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Word Parts: The Building Blocks of Medical Terminology
1 Word Parts: The Building Blocks of Medical Terminology
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Slide 41 Elements of Medical Terms Video
Multimedia Directory Slide 41 Elements of Medical Terms Video
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Figure Medical terms
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Constructed Terms These four word parts have Greek or Latin origins
Word roots Prefixes Suffixes Combining vowels
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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
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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
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Figure The inner ear
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Figure The appendix
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Figure The uvula
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Word Roots arter, arteri = artery arthr = joint card, cardi = heart
gastr = stomach hepat = liver later = side
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Word Roots (cont.) norm = a common state oste = bone path = disease
tens = pressure ven = vein
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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
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Prefixes ab- = away from bi- = two endo- = within
hyper- = excessive, abnormally high, above hypo- = under, below normal
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Prefixes (cont.) intra- = within post- = after pre- = before
sub- = below, beneath
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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
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Suffixes -al = pertaining to -ic = pertaining to -itis = inflammation
-logy = study of -meter = measuring instrument
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Suffixes (cont.) -ous = pertaining to -pathy = disease
-scope = viewing instrument -scopy = process of viewing
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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
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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
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Combining Forms arteri/o = artery arthr/o = joint cardi/o = heart
gastr/o = stomach
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Combining Forms (cont.)
hepat/o = liver oste/o = bone path/o = disease ven/o = vein
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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
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Figure 1.5 Defining a medical term
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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
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Constructing Medical Terms (cont.)
Let’s create a term for joint inflammation Start with the definition Joint inflammation Find the suffix for inflammation -itis
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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
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Figure 1.6 Assembling word parts
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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
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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
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Singular and Plural Endings
Rules for changing a singular word into a plural word are different than they are for the English language
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The Elements of Medical Terms Video
Click on the screenshot to view a video on the topic of medical terms. Back to Directory
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Classroom Response System
Pretest
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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What is the most commonly used combining vowel?
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What is the most commonly used combining vowel?
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What are constructed terms?
terms not formed by individual word parts multiple word parts that are combined into a new word eponyms suffixes
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What are constructed terms?
terms not formed by individual word parts multiple word parts that are combined into a new word eponyms suffixes
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Which of the following is an example of a constructed term?
eustachian tube LASIK cardiology ab
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Which of the following is an example of a constructed term?
eustachian tube LASIK cardiology ab
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What are nonconstructed terms?
terms that are not derived from individual terms multiple word parts that are combined into a new word prefixes suffixes
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What are nonconstructed terms?
terms that are not derived from individual terms multiple word parts that are combined into a new word prefixes suffixes
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Medical terms are generally made up of _______ word parts?
1 2 3 4
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Medical terms are generally made up of _______ word parts?
1 2 3 4
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Classroom Response System
Post-test
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In the word cardioplasty, what is the suffix?
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In the word cardioplasty, what is the suffix?
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In the word cardioplasty, what is the prefix?
there is no prefix
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In the word cardioplasty, what is the prefix?
there is no prefix
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In the word cardioplasty, what is the combining vowel?
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In the word cardioplasty, what is the combining vowel?
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What does the prefix anti- mean?
down against, opposite of sideways over
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What does the prefix anti- mean?
down against, opposite of sideways over
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What does the prefix endo- mean?
below inside within middle
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What does the prefix endo- mean?
below inside within middle
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What does the suffix -al mean?
surgical incision blood knowledge pertaining to
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What does the suffix -al mean?
surgical incision blood knowledge pertaining to
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What does the suffix -itis mean?
nature of inflammation recording seizure
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What does the suffix -itis mean?
nature of inflammation recording seizure
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What does the combining form dermat/o mean?
brain skin heart blood
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What does the combining form dermat/o mean?
brain skin heart blood
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What does the combining form hepat/o mean?
liver heart brain blood
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What does the combining form hepat/o mean?
liver heart brain blood
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What does the combining form rhin/o mean?
ear throat nose mouth
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What does the combining form rhin/o mean?
ear throat nose mouth
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