1. Orientation to Veterinary Science
Mrs. Debbie Swarens, RVT, BS, MA
Animal Science 401

2. Medical Terminology Introduction to Word Parts Word Roots Suffixes
Prefixes
Parts of Speech
Plural Formation

3. This is a word-building system
By using a few word parts, you can build thousands of words.
A words have a word root:
Trans/port
Ex/port
Im/port
Sup/port
The word root is port.

4. More examples: Gastr/itis Suf/fix Gastr/ectomy Pre/fix Gastr/ic Af/fix
The root word is:
gastr
Suf/fix
Pre/fix
Af/fix
Fix/ation
The word root is:
fix

5. gastr/ o/ duoden/ ostomy
In the textbook, a slash mark “/” is used to divide words into their word parts:
gastr/ o/ duoden/ ostomy
Word root combining word root suffix
vowel
GASTRODUODENOSTOMY

6. COMBINING: MICR O MICR/O + = Word root vowel Combining form GASTR/O
DUODEN/O
SCOPY + + =
Combining form
Suffix
Combining form
GASTRODUODENOSCOPY
Compound word

7. WORD BUILDING:
Use a word root, not a combining form, when joining a word root with a suffix or another word root that begins with a vowel: A E I O U +
ITIS =
DERMAT
Word root
suffix
DERMATITIS

8. Suffixes Micr/o/scope – an instrument to see small things
Micro = small
The combining form “micr/o” used with different suffixes:
Micr/o/scope – an instrument to see small things
Micr/o/surgery – surgery using a microscope
Micr/o/meter – device used to measure small things

9. Suffixes
Hydro = water
The combining form “hydr/o” used with different suffixes:
Hydr/o/phobia – fear of water
Hydr/o/cele – fluid in a saclike cavity
Hydr/o/therapy – treatment using water

10. Parts of Speech Word root: Nouns Adjectives cyan/ anem/ muc/ ili/
condyl/
carp/
Nouns
osis ia us um e
Adjectives
otic ic
ous ac ar al

11. Parts of Speech Nouns: Adjectives: Definition cyanosis anemia mucus
ilium
condyle
carpus
Adjectives:
cyanotic
anemia
mucous
iliac
condylar
carpal
Definition
condition of blueness
lack of blood
watery substance
produced by a membrane
upper pelvic bone
rounded bony process
wrist bone

12. Singular/Plural Singular Suffixes: Plural Suffixes: on ma is nx a usum ex ix ax
Plural Suffixes: a
mata es
ges ae i
ices
aces

13. Singular/Plural Singular: spermatozoon ganglion carcinoma lipoma
crisis
prognosis
Plural:
spermatozoa
ganglia
carcinomata
lipomata
crises
prognoses

14. What’s the Plural Form? protozoan sarcoma diagnosis protozoa sarcomata
diagnoses

15. Singular/Plural Singular: vertebra conjunctiva bacillus bronchus
testis
ilium
bacterium
Plural:
vertebrae
conjunctivae
bacilli
bronchi
testes
ilia
bacteria

16. What’s the Plural Form? coccus calcaneum vertex cervix thorax cocci
calcanea
vertices
cervices
thoraces

17. ex- means either “from” or “out from”
Prefix:
ex-
dis-
Word:
tension
press
please
ease
New Word:
extension
express
displease
disease
ex- means either “from” or “out from”
dis- means “reversal” or “separation”