Medical Terminology Fundamentals

Medical Terminology Fundamentals

• Medical terms are built from word roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Word roots are the core of the word and contain the fundamental meaning.
• Combining forms are word roots with a combining vowel (often "o") added to connect them to other elements.
• Prefixes are added before the root to modify its meaning.
• Suffixes are added after the root to modify its meaning.
• Some terms are made of a prefix and a suffix only.

Simplified Medical Language

• The fundamental building block of medical terms is the word root or body of the word.
• Compound words can include two word roots, like "collarbone" (collar + bone).
• Combining vowels are used to aid in pronunciation, usually placed between word roots.
• The combining vowel "o" is common, but not the only vowel used.

Prefixes and Suffixes

• Prefixes and suffixes modify the meaning of the word root.
• Prefixes are placed before the word root.
• Suffixes are placed after the word root.

Examples of Combining Forms and Meaning

• acr/o + cyanosis = acrocyanosis (extremity bluish discoloration)
• psych/o + logy = psychology (study of the mind)
• chol/e + sterase = cholesterase (bile enzyme)

Linking Combining Forms and Suffixes

• If a combining form is followed by a suffix beginning with a consonant, use a combining vowel.
• If a combining form is followed by a suffix beginning with a vowel, omit the combining vowel.

Eponyms

• Eponyms are names derived from proper nouns (a person, place, or thing).
• Medical diseases, organs, procedures, and body functions can be eponyms.
• Eponyms are usually capitalized.
• Examples include Alzheimer's disease and Babinski sign.

Abbreviations

• Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases.
• They can use letters, shortened words, or acronyms.
• (Example) CXR is the abbreviation for chest x-ray, "tab" is short for "tablet", and CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Abbreviations should be used cautiously, especially with medications.

Plurals

• Plural forms of medical terms usually follow the same rules as in common language.
• (Example): contusion - contusions; virus - viruses; allergy - allergies
• Specific guidelines exist for pluralizing nouns ending in is, um, us, ix, ex, ax, ma, on, nx.

Medical Specialists

• Medical specialties are frequently indicated by suffixes attached to the word root.
• (Example): The suffix -logy refers to the study or science of (e.g., anesthesiology is the branch of medicine which specifically deals with anesthesia and anesthetics).
• The suffix -logist refers to one who studies or is a specialist in (e.g., an anesthesiologist is a physician specializing in anesthesia).

Surgical Procedures

• Many medical terms refer to surgical procedures.
• Suffixes often indicate the type of surgery (example: -ectomy means surgical removal).

Suffixes (Surgical Procedures Summary)

• -centesis: surgical puncture
• -ectomy: excision (surgical removal)
• -lysis: process of loosening, freeing, or destroying
• -pexy: surgical fixation
• -plasty: surgical repair
• -rrhaphy: suture (surgical repair)

Suffixes (Symptoms or Diagnoses Summary)

• -algia: pain
• -cele: hernia
• -ectasia / -ectasis: dilatation
• -edema: swelling
• -emesis: vomiting
• -emia: condition of the blood
• -ia / -iasis: condition
• -itis: inflammation
• -ith: stone or calculus
• -malacia: soft, softening
• -mania: excessive preoccupation
• -megaly: enlargement

Essential Prefixes (Numbers and Quantities Summary)

• mono-/uni-: one
• bi-/di-: two
• tri-: three
• quad-/quadri-/tetra-: four
• centi-: one hundredth

Miscellaneous Prefixes

• anti-/contra-: against
• brady-: slow
• dys-: bad, difficult
• eu-: good, normal
• mal-: bad
• pro-: favoring, supporting
• tachy-: fast

Combining Forms (Body Structures Summary)

• aden/o: gland
• angi/o: vessel
• bi/o: life or living
• blephar/o: eyelid
• cerebr/o, encephal/o: brain
• col/o: colon or large intestine
• faci/o: face
• hepat/o: liver
• mamm/o, mast/o: breast
• muscul/o, my/o: muscle

Combining Forms (Special Cases, Other Body Structures Summary)

• myel/o: bone marrow or spinal cord
• oste/o: bone
• pulm/o, pulmon/o, pneum/o, pneumon/o: lungs
• tonsil/o: tonsil
• trache/o: trachea
• vas/o: vessel

Additional Important Topics

• Various other prefixes and suffixes are important in the medical field for the understanding of symptoms and diagnoses.
• Important prefixes and suffixes include, but are not limited to, the concepts discussed above

Explore the basics of medical terminology through an understanding of word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. This quiz will help you identify how medical terms are constructed, including the use of combining forms and the significance of each component. Test your knowledge of simplified medical language and its building blocks.