Medical Terminology

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Medical words are unique. A single medical term can express a complicated idea. –“Catheter” (single word) A hollow, flexible tube that can be inserted into a vessel or cavity of the body to withdraw or to instill fluids (complicated idea)A hollow, flexible tube that can be inserted into a vessel or cavity of the body to withdraw or to instill fluids (complicated idea)  Medical Terminology is based on classic Greek and Latin. Medical words also come from other languages as well to include Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School2

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Prefix: appear at the beginning of a word  Root: foundation of most words and often found in the middle of words  Suffix: appear at the end of a word –Example: bilingual bilingual *Prefix + Root + Suffix (bi) + (lingu) + (al) (bi) + (lingu) + (al) two + tongue + pertaining to *This is most common configuration. Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School3

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Additional examples: anemia anemia Prefix + Root + Suffix (an) + + (emia) (an) + (no root) + (emia) without + (no root) + condition of blood cardia cardia Prefix + Root + Suffix + (card) + (ia) (no prefix) + (card) + (ia) (no prefix) + heart + state or condition of Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School4

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Most medical words have at least two parts. In medical terminology, words with two or more parts are called compound words.  Not all medical terms will make sense when broken down into individual parts:  Example: hypochondria Prefix + Root + Suffix + (chondr/o) + (ia) (hypo) + (chondr/o) + (ia) below normal + cartilage + state or condition of Literal meaning: Condition of below normal, or diminished amounts of cartilage Actual meaning: abnormal concern about one’s health Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School5

Introduction To Medical Terminology  The medical dictionary is the final authority! Many (most) times the root word will be the most important part in figuring out the meaning of a medical term – but not always.  Medical Terms Involving Surgical Procedures:  When learning medical terms that describe surgical procedures, the word part for the organ or tissue will appear first – next to the suffix. The suffix will describe the action being taken. Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School6

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Medical Terms Involving Surgical Procedures:  Examples: appendectomy Prefix + Root + Suffix + (+ (ectomy) (no prefix) + (append) + (ectomy) (no prefix) + appendix + removal of pericardiotomy pericardiotomy Prefix + Root + Suffix + (cardi/o) + (tomy) (peri) + (cardi/o) + (tomy) around + heart + incision Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School7

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Spelling is especially critical when it comes to medical terminology! A change in a single letter, or its position, can completely change the meaning of a word.  Examples:  Hemarthrosis: the escape of blood from a joint into surrounding tissue  Hemiarthrosis: a false articulation (joint) between two bones  The importance of proper spelling cannot be over emphasized! Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School8

Introduction To Medical Terminology  Pronunciation can be difficult for many medical terms. Many words may have different pronunciations depending on which part of the country/world you are in.  Proper pronunciation is not always helpful in proper spelling of a word. This can be attributed to common Greek letter combinations.  ps – pseudo, psychology (s)  pn – pneumonia (n)  pt – ptosis (t)  x – xiphoid (z)  rh – rhinitis (r) Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School9

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Prefix: medical word part found at the beginning of a medical word. The word prefix itself has two parts:  Pre- (in front of) + fix (attach to place)  “Attach to beginning of a word”  Medical dictionaries often attach a hyphen at the end of a prefix  Hemi- (half)  Peri- (around)  Hema- (blood) Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School10

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Prefixes express eight kinds of relationships: 1.Time: –Noct- (night) + ur (urine) + -ia (pertaining to, condition) –Nocturia: excessive urination during the night 2. Place: –Meta- (next to, beyond) + carpal (pertaining to wrist) –Metacarpal: bones of the hand that are next to the wrist Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School11

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Prefixes express eight kinds of relationships: 3. Other parts: –Circum- (around) + corneal (pertaining to, cornea) –Circumcorneal: around the cornea 4. Color: –Xano- (yellow) + cyano- (blue) + opsi (vision) + -ia (state or condition) –Xanocyanopsia: form of color blindness where you can distinguish blue and yellow, but not red or green Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School12

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Prefixes express eight kinds of relationships: 5. Size: –Micro- (small) + photo (light) + -graph (write) –Microphotograph: small photograph 6. Direction: –Levo (left) + phobo- (fear) + -ia (state or condition) –Levophobia: a fear of objects on the left side of the body Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School13

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Prefixes express eight kinds of relationships: 7. Type or Character of Procedure: –Allo (different from; other) + -plasty (molding; surgically forming) –Alloplasty: plastic surgery with non-human tissue 8. Amount or Quantity: –Oligo (little; scanty) + cyt (cell) + -hem (blood) + ia (state or condition) –Oligocythemia: a deficiency in the number of blood cells Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School14

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Roots foundation word parts of medical terminology  Also known as:  Word part  Stem  Core  Root element  Core element  When one root element is combined with another root element it is called a combining form. They are often linked together by a vowel, or combining vowel. The most common combining vowel is “o.” Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School15

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Suffixes word parts that come at the end of a medical word. Suffixes can change the meaning of a word by making them more specific.  Gloss (tongue) + algia (pain) = glossalgia (pain in tongue)  Suffixes can change roots into nouns.  Dacryo (tear) + -genic (create; beginning) = dacryogenic (beginning of the formation of tears)  Suffixes can change roots into adjectives.  lumbo (loins) + -ar (related to or pertaining to) = lumbar (pertaining to the loins) Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School16

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Suffixes  Suffixes express a state, condition, appearance or symptom.  hemo (blood) + -orrhage (to burst forth) = hemorrhage (an abnormal internal or external discharge of blood)  Galact (milk) + -osis (process; action; state or condition of) = galactosis (the secretion of milk)  Suffixes express surgical procedures.  Chole (bile) + -cyst (bladder; bag) + -ectomy (surgical removal of) = cholecystectomy (surgical removal of gallbladder) Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School17

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Suffixes  Suffixes express smallness. (Diminutive suffixes)  Ven (vein) + -ule (little; small) = venule (a tiny vein) Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School18

Assignment  Use a medical dictionary to:  Break up the following medical terms into word parts  Define each word part  Define the entire medical term Gastritis – Gastr / itis – inflammation of the stomach (stomach) / (inflammation) Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School19 adenomaadenitisarthritisbiology biopsycarcinomacardiologycephalic cerebralincisionexcisionendocrine cytoscopycytologydermatitishypodermic electrocardiogramenteritiserythrocytegastrectomy gastrotomydiagnosisprognosisgynecology

Prefixes, Roots & Suffixes  Suffixes Health Careers Academy - Tavares High School20