Prajogo

Medical terminology is a special vocabulary used by health care professionals

for effective and accurate communication

consistent and uniform throughtout the world, because it is based mainly on Greek and Latin words

Most medical terms can be divided into component parts-roots, prefixes, and suffixes-that maintain the same meaning whenever they appear.

The fundamental unit of each medical world is the root. This establishes the basic meaning of the word and is the part to which modifying prefixes and suffixes are added.

Prefix Root Suffix

Prefix Root Suffix

examples

The Greek word kardia, meaning “heart,” gives us theroot cardi

The Latin word pulmo, meaning “lung,” gives us theroot pulm

We find both the Greek root nephr and the Latin rootren used in words pertaining the kidney

Some compound medical words are cardiovascular(pertaining to the heart and blood vessels), urogenital(pertaining to the urinary and reproductive systems)

COMBININGRoot – o – Suffix

A combining vowel (o) may be added between a root and a suffix

Neur + o + logy = neurology (study of the nervous system)

Root - 0

Neur/o

Neur + itis = neuritis (inflamation of a nerve)

Word derivations

Muscle comes from a latin word that means “mouse”because the movement of a muscle under the skin wasthought to resemble the scampering of a mouse.

The coccyx, the tail end of the spine, is named for thecuckoo because it was thought to resemble thecuckoo’s bill.

Pronunciation a is in hat

e is in meti as in bino as in someu as in run

ā as is in sayē as is in teaī as is in lieō as in hoseū as is in sue

The accented syllable in each word is shown with capital letters

Cerebrum (SER-e-brum)

Cerebrospinal (ser-e-brō-SPĪ-nal)

Duodenum (dū-ō-DĒ-num)

Skeletal (SKEL-e-tal)

Apnea (AP-nē-a) meaning cessation of breathing

Prognosis (prog-NŌ-sis) meaning prediction of the outcome of disease

SYMBOLS Symbols are commonly used in case histories as a form

of shorthand.

Some examples are L and R for left and right; and for increase and decrease.

SILENT LETTER

LETTERS PRONUNCIATION EXAMPLE DEFINITION OF EXAMPLE

ch k chemical Pertaining to chemistry

dys dis dystrophy Poor nourishment of tissue

eu u euphoria Exaggerated feeling of well-being

gn n gnathic Pertaining to the jaw

ph f pharmacy A drug dispensary

pn n pneumonia Inflammation of the lungs

ps s Pseudo- False

pt t ptosis Dropping

rh r rheumatic Pertaining to rheumatism, a disorder of muscles and joints

x z xiphoid Pertaining to cartilage attached to the sternum

NOUN SUFFIXESSUFFIXES THAT MEANS CONDITION OF

SUFFIX EXAMPLE DEFINITION OF EXAMPLE

-ia phobia Persistent and exaggerated fear

-ism alcoholism Impaired control of alcohol use

-sis acidosis Acid condition of boy fluids

-y tetany Sustained musclecontraction

SUFFIXES FOR MEDICAL SPECIALTIESSUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLE DEFINITION OF

EXAMPLE

-ian Specialist in a field of study

physician Practioner of medicine (root physilo=nature)

-iatrics Medical specialty geriatrics Study and treatment of the aged (root ger/i=old age)

-ics Medical specialty orthopedics Study and treatment of the skeleton and joints (fromm root pedlo=child, and prefix ortho=straight)

-iatry Medical specialty Podiatry Study and treatment of the foot (root pod/o, meaning foot)

-ist Specialist in a field of study

Cardiologist Specialist in the study and treatment of the heart

-logy Study of physiology Study of function in aliving organism