1. Medical terminology

2. A consonant is a speech sound that is not a vowel
A consonant is a speech sound that is not a vowel. It also refers to letters of the alphabet that represent those sounds: Z, B, T, G, and H are all consonants.Consonants are all the non-vowel sounds, or their corresponding letters: A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y are not consonants.
Adjective - a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.
Noun - a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things
Verb- a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.

3. Word parts Formed from Greek and Latin words
Medical words are divided into parts:
Word Root
Combining Form
Prefix
Suffix

4. Word root Basic meaning of the medical term.
Normally indicates a body part.
If a medical term contains more than one word root it’s a compound word.
All medical terms MUST have one or more word roots.
ROOT: Neur --- Meaning: nerve
ROOT: Cost --- Meaning: Rib
Ex. Perineuritis means “inflammation around the nerve

6. Combining form
A word root plus a vowel that is used to help pronounce certain medical terms.
Used between word roots in a compound word or when a suffix (word ending) starts with a consonant.
The most common vowel added to a word root is the letter O.
Combining Form: neur/o – Meaning: nerve
Combining Form: cost/o – Meaning: rib
Ex. Neurobiology means study of the life of nerves.
Roots are often joined to other elements of a medical term by placing a combining vowel on the end of the root.
A root + a combining vowel = a combining form.
Example: pneum + o pneum/o

7. Combining form examples
Cardi/ + o = cardi/o heart
gastr/ + o = gastr/o stomach
hepat/ + o = hepat/o liver
nephr/ + o = nephr/o kidney
oste/ + o = oste/o bone

8. Suffix Suffix is the word ending. ALL medical terms have suffixes.
To change the meaning of a term, frequently we change the suffix.
When connected to the word root, the suffix will make the word a noun (N), and adjective (A), or a verb (V).
An example of a NOUN suffix is –logist “a specialist in the study of”
Ex. -ectomy meaning “excision or surgical removal”
Use the combining form of a word root when the suffix begins with a constant. Ex. Neur + o + pathy (suffix=neur)
When the suffix begins with a vowel, do NOT use the combining form of the word root. Ex. Neuritis Neur +it is (the suffix it is begins with a vowel)

9. Suffix examples

10. prefix
Used at the beginning of a medical term. NOT all medical terms have prefixes
Describes, modifies, or limits the term. Usually indicates a number, time, position, direction, color, or sense of negation
Examples:
trans – across, through
intra – in, within
sub – less than, under

11. Prefixes examples hyper- therm -ia excessive heat condition
intra muscul ar in muscle relating to

12. Basic rules
Start with the suffix (the word ending), and define the suffix.
Go to the prefix; define the prefix.
Then, go to the middle of the word; define the word root, combining form, or both if both exist in the same word.
Combine the definitions.