Introduction: The Basics

Overview

• Medical terminology is a specialized language used by health care practitioners. And, just like a foreign language, it has its own vocabulary and ways of stringing together words in a way that is understandable to everyone. But, unlike a foreign language, you come across medical terminology every day in magazines and newspapers with articles about new drugs, diets, new medical treatments and on television medical dramas.

Introduction

•Many medical terms have interesting, even weird meanings or stories behind their evolution as words. I will bet you already know some medical terms! Have you heard of an esophagus, the tube that connects your throat with your stomach? Esophagus comes from Greek words meaning “that which swallows what we eat.” How about Fallopian tubes? They are named after a 16th century Italian anatomist, Gabriello Fallopio. Okay, surely you have heard of a placenta! Placenta means a “flat cake” in Greek, simply describing its shape.

Word Parts

•Medical terms have 3 parts:• The root word (usually in the middle)• The prefix (at the beginning of the word)• The suffix (at the end of the word)• Lets look at myocarditis: Seems like a big confusing word

right?•Myo = muscle• Cardi = heart• itis = inflammation•Myocarditis = muscle layer of the heart is inflammed

Prefix Change

•Myocarditis = muscle layer of the heart is inflamed•Pericarditis = outer layer of the heart is inflamed•Endocarditis = inner layer of the heart is inflamed

Suffix Change

•Cardiologist = physician who specializes in the heart•Cardiomegaly = enlargement of the heart•Cardiomyopathy = disease of the heart muscle layer

Word Parts•Root Word: the main part or foundation of the word•The root may indicate a body part or body system or

colors. •Examples: • -cardia = heart • -pancrea = pancreas • -cyan = blue • -nephr = kidney

Common Root Words

Common Root Words

Prefixes

Prefixes: the beginning of a word•Prefixes usually, but not always, indicate: • Location • Time•Negation•Number• Status

•Examples: •Epigastric •polyneuritis • Intercostal

Prefixes: negation

•Negation • a-, an- = no, not, without• im-, in- = not

•Examples: •Anaerobic: without oxygen•Afebrile: without fever•Alopecia: absence of hair• Indigestion: not digesting properly

Prefixes: Time

•Time•pre- = before •post- = after

•Examples: Postoperative, Prenatal, premenstrual, postmortem, premature

Prefixes: Position

• ante-, pre-, pro- = before• Epi- = above•Hyper- = excessive, above, more than normal • hypo-, intra-, sub- = under, below • inter- = between •medi- = middle • post- = after, behind • retro- = behind, backward•Mal- = bad •Examples: Epicardium, hyperextension, sublingual

Prefixes: Measurement and numbers

•micro- = small •macro- = large • hyper- = excessive•multi-, poly- = many • primi- = first •mon-, uni- = 1 • bi-, di- = 2 • tri- = 3 • quadri- = 4 • Examples: hypertension, bilateral, quadrant, quadriplegia

Suffixes

Suffixes: word ending•Suffixes usually, but not always, indicate the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease. • Examples: • gastralgia • neuritis

•Changing the suffix, changes the meaning of the word. • - dent/al – “al” means pertaining to • - dent/ist – “ist” means specialist

Common Suffixes

Common suffixes:

Other common suffixes:

Combining Forms

Combining form: a combination of the root word and a combining vowelExamples:•Cardi(o) = heart •Pancre(a) = pancreas •Cyan(o) = blue •Nephr(o) = kidney•Therm(o) = heat

Word Parts

•Combining vowel: usually an o but can be an i or an a • Links the root word to the suffix or to another root

word•The combining vowel is used:•Before suffixes that begin with a consonant •Before another root word. •Prefixes are not included in this rule.

Rules for Combining Forms

1. Used when the suffix begins with a consonant • Cardi + gram = cardiogram

2. NOT used when the suffix begins with a vowel• Gastr + itis = Gastritis not “gastroitis”

3. Not used with a prefix•Hyperventilation, not hyperoventilation

4. Used when combining 2 or more root words• Gastroenterology not “gastrenterology”

Writing Medical Terms

Hyperglycemia

Hyper-

Hyper- + glyc(o) + -emia =

Glyc(o) -emia

Increased sugar in the blood

Writing Medical Terms

•Pertaining to above the heart

•Red blood cell

•Weakening of the bones

• Inflammation of the brain

•Tumor of the liver

Taking Terms Apart

• To determine a word’s meaning by looking at the component pieces, you must first separate it into word parts. • Always start at the end of the word, with the suffix, and work

backwards• As you separate the word parts, identify the meaning of each.

Identifying the meaning of each part should give you a definition of the term. • Because some word parts have more than one meaning, it also is

necessary to determine the context in which the term is being used.

Interpreting Difficult Terms

Gastroenteritis

Stomach Intestines

Inflammation

Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and all or part of the intestines

Greek vs. Latin Roots

• Greek: used for diseases, conditions, diagnosis and treatments• Latin: used for body parts, anatomical terms

SINGULAR VS. PLURAL

Latin SINGULAR VS. PLURAL

Learning Check

• How do you Combine the root (nephr) , meaning “kidney,” with the suffix (-itis), meaning “inflammation,” to form a word meaning “inflammation of the kidney.”?

• How do you combine the root (rhin), meaning “nose” with the suffix (-plasty) meaning “surgical repair or molding”, to form a word meaning surgery of the nose?

Group Activity

•In groups of two, come up with at least 10 examples of words using combining words and the different suffixes•Write down the word and its meaning on a piece of paper•Put all group members names on the paper