERYTHR/OGASTR/OGER/OGINGIV/AGLUC/OGLYC/OHEM/OHEPAT/O-
Electricity
Brain
Intestines
Red
Stomach
Old Age
Gums
Sweetness
Sugar
Blood
Liver
Root Word 3
HIST/OHYSTER/OLACT/OLIP/OLAPAR/OLEUK/OMACR/OMAST-
MELAN/OMICR/OMONO-
Tissue
Uterus
Milk
Fat
Abdominal wall; abdomen
White
Large
Breast
Black
Small
One
Root Words 4
MY/ONAS/ONECR/ONEONEPHR/OONC/OOPT/OOSTE/OOT/OOVARI/O-
Muscle
Nose
Death
New
Kidney
Swelling or Mass
Eye; vision
Bone
Ear
Ovary
Root Words 5
OT/OOVARI/OPHAG/OPODPOLI/OPULM/O-
RADI/O-
RECT/ORHIN/O-
Ear
Ovary
Eating
Foot
Gray
Lung
X-Ray; Radioactivity
Rectum
Nose
Root Words 6
THORAC/O-
URIN/OUTER/OVULV/O-
Chest
Urinary
Uterus
Vagina
Prefixes 1
A- or ANANAABADANTIBRADYCODIDYSENENDOEPIEUEXO-
no; not; without
up; apart
away from
toward
against
Slow
Work Together
Two; Twice
bad: painful: difficult: abnormal
Inward
in; within
above; upon; on
good; normal
out; away from
Prefixes 2
EXTRAHEMOHOMOHYPERHYPOININTERINTRAISOMEDIMULTINEOOVARIOMNI-
Outside of; in addition to
Blood
Same; Similar
above; excessive
deficient; below; under; less than normal
In; inside; within
between
within; into
same; equal
Middle
many
new
Ovary
All
Prefixes 3
PANPERIPOLYPOSTPREPSEUDORESEMISUBSUPERTRANSUNUNI-
All
surrounding
many; much
after; behind
before; in front of
False
Back
Half
under; below
above, beyond
Across; Through; Beyond
Not; Reversal
One; singular
Suffix 1
-CYTE
-ECTOMY
-GRAM
-GRAPH
-ITIS
-LOGY
-LYSIS
-OSIS
Cell
Removal
Record
Instrument for recording
Swelling; inflammation
Study of
Breakdown, Separate; Cut
Condition; usually abnormal
Suffix 2
-PATHY
-PLASTY
-PNEA
-RRHAGE
-SCOPE
-STOMY
-THERAPY
-TOMY
Disease
Surgical Repair
Breathing
Bursting with blood
Instrument for visual
examination
New opening
Treatment
Process of cutting
You will receive several cards.
Some will be meanings some will
be prefixes, roots and/or suffixes.
1- Find the match for each word.
2- For each match, determine if it
is a prefix, root word or suffix.
3-Place the cards on the
appropriate marker in the room.
What word is the most
challenging for you to remember?
 On
a sheet of colored paper, create a
picture, story or interesting way to
remember the meaning of this
challenging word.
Review: Word Structure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Where can you find a prefix in a word?
What is a Root Word?
Create a compound word.
Where can you find a suffix in a word?
What is the most commonly used vowel?
a. If first letter of suffix = consonant?
b. If first letter of suffix is = vowel?
c. If first letter of suffix = last letter of RW?
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Next slides are printables
A- or AN-
no; not; without
AB-
away from
AD-
toward
ANTI-
against
BRADY-
Slow
DYS-
Bad; painful; difficult; abnormal
ENDO-
in; within
EPI-
above; upon; on
EU-
good; normal
EXO-
out; away from
HYPER-
above; excessive
HYPO-
INTER-
deficient; below; under; less
than normal
between
INTRA-
within; into
ISO-
same; equal
MULTI-
many
NEO-
new
PAN-
all
PERI-
surrounding
POLY-
many; much
POST-
after; behind
PRE-
before; in front of
SUB-
under; below
SUPER-
above, beyond
UNI-
uni
ARTH/O-
Joint
CARDI/O-
Heart
CHEM/O-
Drug; chemical
CEPHAL/O-
head
COL/O-
Colon; large intestine
CUTANE/O-
Skin
CYST/O-
Urinary; Sac of fluid
DENT/I-
Tooth
ELECTR/O-
Electricity
ENTER/O-
Intestines (usually small intestines)
GASTR/O-
Stomach
HEM/O-
Blood
HEPAT/O-
Liver
HYSTER/O-
Uterus
LAPAR/O-
Abdominal wall; abdomen
MAST-
Breast
NAS/O-
Nose
NEPHR/O-
Kidney
OPT/O-
Eye; vision
OSTE/O-
Bone
OT/O-
Ear
OVARI/O-
Ovary
RADI/O-
X-Ray; Radioactivity
RECT/O-
Rectum
RHIN/O-
Nose
URIN/O-
Urinary
UTER/O-
Uterus
-CYTE
Cell
-ECTOMY
Removal
-GRAM
Record
-GRAPH
Instrument for recording
-ITIS
Swelling; inflammation
-LOGY
Study of
-LYSIS
Breakdown, Separate; Cut
-OSIS
Condition; usually abnormal
-PATHY
Disease
-PLASTY
Surgical Repair
-PNEA
Breathing
-RRHAGE
Bursting with blood
-SCOPE
Instrument for visual examination
-STOMY
New opening
-THERAPY
Treatment
-TOMY
Process of cutting
Terminology
Day 2
Game Rotations (Play for 25 Min each and rotate):
*Earn 25% of daily grade for appropriate
participation during each game*
-Memory
Match
-Pyramid
-Guess Who
-Dice Game
Create a Word Activity
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For each group there are three “dice.”
Prefix
 Rootword
 Suffix
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Each person is to take three rolls of each dice to
create three words.
Write out the correct notation, including
combining vowels/words and its meaning.
Terminology
Day 3
Review and Quiz
Begin Directional Terminology