Medical Terminology: Basic Word Structure

Medical Terminology: Basic Word Structure

• Communication in Healthcare: Medical professionals and related individuals use specific terminology for effective communication.
• Medical Literature Uses Medical Language: The medical field relies heavily on established terms for clarity and understanding.
• Global Language: Medical terminology acts as a universal language for healthcare professionals worldwide.
• Breaking Down Complex Terms: Understanding the components of medical terms helps interpret long, unfamiliar words.

The Basics of Medical Terms

• Prefix: The beginning of a medical word, modifying its meaning.
• Root: The core of a term, representing a body part, action, or concept.
• Suffix: The ending of a word, indicating a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.
• Combining Vowel: Typically the letter "o", used to link a root to a suffix or another root.
• Combining Form: A root combined with a combining vowel ("o").

Identifying and Understanding Components

• Reading from Suffix to Beginning: Begin analyzing a medical term by deciphering the suffix and then working backwards.

Root Words - Key Definitions

• Root Examples:
  • Hemat - Blood
  • Cis - To cut
  • Kardia (Greek) - Heart
  • Gaster (Greek) - Stomach
  • Hepar (Greek) - Liver
  • Osteon (Greek) - Bone

Combining Vowels

• Purpose: Facilitate pronunciation by smoothly linking word parts.
• Common Combining Vowel: "O"
• Example:
  • cardi/o - Cardio

Combining Forms

• Root and Vowel Combination: A root plus a combining vowel forms the combining form.

Basic Combining Forms

• aden/o: Gland
• arthr/o: Joint
• bi/o: Life
• carcin/o: Cancerous, cancer
• cardi/o: Heart
• cephal/o: Head
• cerebr/o: Cerebrum
• cis/o: To cut
• crin/o: To secrete
• cyst/o: Bladder
• cyt/o: Cell
• derm/o, dermat/o: Skin
• electr/o: Electricity
• encephal/o: Brain
• enter/o: Intestines (small)
• erythr/o: Red
• gastr/o: Stomach
• gnos/o: Knowledge
• gynec/o: Woman, female
• hemat/o, hem/o: Blood
• hepat/o: Liver
• iatr/o: Treatment, healing
• leuk/o: White
• log/o: Study of
• nephr/o: Kidney
• neur/o: Nerve
• onc/o: Tumor
• ophthalm/o: Eye
• oste/o: Bone
• path/o: Disease
• ped/o: Child
• psych/o: Mind
• radi/o: Radiation
• ren/o: Kidney
• rhin/o: Nose
• sarc/o: Flesh
• sect/o: To cut
• thromb/o: Clot, clotting
• ur/o: Urinary tract, urine

Basic Suffixes

• Purpose: Typically indicate a procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.
• Attached After Root: Suffixes are always added to the root word to complete the term.
• Example:
  • neur/o: Nerves
  • Neural: Pertaining to nerves
  • Neuralgia: Painful condition of nerves

Basic Suffix Definitions

• -ac: Pertaining to
• -al, -ar: Pertaining to
• -ic, -ical: Pertaining to
• -algia: Condition of pain
• -cyte: Cell
• -ectomy: Excision, removal
• -emia: Blood condition
• -genic: Pertaining to producing
• -globin: Protein
• -gram: Record
• -ion: Process
• -ist: Specialist
• -itis: Inflammation
• -logy: Process of study
• -oma: Tumor
• -opsy: Process of viewing
• -osis: Condition, usually abnormal
• -pathy: Disease condition
• -scope: An instrument for visual examination
• -scopy: Process of visual examination
• -sis: State of or condition of
• -tomy: Process of cutting

Basic Prefixes

• Purpose: Typically indicate a number, measurement, position/direction, color, or status.
• Not All Terms Have Prefixes: Some medical words do just have a root and a suffix.

Basic Prefix Definitions

• A-, An-: No, not without
• Auto-, Aut-: Self, own
• Dia-: Through, complete
• Endo-: In, within, inside
• Epi-: Upon, above
• Ex-: Out
• Exo-: Outside of, outward
• Hypo-: Below, less than normal
• Hyper-: Excessive, more than normal
• In-: Into, in
• Peri-: Surrounding, around
• Pro-: Before, forward
• Re-: Back, backward, again
• Retro-: Behind
• Sub-: Below, under
• Trans-: Across, through

Determining the Meaning of Medical Terms

• Steps:
  • 1. Define the Suffix
  • 2. Define the Prefix
  • 3. Define the Root

Example Term Breakdown

• Transhepatic: Pertaining to across the liver
• Hypoglycemia: Blood condition of low sugar

Points to Remember

• Multiple Accepted Spellings: Some words have different spellings depending on region.
• Similar Meaning Combining Forms: Multiple combining forms can have the same meaning.
• Similar Sounding Forms with Different Meanings: Be cautious as some forms have similar sounds but distinct meanings.
• Homophones: Terms with identical pronunciation but different spellings and meanings.

This quiz explores the fundamental components of medical terminology, focusing on prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Understanding these elements is essential for effective communication in healthcare. Additionally, it highlights how medical language serves as a universal communication tool across the global healthcare community.