Introduction to Medical Terminology

Learning outcomes,
By the end of the session the learner should be to;
1. Describe four origins of medical language.
2. Define two categories of medical terms.
3. Identify and define the four word parts and the combining
form.
4. Analyze and define medical terms.
5. Build medical terms for given definitions.

Medical terminology is language that is used to describe anatomical structures,

processes, conditions, medical procedures, and treatments. At first glance, medical
terms may appear intimidating, but once you understand the standard structure of
medical words and the definitions of some common word elements, the meaning of
thousands of medical terms is easily unlocked.

IMPORTANCE

By studying Medical Terminology, you'll develop a fluency in the highly specialized

language of health.
You'll understand the origin and importance of acronyms like HIPAA and gain
confidence to perform in a field where the difference between the right and wrong
word can change a life.
ORIGNS OF MEDICAL TERMS

The physicians of Greece are considered the founders of rational medicine, medical
terms are primarily derived from Greek and Latin.1 Over the centuries, the language
of medicine has evolved into multiple national medical languages. Today, medical
English is the primary language for international communication. It is used in most
influential medical journals and has become the language of choice at international
conferences.
Some Greek root words
list of some basic words used in medical terminology:
aden-gland
aort&-aorta
bronchos-gullet
cheir-hand
chole-bile
derma-skin
gastEr-belly
haima-blood
hepar-liver
hygieia-health
hymen-membrane
kardia-heart
kephal&-head
kranion-skull
larynx-voice box
mania-madness,
frenzy
nausea-seasickness
neuron-tendon,
nerve
osteon-bone
ophthalmos-eye
pepsis-digestion
pharmakon-drug
pharynx-throat
pleura-side, rib
pneuma-air, breath
psyche-soul
pyon-pus
pyr-fire, fever
sarx-flesh
soma-body
spasmos-spasm
splen-spleen
stoma-mouth
stomachos-stomach
tracheia-windpipe
trauma-wound
]

. Some Latin root words.

quote just a few as examples:

anus-ring
dens-tooth
aqua-water
facies-face
bacillus-little rod
fascia-land
bucca-cheek
febris-fever
[Link]
femur-thigh, thigh
caput-head
bone
caries-decay
fetus-embryo
cella-chamber
foramen-perforation
cerebrum-brain
fornix-arch
cervix-neck
fossa-ditch
cor-heart
frons-forehead
corpus-body
fundus-base, bottom
cortex-bark
glans-gland
cutis-skin
hernia-rupture
ilium-flank
labium-lip
latius-side
lens-lentil
ligamentum-binding
lingua-tongue
lues-plague
lupus-wolf
manus-hand
meatus-opening
mens-mind
mensis-month
morbus-disease
nodus-knot
Medical terms derived from eponyms
A few examples of medical eponyms are
 Crohn's disease,
 Huntington's disease,
 Parkinson's disease
 Alzheimer's disease.
 Some conditions are named after fictional characters, including Peter Pan
syndrome and Cinderella's syndrome.
Medical terms derived from Acronyms
ā before
accel acceleration
A&P anterior & posterior
A.M. before noon
A/G Albumin globulin ratio
b.i.d. twice daily
BF breast feeding
bil. bilateral
bili bilirubin
BK below-knee

Basic Term Structure

Medical terms are composed of the following standard word parts:

 Prefix: When included, the prefix appears at the beginning of a medical term
and usually indicates a location, direction, type, quality, or quantity.
 Root: The root gives a term its essential meaning. Nearly all medical terms
contain at least one root. When a prefix is absent, the term begins with a
root.
 Suffix: The suffix appears at the end of a term and may indicate a specialty,
test, procedure, function, disorder, or status. Otherwise, the suffix may
simply define whether the word is a noun, verb, or adjective.
 Combining vowel: A combining vowel (usually the letter “o”) may be added
between word parts to aid in pronunciation.
Breaking a word down into its component parts should help readers ascertain the
meaning of an unfamiliar term. For example, hypothermia has the prefix hypo-
(meaning below normal), the root therm (heat or warmth), and the suffix -ia
(condition).
]

Word Roots

A word root is the foundational element of any medical term. Roots often indicate a
body part or system.

Common word roots:

Head

brain encephal

ear oto, aur

eardrum tympan, myring

eye ophthalm, ocul

face faci

nose rhin

skull crani

tongue lingu

tooth odont, dent

Heart and Circulatory System

aorta aort

arteries arteri

blood hem, sangu

blood vessels angi

heart cardi

veins ven, phleb

Bones and Muscles

arm brachi

back dorsa

bone oste

foot pod, ped

 muscle myo

rib cost

shoulder scapul

wrist carp

Digestive System

appendix append

colon col

esophagus esophag

intestine (usually small) enter

kidney ren, neph

liver hepat

stomach gastr

Other Common Roots

cancer carci

drug chem

electric electr

heat therm

knowledge gnos

life bi

pressure bar

returned sound echo

Compound Words

A medical word may include multiple roots. This frequently occurs when referencing
more than one body part or system. For example, cardio-pulmo-nary means pertaining
to the heart and lungs; gastro-entero-logy means the study of the stomach and
intestines.

Combining Forms

A combining vowel is used when a root is followed by another word part that begins
with a consonant. A combining vowel (usually the letter "o") is added after the root
(e.g., neur-o-logy) to aid pronunciation. The root and vowel together (e.g., neur-o) are
called the combining form. For simplicity, the word part tables do not include
combining vowel options.

Prefixes

A prefix modifies the meaning of the word root. It may indicate a location, type,
quality, body category, or quantity. Prefixes are optional and do not appear in all
medical terms.

Common prefixes:

Size

large macro-, mega(lo)-

small micro-

Number

half semi-

half (one side) hemi-

one mono-, uni-

two | three | four bi- | tri- | quad(ri)-

equal equi-

many poly-

Level

above normal hyper-

below normal hypo-

normal/good eu-

Time or Speed

before pro-, pre-, ante-

 after post-

back/backward retro-

again re-

fast tachy-

slow brady-

new neo-

time, long time chron-

Location or Relationship

away from ab-

above supra-

around peri-

across trans-

between inter-

out of, outside ex-, ec(t)-

self auto-

through, completely dia-

together con-

toward ad-

within, inside end(o)-

Function or Quality

against anti-, contra-

bad mal-

cause eti-

without a-, de-

abnormal, bad dys-

Suffixes
Medical terms always end with a suffix.3 The suffix usually indicates a specialty, test,
procedure, function, condition/disorder, or status. For example, “-itis” means
inflammation and “-ectomy” means removal.

Alternatively, the suffix may simply make the word a noun or adjective. For example,
the endings -a, -e, -um, and -us are commonly used to create a singular noun (e.g.,
crani-um).

Although the suffix appears at the end of the term, it often comes first in the
definition. For example, appendicitis means inflammation (-itis) of the
appendix.4 Accordingly, it is sometimes helpful to read unfamiliar medical terms
from right to left.

Occasionally, medical terms are composed of only a prefix and a suffix. For example,
apnea includes the prefix a- (without) and suffix -pnea (breathing).

Common suffixes (letters in parentheses are not always present):

Basic Noun and Adjective Suffixes

(noun form) -a, -e, -um, -is

causing -genic

condition -ia, -ism, -sis, -y

specialty -iatry, -iatrics, -ics

specialist -ian, -ist

structure -um, -us

small, little -ula, -ulum, -ulus

study of -logy

pertaining to -ac, -ar(y), -(e/i)al, -ic(al), -ior, -ory, -ous, -tic

Tests and Procedures

removal of -ectomy

image/record -gram

recording instrument -graph

process of recording -graphy

cut in -otomy

visual examination -scopy

opening -stomy
 Pathology or Function

blood (condition of) -emia

breathing -pnea

inflammation -itis

condition or disease -osis

deficiency -penia

disease -pathy

excessive flow -rrhag(e/ia)

mass, tumor -oma

Plural Forms

Adding an “s” or “es” to the end of a word is often the straightforward method to
make a word plural in English and many modern Romance languages. In medical
terminology, however, things are a little more complicated. The plural form of each
word is based on the last two letters of the singular suffix.

There are several exceptions. For example, “virus” is a Latin term without a plural
form. “Viruses” is the accepted plural form. Elsewhere, the suffix “s” or “es”
occasionally prevails in common usage. For example, the plural form of “hematoma”
is “hematomas” rather than “hematomata.”

Common singular endings and corresponding plural endings:

Plural Forms5

Singular Plural

a ae

en ina

ex, ix, yx ices

is es

ma mata

(a/i/y)nx (a/i/y)nges

um a

us i
Additional resources:
Combining Vowel
The combining vowel is a word part, usually an o, used to ease pronunciation

The combining vowel is:

• Placed to connect two word roots
• Placed to connect a word root and a suffix
• Not placed to connect a prefix and a word root
EXAMPLES
In the medical term
oste/o/arthr/itis,
o is the combining vowel used between two word roots oste
(which means bone) and arthr (which means joint).
In the medical term
arthr/o/pathy,
o is the combining vowel used between the word root arthr
and the suffix-pathy (which means disease).
In the medical term
sub/hepat/ic,
the combining vowel is not used between the prefix sub
and the word root hepat.
VOWELS
This are speech sounds represented by the letters a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.

The combining vowel

This is used to ease pronunciation; therefore not all medical terms have combining
vowels.
Medical terms introduced throughout the text that have combining vowels other than
o are highlighted at their introduction.
Guidelines for Using Combining Vowels
Learning the four guidelines for using combining vowels will assist you in correctly
spelling medical terms built from word parts. .
Guideline One
When connecting a word root and a suffix, a combining vowel is used if the suffix
does not begin with a vowel.
EXAMPLE
In the medical term arthr/o/pathy,
the suffix -pathy does not begin with a vowel; therefore, a combining vowel is used.
Guideline Two
When connecting a word root and a suffix, a combining vowel is usually not used if
the suffix begins with a vowel.
EXAMPLE
In the medical term hepat/ic,
the suffix -ic begins with the vowel i; therefore, a
combining vowel is not used.
Guideline Three
When connecting two word roots, a combining vowel is usually used even if vowels
are present at the junction

EXAMPLE
In the medical term oste/o/arthr/itis,
o is the combining vowel used, even though the word root
oste ends with the vowel e, and the word root arthr begins
with the vowel a.
Guideline Four
When connecting a prefix and a word root, a combining vowel is not used.
EXAMPLE
In the medical term sub/hepat/ic,
The combining vowel is not used between the prefix suband the word root hepat..