Medterm

• Medical Terminology is a special vocabulary used by healthcare professionals for effective and accurate communication
• Words within the system usually have prefixes, root words, combining vowels, and suffixes
• These elements are combined to form specific terms that help describe various conditions of the human body
• Medical Terms are based on Latin Origin, Greek Origin, Eponym (a word based on a person’s name), Acronym (shortened terms of long words), and Homonym (words that sound the same but differ in meaning)
• Prefixes are placed at the beginning of a word to modify or change its meaning. They may indicate a location, number, or time
• Root Words are the central part of the word that expresses the basic meaning of a term
• Suffixes are short words added at the end of a word part or series of parts to modify its meaning
• Rules of Suffixes:

  • When the suffix starts with a vowel, the combining vowel is dropped
  • When the suffix starts with a consonant, the combining vowel is not dropped
• Prefixes are the first part of a medical word and can be attached to the beginning of the root or sometimes a suffix
• Combining Forms:

  • When a suffix or another root beginning with a consonant is added to a root, a vowel is inserted between the root and the next word part to aid in pronunciation
  • Combining vowel is usually an o, but may occasionally be a, e, or i
• Compound Words are words that contain more than one root word
• Rules in Putting Combining Vowel:

  • When connecting a root to a suffix, the combining vowel is used only when the suffix starts with a consonant
  • When combining two root words, if the suffix starts with a vowel, the combining vowel is not needed
• Medical Rules in Forming Plurals:

  • Rule 1: Change the a ending to ae
  • Rule 2: Change um ending to a
  • Rule 3: Change the us ending to i
  • Rule 4: Change the is ending to es
  • Rule 5: Change the ma or oma ending to mata
  • Rule 6: Change yx, ax, ix ending. Change x to c and add es
  • Rule 7: Change the nx ending. Change the x to g and add es
  • Rule 8: Change the on ending to a
  • Rule 9: Change the en ending to ina
• English Rules in Forming Plurals:

  • Rule 1: Add s
  • Rule 2: When the term ends with s, x, ch, sh, add es
  • Rule 3: When the term ends with y change y to i and add es
• Suffixes beginning with "rh":

  • When adding a suffix beginning with "rh" into a root word, double the "r"
  • Example: Hem/o (blood) + -rhage (bursting forth) = Hemorrhage (a bursting forth of blood)
• Examples of Suffixes:

  • -al, -an, -ar, -ary, -eal: Pertaining to
  • -algia: Pain
  • -amnios: Inner fetal sac
  • -carcinoma: Cancer in the epithelial region
  • -cardia: Condition of the heart
  • -cele: Herniation or protrusion
  • -centesis: Surgical puncture
  • -chalasia: Condition of relaxation
  • -chezia: Condition of stools
  • -clasis: Intentional breaking
• • crine: To secrete, secretion
  • -cusis / -acusis: Hearing
  • -cyte: Cell
  • -cytosis: Abnormal increase of cells
  • -desis: Binding
  • -dipsia: Condition of thirst
  • -dynia: Pain
  • -ectasis / -ectasia: Dilation
  • -ectomy: Removal, excision, resection
  • -edema: Swelling
• • emesis: Vomiting
  • -emia: Condition of the blood
  • -esis / -sis: Action, process, condition
  • -fida: Splitting, to split
  • -gen: To produce, produced by
  • -graph: Instrument to record
  • -graphy: Process of recording
  • -gravida: Pregnancy, gestation
  • -ia, ism: Condition
  • -iasis: Condition, process
• • ic, -iac, -id, -ion: Pertaining to
  • -ion, -ation, -tion, -ization: Process
  • -ist: One who specializes/specialist of
  • -itis: Inflammation
  • -lepsy: Seizure
  • -listhesis: Slipping
  • -lithotomy: Incision for removal of a stone
  • -logy: Study of
  • -lysis: Loosening, breaking down, freeing from adhesions, separation
  • -malacia: Condition of softening
• • mania: Condition of madness
  • -megaly: Enlargement
  • -meter: Instrument to measure
  • -metry: Process of measurement
  • -oid: Resembling, like
  • -oma: Tumor, mass
  • -opia, -ospia: Vision condition
  • -opsy: Process of viewing
  • -orexia: Appetite condition
  • -osis: Abnormal condition
  • -ous: Pertaining to
  • -para: Delivery, parturition
• • pathy: Disease process
  • -penia: Deficiency
  • -pexy: Fixation, suspension
  • -phil: Attraction
  • -phobia: Condition of fear, extreme sensitivity
  • -phylaxis: Protection
  • -plakia: Condition of patches
  • -plasm, -plasia: Condition of formation
  • -plasty: Surgical repair
  • -plegia: Paralysis
  • -pnea: Breathing
  • -poiesis: Formation, production
  • -ptosis: Drooping, prolapse, falling
  • -ptysis: Spitting
  • -rrhage, -rrhagia: Bursting forth
  • -rraphy: Suture, repair
  • -rrhea: Discharge, flow
  • -rrhexis: Rupture
• • salpinx: Fallopian tubes
  • -sarcoma: Connective tissue cancer
  • -sclerosis: Abnormal condition of hardening
  • -scope: Instrument of view
  • -scopy: Process of viewing/visual examination
  • -spadias: A rent of tear
  • -spasm: Sudden, involuntary action
  • -stalsis: Contraction
  • -stasis: Stopping, controlling
  • -stenosis: Abnormal condition of narrowing
  • -sthenia: Condition of strength
  • -stomy: New opening
  • -tomy: Incision, cutting
  • -tome: Instrument to cut
  • -tocia: Condition of labor, delivery
  • -thymia: Condition, state of mind
  • -thorax: Chest, pleural cavity
  • therapy: Treatment
• • -tresia: Condition of no opening
  • -tripsy: Process of crushing
  • -trite: Instrument to crush
  • -trophy: Development, process of nourishment
  • -um, -ium, -us, -is, -il, -a: Structure, thing, noun ending
  • -uria: Urinary condition
  • -y: Condition, process of
• Examples of Prefixes:

  • A-, an-: No, not, without, lack of
  • Ab-: Away from
  • Ad-: Toward
  • Allo-: Others, different, to change
  • Ana-: Up, apart, away
  • Ante-: Forward, in front of
  • Anti-: Against
  • Apo-: Separate, away from
  • Auto-: Self
  • Bi-: Two
• • Brady-: Slow
  • Contra-: Opposite, against
  • De-: Lack of, down
  • Dextro-: Right side
  • Di-: Two, both
  • Dia-: Complete, through
  • Dys-: Bad, painful, abnormal, difficult
  • Echo-: Sound, reverberation
  • E-, ec-, ecto-: Out, outward
  • En-: In
• • End-, endo-: Within
  • Epi-: Above, on top of
  • Eso-: Inward
  • Exo-, ex-: Out
  • Extra-: Outside
  • Hemi-: Half, partial
  • Hypo-: Deficient, below, under, decreased
  • In-: In, not
  • Infra-: Down, below
  • Inter-: Between
  • Intra-: Within
  • Ipsi-: Same
  • Levo-: Left
  • Macro-: Large
  • Meta-: Beyond
  • Micro-: Tiny
  • Mono-: One
  • Neo-: New
  • Non-: Not
  • Pan-: All
• • Par-: Near, beside
  • Para-: Abnormal, near, beside
  • Per-: Through
  • Peri-: Around, surrounding
  • Poly-: Many, much, excessive, frequent
  • Post-: After behind
  • Pre-: Before, in front of
  • Pro-: In front of, forward, in favor of
  • Quadri-: Four
  • Re-: Again, back, backward
  • Retro-: Backward
  • Sub-: Under, below
  • Syn-: Joined together
  • Tachy-: Rapid, fast
  • Tetra-: Four
  • Tri-: Three
  • Uni-: One