1 Introduction to Medical Terminology

2 After completion of this lecture you should be able to: 1.Describe the origin of medical language. 2.Explain the purpose of medical terminology. 3 Analyze the component parts of a medical term 4. Define the terms root, suffix, and prefix. 5. Explain what combining forms are and why they are used. 6. Explain common rules for proper medical term formation, pronunciation, and spelling.

3 Outlines Introduction Term Components Combining Forms and Combining Vowels Defining Medical Terms Through Word Structure Analysis Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms

4 Introduction Special vocabulary used by health care professionals for effective and accurate communication Most medical terms have Greek or Latin origins. These terms date back to the founding of modern medicine by the Greeks and by the influence of Latin when it was the universal language in the Western world. Other languages, such as German and French, have also influenced medical terms. Today, many new terms are derived from English, which is considered the universal language.

5 Good news!?? The good news is that there are only about 300 Latin and Greek word elements, From which thousands of medical terms may be formed.

6 Most medical terms have three basic component parts: the root, the suffix, and the prefix. Each term is formed by combining at least one root (the foundation or subject of the word), and a suffix (the word ending that modifies and gives essential meaning to the root). TERM COMPONENTS

7 Root –Fundamental unit of each medical word –Establishes basic meaning of word –Part to which prefixes and suffixes are added Suffix –Short word part or parts added to the end of a word –Modifies the meaning of the root –Indicated by a dash before the suffix (-itis)

8 Prefix –Short word part added before a root –Modifies the meaning of the root –Followed by a dash (pre-)

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11 Breaking down and defining the key components in a term often defines the term or gives clues to its meaning. In the term lipemia, lip is the ………..that means…………, and - emia is the…………. that means…….. (root, fat, suffix, blood condition) Memorizing key medical term components makes it possible to decipher that the term refers to the condition of ……..in the……. (fat, blood) EXERCISE 1

12 PATTERNS OF TERM FORMATION

13 1. Root/Suffix cardi/ac means…… pertaining to the heart 2. Prefix/Root/Suffix epi/card/ium means…. structure or tissue upon the heart 3. Preix/Prefx/Root/Suffix sub/endo/cardi/al means pertaining to below or under and within the heart 4. Root/Combining Vowel/Root/Suffix cardi/o/vascul/ar means pertaining to the heart and vessels

14 5. Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix cardi/o/logy means study of the heart 6. Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix (Symptomatic) cardi/o/dynia means pain in the heart 7. Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix (Diagnostic) cardi/o/rrhexis means rupture of the heart 8. Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix (Operative) cardi/o/rrhaphy means suture of the heart

15 Exceptions Most medical terms are formed by combining a root or roots and modified by suffixes and prefixes. Occasionally, terms are formed by a root alone or a combination of roots. Example: duct | Root to lead ovi/duct | | Root/Root | | egg/to lead

16 Oviduct refers to the uterine tube. Sometimes, a term is formed from the combination of a prefix and suffix. Example: meta/stasis | | Prefix/Suffix | | beyond, after, or change/stop or stand Metastasis refers to the spread of a disease, such as cancer, from one location to another.

17 COMBINING FORMS AND COMBINING VOWELS 1. psych o logy = psychology 2. path o logy = pathology When a medical term has more than one root, the roots are joined together by a vowel, usually an “o.” the “o” is used to link the two parts and it provides easier pronunciation. This vowel is known as a combining vowel. “O” is the most common combining vowel (i is the second most common) and is used so frequently to join root to root or root to suffix that it is routinely attached to the root and presented as a combining form.

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19 DEFINING MEDICAL TERMS THROUGH WORD STRUCTURE ANALYSIS You can usually define a term by interpreting the suffix first, then the prefix (if present), then the root or roots. Example: pericarditis peri/ card/ itis | | | prefix root suffix | | | around heart inflammation pericarditis (inflammation around the heart)

20 Beginning students often have difficulty differentiating between prefixes and roots (or combining forms) because the root appears first in a medical term when a prefix is not used. It is important to memorize the most common prefixes so that you can tell the difference. Also, keep in mind that a prefix is used only as needed to further modify the root or roots.

21 RULES FOR FORMING AND SPELLING MEDICAL TERMS

22 F IVE BASIC RULES FOR FORMING AND SPELLING MEDICAL TERMS 1.If the root ends in a consonant (any letter except a, e, i, o, u) and the suffix begins with a consonant, insert a combining vowel (usually an “o”) between the component parts hepat/o -megaly is spelled hepatomegaly and is defined as……….

23 2. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix that begins with vowel: vas/o -ectomy is spelled vasectomy and is defined as……. 3. If the root ends in a vowel and the suffix begins with the same vowel, drop the final vowel from the root and do not use a combining vowel: cardi/o -itis is spelled carditis and is defined as…….. 4. Most often, a combining vowel is inserted between two roots even when the second root begins with a vowel: cardi/o esophag/o -eal is spelled cardioesophageal and is defined as……….. 5. Occasionally, when a prefix ends in a vowel, and the root begins with a vowel, the final vowel is dropped from the prefix: para- enter/o -al is spelled parenteral and is defined as…..

24 EXERCISE 2 1. angi/o -ectasis is spelled……and means……… angiectasis expansion or dilation of a vessel 2. hemat/o -logy is spelled…… and means….. hematology study of blood 3. gastr/o enter/o -stomy is spelled….and means… gastroenterostomy creation of an opening (between) stomach and small intestine

25 5. oligo- ur/o -ia is spelled…… and means……. oliguria condition of deficient urine 6. oste/o -ectomy is spelled…… and means……. ostectomy excision (removal) of bone

26 SPELLING MEDICAL TERMS Correct spelling of medical terms is crucial for communication among health care professionals. Careless spelling causes misunderstandings that can have serious consequences. The following list shows some of the pitfalls to avoid. 1.Some words sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Context is the clue to spelling. For example, ileum (part of the intestine) and ilium (part of the hip bone) sitology (study of food) cytology (study of cells)

27 2. Other words sound similar but are spelled differently and have different meanings. For example, abduction (to draw away from) adduction (to draw toward) hepatoma (liver tumor) hematoma (blood tumor) aphagia (inability to swallow) aphasia (inability to speak)

28 3. Some words have more than one accepted spelling. For example, orthopedic orthopaedic leukocyte leucocyte 4. Some combining forms have the same meaning but different origins that compete for usage. For example, three combining forms mean uterus: hyster/o (Greek) metr/o (Greek) uter/o (Latin)

29 RULES OF PRONUNCIATION

30 Abbreviations Can save time May cause confusion Acronym = abbreviation formed from first letter of each word in a phrase –ASAP = as soon as possible

31 EXERCISE 3 the longest word in the English language Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanocon iosis Draw lines to separate the component parts, then define the words pneumono/ultra/micro/scopic/silico/volcano /coni/sis

32 ultra = excessive micro = small scopic = pertaining to an instrument used to examine silico = silica volcano = volcano pneumo = air or lung coni = dust osis = condition of

33 The term refers to a condition of excessively small volcanic and silica dust in the lung. It is said to be a specific type of pneumoconiosis (a condition of dust in the lungs) such as described at the time of the eruption of Mt. St. Helen’s in May 1980 in Washington State.