Medical Terminology Basics

Medical Terminology Basics

Word Roots

• Most medical terms are composed of a root word and a suffix
• Root words typically indicate the body part or system being referred to
• Examples:
  • Card- (heart)
  • Neuro- (nervous system)
  • Gastr- (stomach)

Suffixes

• Indicate the condition, disease, or procedure related to the root word
• Examples:
  • -itis (inflammation)
  • -ectomy (surgical removal)
  • -oma (tumor)

Prefixes

• Indicate location, direction, or extent of the condition
• Examples:
  • Endo- (within)
  • Exo- (outside)
  • Hyper- (excessive)

Combining Forms

• Modified root words that combine with suffixes and prefixes
• Examples:
  • Cardi- (heart) + -itis (inflammation) = Cardiitis
  • Neuro- (nervous system) + -logy (study of) = Neurology

Common Medical Terms

Body Systems

• Cardiovascular: related to the heart and blood vessels
• Respiratory: related to breathing and lungs
• Gastrointestinal: related to digestion and gut
• Musculoskeletal: related to muscles and bones

Medical Specialties

• Cardiology: study of the heart
• Neurology: study of the nervous system
• Oncology: study of cancer
• Orthopedics: study of musculoskeletal system

Word Building

Steps to build a medical term:

1. Identify the root word and its meaning
2. Identify the suffix and its meaning
3. Combine the root word and suffix to form the medical term
4. Use prefixes to modify the term as necessary

Medical Terminology Basics

Word Structure

• Medical terms composed of a root word, suffix, and sometimes a prefix
• Root words indicate the body part or system being referred to
• Suffixes indicate the condition, disease, or procedure related to the root word
• Prefixes indicate location, direction, or extent of the condition

Roots

• Examples of root words:
  • Card- (heart)
  • Neuro- (nervous system)
  • Gastr- (stomach)

Suffixes

• Examples of suffixes:
  • -itis (inflammation)
  • -ectomy (surgical removal)
  • -oma (tumor)

Prefixes

• Examples of prefixes:
  • Endo- (within)
  • Exo- (outside)
  • Hyper- (excessive)

Combining Forms

• Modified root words that combine with suffixes and prefixes
• Examples:
  • Cardi- (heart) + -itis (inflammation) = Cardiitis
  • Neuro- (nervous system) + -logy (study of) = Neurology

Medical Terms

Body Systems

• Cardiovascular: heart and blood vessels
• Respiratory: breathing and lungs
• Gastrointestinal: digestion and gut
• Musculoskeletal: muscles and bones

Medical Specialties

• Cardiology: study of the heart
• Neurology: study of the nervous system
• Oncology: study of cancer
• Orthopedics: study of the musculoskeletal system

Word Building

Steps to build a medical term:

• Identify the root word and its meaning
• Identify the suffix and its meaning
• Combine the root word and suffix to form the medical term
• Use prefixes to modify the term as necessary