LESSON 4: Medical Terminolohiss and Abbreviations

• the root word, the prefix, and the suffix.

  A medical term has three basic parts
• root word


  is the main part of the medical term that denotes the meaning of the word.
• Colo

  - colon
• Phlebo


  - vein
• Hemat


  - blood
• Aero


  - air
• prefix


  is found at the beginning of the term and it shows how meaning is assigned to the word.
• a-/an

  - without,absence
• Hyper


  - meaning increased/above
• Poly


  -many
• Pre


  - before
• suffix


  is found at the terminal portion or at the end of the term. It also denotes the meaning to the root word.
• -megaly


  - enlargement
• -uria


  -urine
• -emia


  -blood
• -ostomy


  - to make an opening mouth
• usually the letter O


  It is a rule that if suffix starts with a consonant, a combining vowel needs to be used.
• combining vowel


  does not change the meaning of the root word and is added in order to make the pronunciation of the word easier. -is added between the root word and the suffix.
• hemat + logy- hematology

  - study of blood
• Phleb + tomy


  - the process of cutting into the vein using a needle
• plural form of medical terms


  is made by changing the end of the word and not by simply adding S, which follows the rule for irregular nouns.
• bacteria


  plural of bacterium
• nuclei


  plural of nucleus
• thrombi


  plural of thrombus
• Rule #1: Words Ending in -a.


  When the singular form of the word ends with -a, keep the -a and add an -e.
• Axilla


  A pyramid-shaped space forming the underside of the shoulder.Axillae
• Medical Terminology Rule #2: Words Ending in -ax.


  When the singular form of the word ends with -ax, drop the -x and add -ces.
• Thorax


  The upper part of the trunk that contains the rib cage, lungs some of the abdominal organs.Thoraces
• Medical Terminology Rule #3: Words Ending in -ex.


  When the singular form of the word ends with -ex, drop the -ex and add -ices.
• Vortex fluid.

  A whirlpool effect caused by a spinning mass of fluids.Vortices
• Medical Terminology Rule #4: Words ending in -is.

  When the singular form of the word ends with -is, drop the -is and add -es
• Metastasis


  When a tumor cell moves fromthe primary location and establishes a remote location. Metastases
• Medical Terminology Rule #5: Word Ending in -ix.


  When the singular form of the word ends with -ix, drop the -x and add -ces.
• Cervix


  - The part of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina.Cervices
• Medical Terminology Rule #6: Words ending in -ma.

  When the singular form of the word ends with -ma, keep the -ma and add -ta.
• Sarcoma


  A malignant neoplasm of the soft tissue.Sarcomata
• Fibroma


  Benign neoplasm made of connective tissue.Fibromata
• Medical Terminology Rule #7: Words ending with -on.

  When a singular form of the word ends with -on, drop the -on and add -a.
• Ganglion

  A knotlike mass of nervous tissue. Ganglia
• Medical Terminology Rule #8: Words ending with -us.

  When a singular form of the word ends with -us, drop the -us and add -i