© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Chapter 1 Ready, Set, Go

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Anatomy of a Medical Term Many medical terms are composed of word part combinations. Recognizing word parts and their meanings helps in understanding medical terms.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Anatomy of a Medical Term Learning veterinary medical terminology is much easier once you understand how word parts work together to form medical terms.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Anatomy of a Medical Term Prefix: word part found at the beginning of a word Root: word part that gives the essential meaning of the word Suffix: word part found at the end of a word

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Other Word Parts Combining vowel: a single vowel, usually an o, that is added to the end of a root to make the word easier to pronounce Combining form: the combination of the root and the combining vowel

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Prefixes Prefixes usually, but not always, indicate location, time, number, or status. Prefixes are presented with a hyphen following them: prefix-.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Prefixes Pre- means before: –Preoperative means before an operation. Peri- means around: –Perioperative means pertaining to the time around an operation. Post- means after: –Postoperative means after an operation.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Learning Prefixes Learning prefixes may be easier when they are presented in pairs or in similar groups: –A- and an- mean without or no. –Ab- means away from; ad- means toward.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Roots Roots are the foundation of medical terms. Roots usually, but not always, describe the part of the body that is involved.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Roots Roots cannot stand alone: –A suffix must be added to complete the term. –A prefix may be added to the term.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Combining Vowels A combining vowel may be used to make the medical term easier to pronounce. A combining vowel is not used when the suffix begins with a vowel.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Combining Vowels A combining vowel is used when the suffix begins with a consonant. A combining vowel is used when two or more word roots are joined. A prefix does not need a combining vowel.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Combining Forms Combining forms = root plus a vowel There may be more than one combining form for a body part. Combining forms will be presented with a backslash: hepat/o.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Combining Forms Examples of combining forms: –Nas/o means nose. –Rhin/o means nose. –Ren/o means kidney. –Nephr/o means kidney.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Suffixes Suffixes usually, but not always, indicate the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Suffixes There are many related groups of suffixes: –“pertaining to” suffixes –surgical suffixes –procedural suffixes –the double r suffixes –conditional and structural suffixes

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Suffixes Suffixes may change the part of speech of a word. Different suffixes may change the word from a noun to an adjective.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Suffixes –-osis (noun) versus -tic (adjective) –-ia (noun) versus -ic (adjective) –-us (noun) versus -ous (adjective) –-um (noun) versus -ac (adjective)

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Suffix Variation Depending on Usage

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Analyzing Medical Terms Dissect—analyze the word structurally by dividing it into its basic components. Begin at the end—define the suffix first, the prefix second, and then the roots. If there are two roots, read them from left to right.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Analyzing Medical Terms Anatomical order—where body systems are involved, the words are usually built in the order in which the organs occur in the body. –Exception: in some diagnostic procedures in which the tools or substances are passed in the opposite direction of anatomical order (retrograde)

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Analyzing Medical Terms Example: ovariohysterectomy Divide the term: – ovari/o/hyster/ectomy Start at the end: – -ectomy is surgical removal – ovari/o means ovary – hysteri/o means uterus

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Analyzing Medical Terms Anatomical order: body parts are in order. Ovariohysterectomy means surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning General Pronunciation Guidelines A medical term is easier to understand and remember when you pronounce it correctly. In general: –All vowels in scientific words are pronounced. –Consonants are pronounced as in other English words.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning General Pronunciation Guidelines Use Table 1–3 as a pronunciation guide. Remember, there may be more than one correct way to pronounce a word.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Spelling Is Always Important Accuracy in spelling medical words is extremely important. –Changing one or two letters may change the meaning of a word: hepatoma versus hematoma urethra versus ureters

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Spelling Is Always Important Some words sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings: – ileum versus ilium

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Using a Medical Dictionary Alphabetically look for words as you think they would be spelled, starting with the first and second letters of the word.

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning Using a Medical Dictionary If the term is not spelled the way it sounds, consider the following: –F sounds may begin with f or ph. –J sounds may begin with g or j. –K sounds may begin with c, ch, k, or qu. –S sounds may begin with c, ps, or s. –Z sounds may begin with x or z.