1. Word Parts: The Building Blocks of Medical Terminology1
Word Parts: The Building Blocks of Medical Terminology

2. Slide 41 Elements of Medical Terms Video
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Slide 41 Elements of Medical Terms Video

3. Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Discuss the origins and purpose of medical terminology
Identify the four basic word parts that form many medical terms
Construct medical terms by assembling word parts
Define medical terms by breaking them down into word parts

4. Learning Objectives (cont.)
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Use the pronunciation resources available in this text and on the website that accompanies this book
Use study techniques to practice spelling medical terms correctly

5. Medical Terminology Is the Language of Medicine
It is a language spoken in clinics and hospitals around the world
It is a language, like Spanish or German, that includes rules of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar
To learn the language of medicine, you must learn its rules and practice speaking its vocabulary

6. History of Medical Terminology
Developed gradually over the years from older languages
Originated nearly 3,000 years ago when Hippocrates and Aristotle began describing ailments and parts of the body

7. History of Medical Terminology (cont.)
Romans used both Latin and Greek to describe ailments and parts of the body
Today, most medical terms include mainly Greek and Latin word parts

8. Medical Terms Acronym Eponyms
Words created from abbreviations or from the first letters of a group of words
CAT scan
Eponyms
Words based on the personal names of people to describe a disease or body part
Hodgkin’s lymphoma

9. Figure Medical terms

10. Constructed Terms These four word parts have Greek or Latin origins
Word roots
Prefixes
Suffixes
Combining vowels

11. A Word Root Contains the primary meaning
Most medical terms contain at least one and sometimes more word roots
ab/norm/al
The word root is norm; it is the primary meaning of the word, which means pertains to away from a normal state

12. A Word Root (cont.)
There is a fundamental relationship between word roots and names given to anatomical structures by the Greeks and Romans
The next 3 slides show structures of the body that illustrate this concept
Cochlea is a Latin word that means snail shell
Appendix means to hang onto
Uvula means grape

13. Figure The inner ear

14. Figure The appendix

15. Figure The uvula

16. Word Roots arter, arteri = artery arthr = joint card, cardi = heart
gastr = stomach
hepat = liver
later = side

17. Word Roots (cont.) norm = a common state oste = bone path = disease
tens = pressure
ven = vein

18. A Prefix
The word part that is placed before the word root to modify its meaning
ab/norm/al
The prefix ab- is placed before the root to modify the word meaning and means away from

19. Prefixes ab- = away from bi- = two endo- = within
hyper- = excessive, abnormally high, above
hypo- = under, below normal

20. Prefixes (cont.) intra- = within post- = after pre- = before
sub- = below, beneath

21. A Suffix
The word part that is placed at the end of the word root to modify its meaning
ab/norm/al
The suffix -al is placed after the root to modify the word meaning and means pertaining to

22. Suffixes -al = pertaining to -ic = pertaining to -itis = inflammation
-logy = study of
-meter = measuring instrument

23. Suffixes (cont.) -ous = pertaining to -pathy = disease
-scope = viewing instrument
-scopy = process of viewing

24. Combining Vowels
Connect other word parts together but do not modify the meaning
Is usually an o, but i and e are sometimes used
Is used between two word roots or between a word root and a suffix
In the term gastr/o/logy, a combining vowel is used between a word root and a suffix to ease pronunciation

25. Combining Forms
When a word root is shown with the combining vowel attached, it is called the combining form
It is written with a slash separating the word root and combining vowel
oste/o

26. Combining Forms arteri/o = artery arthr/o = joint cardi/o = heart
gastr/o = stomach

27. Combining Forms (cont.)
hepat/o = liver
oste/o = bone
path/o = disease
ven/o = vein

28. Defining Medical Terms
Three steps to define a term
Example: Arteriopathy
Break down the term into individual parts
arteri/o/pathy
Define each word part
arteri/o = artery -pathy = disease
Combine and interpret the definitions of the parts
Disease of arteries

29. Figure 1.5 Defining a medical term

30. Constructing Medical Terms
Most medical terms are formed by assembling various word parts to construct a term
Start with the definition; determine what you want to communicate
Select the word parts based on their particular meanings until the term is constructed

31. Constructing Medical Terms (cont.)
Let’s create a term for joint inflammation
Start with the definition
Joint inflammation
Find the suffix for inflammation
-itis

32. Constructing Medical Terms (cont.)
Let’s create a term for joint inflammation
Find the word root and combining vowel for joint inflammation
arthr/o
Arrange the word parts properly
arthritis

33. Figure 1.6 Assembling word parts

34. Pronunciation of Medical Terms
This text will use a phonetic (sounds like) pronunciation system
To pronounce a word, just say it as it is spelled out
The term cardiology
kar dee ALL oh jee
The term gastrohepatic
GAS troh heh PAT ik

35. Spelling of Medical Terms
Spelling is very important
A spelling error altering one or two letters can completely change a word’s meaning
Ileum
Is part of the small intestine
Ilium
Is part of the hip bone

36. Singular and Plural Endings
Rules for changing a singular word into a plural word are different than they are for the English language

37. Singular and Plural Endings (cont.)
Helpful guidelines
If the term ends in a, the plural is formed by adding an e
Vertebra to vertebrae
If the term ends in is, the plural is formed by changing the is to es
Diagnosis to diagnoses

38. Singular and Plural Endings (cont.)
Helpful guidelines
If the term ends in itis, the plural is formed by changing the itis to itides
Gastritis to gastritides
If the term ends in on or um, the plural is formed by changing the on or um to a
Ganglion to ganglia, myocardium to myocardia

39. Helpful Study Tips Organize your time Flash cards
Find enough time to study
Don’t wait until the last minute
Flash cards
Flash cards are a terrific way to learn medical terminology
Use the flash card generator
Make flash cards

40. Helpful Study Tips (cont.)
Other tips
Break down terms into word parts, and spelling them becomes easier
Write difficult terms down, over and over again
Use the audio glossary on the student media

41. The Elements of Medical Terms Video
Click on the screenshot to view a video on the topic of medical terms.
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42. Classroom Response System
Pretest

43. What does a prefix refer to?
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word part that provides primary meaning
a word part affixed to the end of a word
a word root plus its combining vowel

44. What does a prefix refer to?
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word part that provides primary meaning
a word part affixed to the end of a word
a word root plus its combining vowel

45. What does a suffix refer to?
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word part that provides primary meaning
a word root plus its combining vowel
a word part affixed to the end of a word

46. What does a suffix refer to?
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word part that provides primary meaning
a word part affixed to the end of a word
a word root plus its combining vowel

47. What does a word root refer to?
a word part affixed at the end of a word
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word part that provides the primary meaning
a word root plus its combining vowel

48. What does a word root refer to?
a word part affixed at the end of a word
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word part that provides the primary meaning
a word root plus its combining vowel

49. What does combining form mean?
a word part affixed to the end of a word
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word root plus its combining vowel
a word part that adjusts meaning

50. What does combining form mean?
a word part affixed to the end of a word
a word part affixed to the beginning of a word
a word root plus its combining vowel
a word part that adjusts meaning

51. What does a combining vowel mean?
a vowel added to a prefix
a vowel added to a word root to connect a suffix
a vowel added to a combining form
a vowel added to provide meaning

52. What does a combining vowel mean?
a vowel added to a prefix
a vowel added to a word root to connect a suffix
a vowel added to a combining form
a vowel added to provide meaning

53. What is the most commonly used combining vowel?

54. What is the most commonly used combining vowel?

55. What are constructed terms?
terms not formed by individual word parts
multiple word parts that are combined into a new word
eponyms
suffixes

56. What are constructed terms?
terms not formed by individual word parts
multiple word parts that are combined into a new word
eponyms
suffixes

57. Which of the following is an example of a constructed term?
eustachian tube
LASIK
cardiology ab

58. Which of the following is an example of a constructed term?
eustachian tube
LASIK
cardiology ab

59. What are nonconstructed terms?
terms that are not derived from individual terms
multiple word parts that are combined into a new word
prefixes
suffixes

60. What are nonconstructed terms?
terms that are not derived from individual terms
multiple word parts that are combined into a new word
prefixes
suffixes

61. Medical terms are generally made up of _______ word parts?1 2 3 4

62. Medical terms are generally made up of _______ word parts?1 2 3 4

63. Classroom Response System
Post-test

64. In the word cardioplasty, what is the suffix?

65. In the word cardioplasty, what is the suffix?

66. In the word cardioplasty, what is the prefix?
there is no prefix

67. In the word cardioplasty, what is the prefix?
there is no prefix

68. In the word cardioplasty, what is the combining vowel?

69. In the word cardioplasty, what is the combining vowel?

70. What does the prefix anti- mean?
down
against, opposite of
sideways
over

71. What does the prefix anti- mean?
down
against, opposite of
sideways
over

72. What does the prefix endo- mean?
below
inside
within
middle

73. What does the prefix endo- mean?
below
inside
within
middle

74. What does the suffix -al mean?
surgical incision
blood
knowledge
pertaining to

75. What does the suffix -al mean?
surgical incision
blood
knowledge
pertaining to

76. What does the suffix -itis mean?
nature of
inflammation
recording
seizure

77. What does the suffix -itis mean?
nature of
inflammation
recording
seizure

78. What does the combining form dermat/o mean?
brain
skin
heart
blood

79. What does the combining form dermat/o mean?
brain
skin
heart
blood

80. What does the combining form hepat/o mean?
liver
heart
brain
blood

81. What does the combining form hepat/o mean?
liver
heart
brain
blood

82. What does the combining form rhin/o mean?
ear
throat
nose
mouth

83. What does the combining form rhin/o mean?
ear
throat
nose
mouth