Medical Terminology Basics

Medical Terminology

• Medical terminology is the language used by healthcare professionals for effective and accurate communication.
• It includes specialized vocabulary to identify human anatomy, physiology, location, direction, medical status, and medication instructions.

Word Structure

• A medical word consists of three basic parts: word root, combining vowels, and prefixes/suffixes.

Word Roots

• A word root is the foundation of a medical word.
• New words can be formed by adding a prefix, suffix, or another root word to the root.
• It's impossible to memorize all medical terms, but analyzing word parts can help distinguish the meaning of many words.

Combining Vowels

• Combining vowels are used to connect two word parts.
• Rules for combining vowels:
  • A combining vowel is used between a word root and suffix.
  • If the suffix begins with a consonant, the combining vowel is dropped.
  • A combining vowel is typically kept between two word roots.

Prefixes and Suffixes

• A prefix is a word element attached to the beginning of a word or word root.
• A suffix is attached to the end of a term and adds meaning such as:
  • Condition (e.g., -algia = pain)
  • Disease (e.g., -itis = inflammation)
  • Procedure (e.g., -ectomy = surgical removal)

Defining Medical Words

• To define a medical word:
  1. Identify the suffix first, then the prefix, and finally the root.
  2. Define the medical word by starting at the suffix and determining its meaning.
  3. Move to the beginning of the word to identify the prefix or root and determine its meaning.
  4. Combine the meanings of all parts to define the medical word.