1. Introductory med Terms

2. Origins of Medical Words
THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS WERE THE FIRST TO NAME THE PARTS OF THE BODY.
THE ROMANS SPOKE LATIN.
AFTER THE FALL OF ROME, LATIN CONTINUED TO BE THE LANGUAGE OF THE EDUCATED.
MUCH OF OUR MEDICAL TERMS ORIGINATE FROM LATIN.
GENERAL RULE
MOST DISEASES COME FROM THE GREEK LANGUAGE:
“PNEUMONIA,” “ENCEPHALITIS,” “HEPATITIS,”
MOST ANATOMY COMES FROM THE LATIN LANGUAGE
“VERTEBRAE,” “ABDOMEN,” “TRAPEZIUS”

3. Basics MOST MEDICAL WORDS ARE COMPRISED OF 3 SECTIONS
ROOT
PREFIX
SUFFIX
TO DEFINE A MEDICAL WORD YOU MUST:
DIVIDE THE WORD INTO THESE 3 SECTIONS AND DEFINE EACH ONE.
NOCTURIA- “NOCT” “UR” “IA”
ALL MED WORDS MUST HAVE A ROOT & A SUFFIX

4. 1. Prefix A PREFIX IS PLACED AT BEGINNING OF A WORD
NORMALLY DEALS WITH SIZE, NUMBER, COLOR, OR DIRECTION
1) “POLY”
“POLYURIA” “POLYORCHIDISM”
2) “HYPER”
“HYPERTHYROIDISM”
3) “SUB”
“SUBLINGUAL GLAND”

5. 2. Word Root THE WORD ROOT IS THE HEART OR MEANING OF A WORD
“GASTRO”=STOMACH (GASTRITIS, GASTROMA, GASTRIC)
“OSTEO”=BONE (“OSTEOMA” “OSTEOMEGALY”)

6. 3. Suffix THE SUFFIX IS AT END OF THE WORD.
IT CHANGES THE MEANING OF THE WORD
USUALLY DESCRIBES A PATHOLOGY (I.E. DISEASE)
“ITIS”
INFLAMMATION
“ECTOMY”
REMOVAL
“OMA”
TUMOR/CANCER
“IA” “OSIS”
CONDITION

7. Connecting vowels STANDARD RULES
IF THE SUFFIX BEGINS WITH A CONSONANT, THE “O” OF THE WORD ROOT REMAINS
“CRANIO” “TOMY”= CRANIOTOMY
IF THE SUFFIX BEGINS WITH A VOWEL, THE “O” IS REMOVED
“HEPAT(O)” “ITIS”= HEPATITIS

8. Suffixes “oma”- cancerous tumor hepatoma “itis”-inflammation
“pathy”- disease
encephalopathy
“ “plegia” – paralysis
Quadriplegia
“rrhea” – discharge/flow
diarrhea
“algia” and “dynia”- pain
fibromyalgia
“dipisia”- thirst
polydipsia
“lysis”- destruction
hemolytic
“graphy”- process of recording
angiography
“genic” –forming or creating
“tomy”- surgical incision
Craniotomy
“stomy” permanent surgical opening
Colostomy
“itis”-inflammation
tonsillitis
“ectomy”-removal
tonsillectomy
“plasty”-surgical repair
rhinoplasty
“logy”- study of
dermatology
“scopy”- study involving camera
bronchoscopy
“emia” – blood condition
Leukemia, uremia
“ia” “osis”- medical condition
Polymastia, necrosis
“megaly” – enlargening
cardiomegaly

9. But Wait…there’s More “-malacia”-softening Osteomalacia
“-plasia”-Formation/Growth
hyperplasia
“-rrhagia/”-rrhexis- rupture
Hemorrhagia
“-sclerosis” Hardening
Arteriosclerosis
“-ptosis” dropping/prolapse
ptosis
“-edema” swelling
Lymphedema
“-trophic” nourishing/feeding
Atrophy

10. Quizzito 1. -RRHEA A. BLOOD CONDITION 2. -OMA B. DISCHARGE/FLOW
3. -MEGALY C. SWELLING
4. -ECTOMY D. MEDICAL CONDITION
5. –IA E. SURGICAL CUT
6. -EMIA F. INFLAMMATION/INFECTION
7. - TOMY G. TUMOR/CANCER
8. – EDEMA H. ENLARGMENT
9. – ITIS I. REMOVAL
10. – LOGY J. STUDY OF

11. Common Prefixes “HEMI”-HALF “MACRO”- LARGE “MICRO” – SMALL
“HYPO”-BELOW, DEFICIENT
“HYPER”- TOO MUCH, EXCESSIVE
“PRE”- BEFORE
“POST”- AFTER
SUPRA- ABOVE
“INFRA” –UNDER, BELOW
“SUB” –UNDER BELOW
“INTER”- BETWEEN
“INTRA”- WITHIN
“CONTRA”- AGAINST
“A”- NO, LACK OF
“AUTO”- SELF
“OLIGO” - LITTLE
“HEMI”-HALF
“MACRO”- LARGE
“MICRO” – SMALL
“POLY”- MANY
“ENDO”- INSIDE
“PERI” –OUTSIDE, AROUND
“CIRCUM”- AROUND
“DYS”- ABNORMAL/DISEASED
“BRADY”- TOO SLOW
“TACHY” -TOO FAST

12. But wait..there’s more! prefixes
ANTI= AGAINST
NEO=NEW
PALEO-=OLD
PSEUDO=FALSE
ANTE=FRONT
AB= AWAY FROM
AD=TOWARD
RETRO=BEHIND
UNI=ONE
NOCT=NIGHT
ERYTHRO
RED
XANTHO/JAUNDO
YELLOW
CYANO
BLUE
CHLORO
GREEN
LEUKO-
WHITE
MELANO
BLACK

13. Quizzito 1. HEPATO A. TESTICLE 2. RHINO B. EAR 3. GASTRO C. SKIN
4. OTO D. LIVER
5. DERMO E. STOMACH
6. ORCHID F. NOSE
7. PSYCHO G. MIND

14. Roots (Most roots have an “o” to connect it to suffix, but not always
EAR “OTO”
KIDNEY “NEPHRO” “RENO”
BLOOD “HEMO”
SKULL “CRANIO”
UTERUS/WOMB “HYSTO”
OVARIES “OOPHORO”
BLADDER “CYSTO”
GALL BLADDER “CHOLECYSTO”
FALLOPIAN TUBES “SALPINGO”
CHEST “THORACO”
ARM “BRACHIO”
ARMPIT “AXILLO”
EYE “OPHTHALMO”
NERVES “NEURO”
SKIN “DERMO”
BREAST “MAST”
TESTICLES “ORCHIDO”
PENIS “PHALLO”
MIND “PSYCHO”
URINE “URO”

15. But wait…there’s more! “ANDRO”=MAN “GYNO”= WOMAN “MENO”= MENSTRUATION
“PHAGO”- EATING
“PHASO” SPEAKING

16. Prepare to define MYOCARDITIS ORCHIDECTOMY SALPINGIOMA CHOLECYSTECTOMY
CYSTITIS
PARAPLEGIA
AXILLORRHEA
BRACHIOGRAPHY
HEMOLYSIS
APHASIA
DYSURIA

17. Medical Abbreviations
USED TO MAKE PATIENT CHARTING EASIER AND SHORTER
ORIGINATE FROM LATIN

18. Common Abbreviations (all lower case)
Q.D – EVERY DAY
Q.H.- EVERY HOUR
B.I.D.- 2X/DAY
T.I.D.- 3X/DAY
Q.I.D- 4X/DAY
N.P.O.-NOTHING BY MOUTH
S (LINE OVER IT)- WITHOUT
C- (LINE OVER IT)- WITH
FX –FRACTURE
SX- SURGERY
HX- HISTORY
DX- DIAGNOSIS

19. Roots (Most roots have an “o” to connect it to suffix, but not always
LIVER “HEPATO”
HEART “CARDIO”
BRAIN “ENCEPHALO”
BONE “OSTEO”
MOUTH “ORO”
EAR “OTO”
THROAT “PHARYNGO”
VEIN “PHLEBO”
KIDNEY “NEPHRO” “RENO”
BLOOD “HEMO”
SKULL “CRANIO”
UTERUS/WOMB “HYSTO”
OVARIES “OOPHORO”
BLADDER “CYSTO”
GALL BLADDER “CHOLECYSTO”
FALLOPIAN TUBES “SALPINGO”
RIB “COSTO”
FINGERS/TOES “DACTYLO”
STOMACH “GASTRO”
CHEST “THORACO”
LUNG “PULMANO” “PNEUMO”
INTESTINES “ENTERO”
ARM “BRACHIO”
ARMPIT “AXILLO”
EYE “OPHTHALMO”
MUSCLE “MYO”
NERVES “NEURO”
SKIN “DERMO”
NOSE “RHINO”
BREAST “MAST”
TESTICLES “ORCHIDO”
JOINT “ARTHRO”
PENIS “PHALLO”
SPINAL CORD “MYELO”
MIND “PSYCHO”
URINE “URO”

20. Vocabulary for Test SYCOPHANT (N) – BROWN-NOSER, KISS-ASS
AMBIVALENT (ADJ) {(AMBIVALENCE (N)} –TO HAVE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONFLICTING FEELINGS ABOUT SOMETHING
TOUCHE- A WORD STATED AS A RESPONSE TO WHEN SOMEONE MAKES A GOOD POINT.
PRECOCIOUS (ADJ)- {PRECOCITY (N)}TO BE MATURE BEYOND YOUR YEARS
COQUETTE (N)- A FLIRT
EUPHEMISM-(N)- A POLITICALLY-CORRECT TERM FOR AN OLD TERM CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE (E.G. “AFRICAN-AMERICAN” “SANITATION ENGINEER” “LITTLE PERSON”

21. Note grade
I WILL GRADE YOUR NOTES AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS PRIOR TO TEST. PLEASE HAVE THEM OUT.