Download Chapter-1: Basic Word Structure

Chapter-1:
Basic Word Structure
Tri-State Business Institute
MD000 Medical Terminology 1
Micheal H. McCabe, EMT-P
Objectives in Studying
the Medical Language:
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Analyze words by dividing them into
component parts.
Relate the medical terms to the
structure and function of the human
body
Be aware of spelling and pronunciation
problems
Word Analysis:
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Divide words into component parts
using the “Slash Method.”
Locate the root words, suffixes, and
prefixes of each term.
Start with the suffix and move back to
the beginning of the term to
understand its meaning.
Word Parts:
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The root is the foundation of the word.
All medical terms have one or more
roots.
The suffix is the word ending. All
medical terms have a suffix.
The combining vowel is usually “O”. It
links the root to the suffix or to
another root.
Example: HEMATOLOGY
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Slash the word into parts by locating
the combining vowel and bracketing it
with slashes
HEMAT/O/LOGY
Example:
HEMAT/O/LOGY
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The root here is HEMAT, it means
“blood”
The linking vowel is “O”
The suffix here is LOGY, it means
“study of.”
Starting with the suffix, we read
“Study of Blood.”
Another Example:
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Term: ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
Slashed: ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM
This word has two roots: ELECTR meaning
electricity and CARDI meaning HEART.
The suffix is GRAM meaning RECORD OF.
Starting with the suffix and moving back to
the beginning we read: “Record of the
electricity in the heart.”
Yet Another Exercise:
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Term: GASTRITIS
This word lacks a combining vowel.
The suffix “itis”, meaning “Inflammation”
begins with a vowel, so no combining vowel
is needed.
The “slashed” word is GASTR/ITIS.
GASTR is the root word, it means
“Stomach.”
The entire term reads “Inflammation of the
stomach.”
Combining Two Roots:
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When a term contains two roots,
anatomical position dictates the order
of the roots.
Even if the second root begins with a
vowel, we generally use “O” as a
combining vowel between the roots.
Example: GASTROENTEROLOGY
Dissection of the term
Gastroenterology:
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GASTR is the first root, it means “stomach.”
The first “O” is the combining vowel.
ENTER is the second root, it means
intestines.
The stomach precedes the intestines in the
GI tract, so GASTR goes first.
The second “O” is the combining vowel that
links the root words to the suffix “LOGY.”
The complete term thus means “Study of
the stomach and intestines.”
Three General Rules:
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2.
3.
Read the meaning of medical terms
from the suffix back to the beginning
of the term and across.
Drop the combining vowel before a
suffix beginning with a vowel.
Keep the combining vowel between
two roots.
Combining Form:
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The combining form is the
combination of a root word and the
combining vowel.
Combining forms can be used with
many different suffixes, so it’s useful
to know the meaning of a combining
form to decipher the meaning of a
term.
Prefixes:
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The prefix is a small part attached to
the beginning of the term.
Not all medical terms contain prefixes,
but the prefix can have an important
influence in meaning.
Examples of Prefixes:
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SUB/GASTR/IC
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–
–
–
“Sub” is a prefix meaning “below”
“Gastr” is the root meaning “stomach.”
“Ic” is a suffix meaning “pertaining to.”
The term means “pertaining to below the
stomach.
– Usage: “The patient is complaining of subgastric
pain.” Subgastric is an adjective that describes
the location of the pain.
Examples of Prefixes:
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EPI/GASTR/IC
–
–
–
–
“Epi” is a prefix meaning “above.”
“Gastr” is the root meaning “stomach.”
“Ic” is a suffix meaning “pertaining to.”
The entire term reads: “Pertaining to above the
stomach.”
– Usage: “The patient is having epigastric pain.”
Again, the term is used as an adjective to
describe the location of the pain.
Important Elements of
Medical Terms:
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Root: The Foundation of the term
Suffix: Word ending
Prefix: Word beginning
Combining Vowel: Usually “O” – vowel
that links the root to the suffix or the
root to another root.
Combining Form: Combination of the
root and the combining vowel.
Combining Forms,
Prefixes, and Suffixes:
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The following list contains common
combining forms, prefixes, and
suffixes with examples of how each
are used.
Analyze the examples and determine
the meaning of each by breaking the
word down into its component parts.
Combining Forms:
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Aden/o
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Arthr/o
Bi/o
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Carcin/o
Cardi/o
Cephal/o
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Adenoma
Adenitis
Arthritis
Biology
Biopsy
Carcinoma
Cardiology
Cephalic
Combining Forms:
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Cerebr/o
Cis/o
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Crin/o
Cyst/o
Cyt/o
Demer/o or
Dermat/o
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Cerebral
Incision
Excision
Endocrine
Cystoscopy
Cytology
Dermatitis
Hypodermic
Combining Forms:
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Electr/o
Encephal/o
Enter/o
Erythr/o
Gastr/o
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Gnos/o
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Electrocardiogram
Encephalitis
Enteritis
Erythrocyte
Gastrectomy
Gastrotomy
Diagnosis
Prognosis
Combining Forms:
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Gynec/o
Hemat/o or hem/o
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Hepat/o
Iatr/o
Leuk/o
Nephr/o
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Gynecology
Hematology
Hematoma
Hepatitis
Iatrogenic
Leukocyte
Nephritis
nephrology
Combining Forms:
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Neur/o
Onc/o
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Opthalm/o
Oste/o
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Path/o
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Neurology
Oncology
Oncologist
Opthalmascope
Osteitis
Osteoarthritis
Pathology
Pathologist
Combining Forms:
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Ped/o
Psych/o
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Radi/o
Ren/o
Rhin/o
Sarc/o
Sect/o
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Pediatric
Psychology
Psychiatrist
Radiology
Renal
Rhinitis
Sarcoma
Resection
Combining Forms:
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Thromb/o
Ur/o
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Thrombocyte
Urology
Suffixes:
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-ac
-al
-algia
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-cyte
-ectomy
-emia
-genic
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Cardiac
Neural
Arthalgia
Neuralgia
Erythrocyte
Nephrectomy
Leukemia
Carcinogenic
Suffixes:
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-genic
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-gram
-ic, -ical
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-ion
-ist
-itis
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Pathogenic
Iatrogenic
EEG
Gastric
Neurological
Excision
Gynecologist
Cystitis
Suffixes:
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-logy
-oma
-opsy
-osis
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-pathy
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-scope
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Endocrinology
Hepatoma
Biopsy
Nephrosis
Leukocytosis
Enteropathy
Adenopathy
Endoscope
Suffixes:
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-scopy
-sis
-tomy
-y
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Endoscopy
Prognosis
Osteotomy
Gastroenterology
Prefixes:
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A-, anAutoDiaEndoEpi-
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ExExo-
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Anemia
Autopsy
Diagnosis
Endocrinologist
Epigastric
Epidermis
Excision
Exocrine
Prefixes:
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HyperHypo-
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InPeriProReRetro-
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Hyperglycemia
Hypogastric
Hypoglycemia
Incision
Pericardium
Prognosis
Resection
Retrocardiac
Prefixes:
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SubTrans-
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Subhepetic
Transhepetic
Homework:
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Each chapter in the textbook includes:
– Practical Applications
– Exercises
– Pronunciation of Terms
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Do EVERYTHING in each chapter after
we go over it in class.
Work ahead with extreme caution!
Looking Ahead:
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This book will also be used in Medical
Terminology II.
That means we’ll cover 22 chapters in
12 weeks.
We won’t be doing them in the same
order as the book!
For Tomorrow:
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Complete all exercises in Chapter-1,
pages 14-22.
Review Pronunciation of all terms in
Chapter-1, pages 25-28
Read Chapter-2, pages 31-58
If you have access to a computer:
explore the CD-ROM that accompanies
your book.
The End