Medical Terminology Chapter 1

Confusing and Sound Alike Words and Word Parts

arteri/o, ather/o, arthr/o

arteri/o = artery

ather/o = fatty substance, plaque

arthr/o = joint

ileum, ilium

ileum: part of small intestine

ilium: part of the hip bone

inflammation, infection

inflammation: localized response to an injury or destruction of tissues Signs: redness, heat, swelling, pain

infection: invasion of the body by a pathogenic organism

laceration, lesion

laceration: torn, ragged wound

lesion: pathologic change of tissues due to disease or injury

mucous, mucus

mucous: an adjective that describes the specialized membranes that line the body cavities

mucus: name of fluid secreted by the mucous membranes, noun

myc/o, myel/o, my/o

myc/o = fungus

myel/o = bone marrow or spinal cord

my/o = muscle

-ologist, -ology

-ologist: specialist

-ology: study

-ostomy, -otomy

-ostomy: surgically create an artificial opening

-otomy: cutting into or surgical incision

Palpation, palpitation

palpation: examination by feeling

palpitation: pounding or racing heart

suturing, ligation

suturing: act of closing a wound or incision

ligation: act of binding or tying off blood vessels or ducts

triage, trauma

triage: medical screening to determine priority of treatment

trauma: wound or injury

py/o, pyr/o, pyel/o

py/o = pus

pyr/o = fever, fire

pyel/o = renal pelvis

sign, symptom, syndrome

sign: evidence of disease that can be observed by patient & others

symptom: can be observed only by patient

syndrome: set of signs & symptoms that occur together as part of a specific disease process

objective, subjective

objective: can be measured, a sign is objective

subjective: can only be measured or evaluated by the patient, a symptom is subjective

diagnosis, prognosis

diagnosis: the identification of the disease

prognosis: prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disorder

acute, chronic, remission

acute: rapid onset, short duration

chronic: longer duration

remission: partial or complete disappearance of disease without having achieved a cure

acronym, eponym

acronym: word formed from the initial letter or letters of the major parts of a compound term ex: AIDS

eponym: disease, structure, or procedure named for a person ex: Alzheimer’s disease

Words Indicating Color

• Cyan/o- means blue, Cyanosis• Erythr/o- means red, Erythrocytes• Leuk/0- means white, Leukocytes• Melan/o- means black, Melanosis is a

condition of unusual deposits of black pigment in different parts of the body.

• Poli/0- means gray, Poliomyelitis is a vital infection of the gray matter of the spinal cord.

Taking Terms Apart

• Otorhinolaryngology- • Ot/0- ear• Rhino/o- nose• Laryng/0- throat• Ology- study of• Study of the ears, nose, and throat.

Doctors who specialize in this use the Abbrev. ENT

Education and level of Training

Aide or Assistant- one or more years of combined classroom and/or on the job training. Dental assistant, medical assistant.

Nurse or Technician- Two year associate’s degree, special health occupations education, or three to four years of on-the-job training. Dental Hygienist or surgical technician.

Registered nurse, Technologist- 3-4 years of college plus work experience. Usually get a bachelor’s degree. Physical therapist or speech therapist.

Professional- Postgraduate education in medical specialty. Usually get a masters and or a doctorate degree. Dentist, medical doctor, and a Psychologist.