1 Medical Terminology Part 1

Medical
Terminology
Basic Word Structure


Basic Word Structure Objectives:
 To

divide medical terms into component
parts
 To analyze, pronounce, and spell
medical terms using common combining
forms, suffixes and prefixes.


Test Questions
 Anything

found in your book AND on the
slide show are FAIR GAME for test
questions.


Word Analysis
 Medical

words are used everyday in a
medical setting






If you work in a medical setting
If you are a patient in a hospital
If you are in a doctor’s office
Speaking with family members about
conditions they might have


Understanding
 You

can understand a word even if you
have never heard it before!
 Complicated words can be broken down
into parts and the meaning deduced
from the parts.


To deduce means: to arrive at a
conclusion or fact by reasoning; to draw a
logical conclusion


The 3 “Rs”
 The

best way to learn this material:
 wRite




• Colors used

Write out the words/meanings here:
• Prefix (blue)
Color-Code if possible

 Repeat


Do it again

 Review


Flashcards, writing, saying,

• Root (Purple)
• Combining
Vowel (green)
• Suffix (red)
• Important words
etc. (brown)


When studying flashcards
 Start



Pick 1-2 that are hard, 1-2 that are easy
Repeat them till memorized.

 Add


with a few (3-6).

a few more (2-3) unknown ones.

Mix with original pile, repeat till
memorized.

 Repeat

adding a few at a time till they
are all memorized.

**We will be doing flashcards daily!**


Example 1 – How to break
down

a word

Hematology
Root
Combining Vowel

Suffix
Not shown: Prefix (Would go before root in
example1)


How to analyze a word
 Begin


Suffix

 Next


look at the BEGINNING of the word

Word root (or sometimes prefix)

 Next


at the END of the word

look at the combining vowel

This will help you to break the word up
into its parts – “O” is the most common
combining vowel.

Example 1(cont.)
What does it mean?

Hematology
Root (blood)
Combining Vowel
Suffix (study
of)
Answer: The Study of Blood


Example 2
What does it mean?

Electrocardiogram
Root (electricity)
Root (heart)
Combining Vowels
Answer: Record of the Electricity in the
Heart

Suffix (record)


Combining Form
 Combining

vowel and root word

together

 Examples:





Electr/o: Electricity
Cardi/o: Heart
Gastr/o: Stomach
Enter/o: Intestines


Example 3
What does it mean?

Gastroenterology
Root (stomach)
Root
(intestines)
Combining Vowels

Suffix (Study
of)

Answer: The Study of the Stomach and the Intestines


Common Suffixes
 -scope


Instrument used to visually examine

 -ic


Pertaining to

 -ac


Pertaining to

 -itis


Inflammation


Prefixes
 Found

at the beginning of a word and
can change a meaning.
 Examples:
 Sub

below

 Trans

across

 Retro

Behind


Important Rules
 Read

a medical word starting at the
suffix, then going to the prefix (if
present), and then root word(s)from left
to right.
 If a suffix begins with a vowel, drop the
combining vowel.
 If two root words are combined, keep
the combining vowel even if the second
root word begins with a vowel.


Example 4
What does it mean?

Gastroscope
Root (stomach)
Combining Vowel
Suffix (instrument
used to visually

examine)
Answer: Instrument used to visually examine the stomach


Example 5
What does it mean?

Gastric
Root (stomach)
Suffix (pertaining to)
Answer: Pertaining to the stomach
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-ic” begins with a vowel


Example 6
What does it mean?

Cardiac
Root (heart)
Suffix (pertaining to)
Answer: Pertaining to the heart
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-ac” begins with a vowel


Example 7
What does it mean?

Enteritis
Root (intestines)
Suffix (inflammation)

Answer: inflammation of the intestines
* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-itis” begins with a vowel