1. Intro to Medical Terms and Suffixes
Basic Word Building
Intro to Medical Terms and Suffixes

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES IDENTIFY the three types of medical terms.
EXPLAIN the differences between prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and combining vowels.
FORM combining forms.
EXPLAIN how to analyze (building and interpreting) medical terms.
DESCRIBE how to pluralize medical terms.
UNDERSTAND how to pronounce medical terms.

3. INTRODUCTION OF MED TERM
Surrounds us in our daily lives
Doctor's office
Talking with friends
Reading the newspaper
Listening to television

4. INTRODUCTION OF MED TERM
Healthcare professions use it because:
It is an efficient method of conveying specific and important information.
Each term has a precise meaning.
Detailed information can be shared with just a few words.

5. Origin of Med Terms Built from Latin and Greek word parts
Cardiology and tonsillectomy
Eponyms - based on a person's name
Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease
Modern English words
Irritable bowel syndrome

6. Course Perspective
Gain ability and confidence through using terms over and over.
Become a permanent part of your professional vocabulary.

7. Elements of Medical Terms
Word Roots
Suffixes
Prefixes
Combining Vowels

8. Word Roots
Are the foundation of most medical terms and gives the essential of the term.
Typically refers to a body structure, organ, or system.

9. Word Root Examples Root Meaning Cardi- heart Electr- electricity
Carcin-
cancer
Gastr-
stomach
Hepat-
liver
Rhin-
nose
Cephal-
head
Arthr-
joint
Myo-
muscle
Oste-
bone

10. Suffixes
Found at the end of the medical term and supports the “root” by adding specific meaning to the term.
All medical terms must have a suffix.
They indicate conditions, diseases, surgical procedures, and diagnostic procedures.
As well as medical specialities/personnel, and converting word roots into adjectives.

11. Examples of Suffixes Suffix Meaning Term -ectomy Gastrectomy -itis
surgical removal of
Gastrectomy
-itis
inflammation of
Arthritis
-megaly
enlarged
Hepatomegaly
-logy
study of
Cardiology
-gram
a record or picture of
Electrocardiogram
-pathy
disease of
Myopathy
See Page 13 – 19 for the different suffixes

12. Prefixes Found at the beginning of the term.
Help to indicate diseases, abnormal conditions directions, body positions, numbers, or times.
Modifies word root or suffix
Hypertrophy = excessive development
Dystrophy = abnormal development
Atrophy = lack of development

13. Prefix Examples Prefix Meaning Term inter- between Intervertebral
between the vertebrae a-
without
Apnea
without breathing
dys-
abnormal, difficult, or painful
Dysuria
painful urination
sub-
below, underneath
Subcutaneous
below the skin
bi-
two
Bilateral
two sides
post-
after
Postsurgical
after surgery
See pg

14. Combining Vowel Almost always an “o” that has no meaning.
Reasons for usage
To connect word parts and make medical terms easier to spell and pronounce.
Placement
Between a word root and suffix
Between two roots
Never between a prefix and word root

15. Combining Vowel Examples
Between Word Root & Suffix
If suffix begins with a vowel, combining vowel is not necessary.
Arthr + -itis = arthritis
Arthroitis is not correct
If suffix begins with a consonant, use combining vowel
Rhin + -plasty = rhinoplasty
Hepat + -megaly = hepatomegaly

16. Combining Vowel Examples
Between Two Word Roots
Use a combining vowel, even if the second word root begins with a vowel
Gastr + enter + -logy = gastroenterology
Gastrenterology is not correct

17. Combining Form Consist of word root and its combining vowel.
Its not another category of word part because it consists of two other word parts.
Standard way to write word roots because it makes them easier to pronounce

18. Combining Form Examples

19. Analyzing Medical Terms
Don't panic when you see a new medical term.
The meaning of individual word parts will give you information necessary to understand at least the basic meaning of the term.

20. Deconstructing medical terms
Step 1
Divide the word into its word parts
Step 2
Define each word part
Step 3
Put the meaning together to see what the term is describing.

21. Deconstruction Term: dysmenorrhea dys / men / o / rrhea Meaning parts:
Use slashes to divide the term into its word parts.
dys / men / o / rrhea
Meaning parts:
dys- = prefix meaning abnormal, painful
men = word root meaning menstruation
o = combining vowel, no meaning
-rrhea = suffix meaning flow

22. What does the term mean? How to interpret the information:
Start from the end of the word (suffix) back to the beginning (prefix) and then to your root word.
dys / men / o / rrhea
abnormal or painful menstrual flow
Remember the idea is to not memorize but figuring the term out from its component parts.

23. Building Medical Terms
Select word parts that help convey the meaning needed.
Remember that not all possible combinations of word parts will build actual medical terms.
Pg 6

24. Pronouncing Medical Terms

25. Pronouncing Medical Terms