Medical Terminology Building System Quiz

Word-Building System

• Medical terminology is constructed through a system combining word roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Essential word roots include:
  • Stomato (mouth)
  • Dento (teeth)
  • Gingiva (gums)
  • Glosso/linguo (tongue)
  • Nephro/reno (kidney)
  • Encephalo (brain)
  • Hepato (liver)
  • Gastro (stomach)
  • Entero (intestine)

Compound Words

• Compound medical words combine multiple word roots or a word root with a combining vowel.
• Examples of compound words include:
  • Chicken + Pox = Chickenpox
  • Underage, shorthand, download, brainstem
• Compound terms are formed using:
  • Word root + combining vowel + word root
  • Examples:
    • Gastr/o + scope = Gastroscope
    • Neur/o + surgery = Neurosurgery
    • Micr/o + meter = Micrometer
    • Hydr/o + phobia = Hydrophobia
    • Hydr/o + therapy = Hydrotherapy

Prefixes and Suffixes

• Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word.
• Suffixes are appended to the end of a word.
• Examples of suffixes:
  • Word root + Suffix = Noun (dent + ist = dentist)
  • Word root + Suffix = Adjective (Anem + ic = Anemic)

Singular vs. Plural Forms

• Singular forms include:
  • Sarcoma, Diagnosis, Phalanx, Coccus, Vertex, Cervix
• Plural forms change to:
  • Sarcomata, Diagnoses, Phalanges, Cocci, Vertices, Cervices

Prefixes for Position

• Common prefixes indicating position include:
  • Circum- (around)
  • Peri- (around)
  • Meta- (beyond, after)
  • Retro- (behind)
  • Ultra- (beyond, in excess)
  • Meso- (middle)

Body Planes

• Body planes help describe anatomical positions:
  • Coronal Plane: Cuts body into anterior and posterior halves.
  • Sagittal Plane: Vertical division into equal right and left halves.

Directional Terms

• Medial: Toward the middle (medi/o)
• Lateral: Towards the side (later/o)
• Anterior: Front (anter/o)
• Posterior: Back (poster/o)

Combined Directional Terms

• Anterolateral: Front and side.
• Anteromedial: Front and middle.
• Anterosuperior: Front and top.
• Posterolateral: Back and side.
• Posterexternal: Back and outside.
• Posterinternal: Back and inside.