Introduction to Medical Terminology

First Year Modules

• First term modules cover foundational topics in medicine:
  • Principles of studying medicine
  • Cell biology and function, integrating biochemistry and physiology
  • Anatomy and histology focusing on microscopic and macroscopic structures
  • Emphasis on patient-physician professionalism and ethics
• Second term modules include:
  • Infection and immunity, focusing on microbiology and parasitology
  • Mechanisms and principles of therapy, addressing pathology and pharmacology
  • History and physical examination of patients

Medical Disciplines

• Medical Physiology: Examines how the human body functions.
• Biochemistry: Investigates chemical processes and metabolism in the body.
• Anatomy: Studies the structure of the human body.
• Histology: Microscopic analysis of tissues and organs through sectioning and staining.
• Pathology: Focuses on diseased organs, tissues, and cells.
• Pharmacology: Studies the effects of drugs (natural and synthetic) on biological systems.
• Parasitology: Explores parasitic organisms and vectors that cause disease.
• Medical Microbiology and Immunology: Investigates microorganisms and the immune response.

Anatomy of a Medical Term

• Prefix: Added to the beginning of a word, altering its meaning.
• Root: Essential component providing the core meaning.
• Suffix: Added to the end of the word, further defining the term.
• Combining Vowel: Typically an “O,” used to ease pronunciation (e.g., gastr/o/enteritis).

Prefixes Indicating Degree

• Hypo: Indicates decrease or below (e.g., hypothyroidism).
• Hyper: Indicates increase or above.

Common Medical Terms

• Carcin: Cancer
• Cyst: Fluid-filled sac
• Cyte: Cell
• Erythro: Red
• Glyco: Sugar
• Angio: Vessel
• Arthro: Joint
• Additional terms include chondro (cartilage), colo (colon), and derma (skin).

Prefixes for Common Conditions

• Inter: Between (e.g., interdigital)
• Ante: Before (e.g., ante-natal)
• An: Without (e.g., anemia)
• Dys: Abnormal or painful (e.g., dysphagia – painful swallowing)
• Brady: Slow (e.g., bradycardia)
• Tachy: Fast (e.g., tachycardia)

Numerical Prefixes

• Mono/Uni: One (e.g., unicellular)
• Bi: Two
• Tri: Three
• Quadri: Four (e.g., quadriplegia)
• Penta: Five
• Hexa: Six

Positioning Prefixes

• Pre: Before (e.g., pre-operative)
• Post: After (e.g., postoperative)
• Epi: Above (e.g., epigastric region)
• Sub: Below (e.g., sub-costal artery)
• Hypo: Below (e.g., hypoglycemic)

Organ-Related Prefixes

• Nepro: Kidney (e.g., nephritis)
• Hepato: Liver (e.g., hepatomegaly)
• Cardio: Heart (e.g., cardiomegaly)
• Gastro: Stomach (e.g., gastritis)

Common Suffixes

• Algia: Pain (e.g., myalgia = muscle pain)
• Itis: Inflammation (e.g., nephritis)
• Ectomy: Excision/surgical removal (e.g., gastrectomy)
• Megaly: Enlargement (e.g., cardiomegaly)
• Gen: Producing/causal agent (e.g., carcinogen)

Understanding Medical Language

• Mastering prefixes and suffixes provides insight into medical terms and their meanings, facilitating effective communication in a clinical setting.