4. 4
Suffixes for Medical
Disciplines
• -ist, -er – another form for referring to a
person who practices a specific discipline.
Internist
Anesthetist
(can be an RVT)
Dentist
Specialist
Practitioner
Coroner
12. 12
Terms for Direction
• Axial
– Skeleton of the
trunk and head
• Peripheral
• Proximal
• Distal
• Adjacent
• Oblique
– Inclined, angled
13. 13
Terms for Position
Plane: a flat surface where no part is
higher or lower than the other.
• http://www.madsci.org/~lynn/VH/planes.html
• Median Plane
– Sagittal Plane: continuation of the
Median Plane on the right and left
sides
• Dorsal Plane
– Coronal or Frontal Plane for brain
and skull
• Transverse Plane
– Perpendicular to the median and
dorsal planes
• Quadrants (4)
19. 19
Prefixes for Direction, Position,
and Movement
• Ab-duction (away). Abnormal
• Ad-duction (toward). Addition
• Circum-vent (around). Circumference
• Contra-indicated (against). Contraception
• Ipsi-lateral (self, same)
20. 20
Prefixes for Direction, Position,
and Movement
• Ex-ophthalmic (outside of). Exquisite
• Endo-cardium (inside). Endocrine
• Epi-dermis (on or after). Epicenter
• Extra-cellular (beyond). Extraordinary
• Intra-tracheal (within). Intranet
• Inter-stitial (between). Internet
21. 21
Prefixes for Direction, Position,
and Movement
• Meso-metrium (middle). Mesolithic
• Meta-carpal (behind or transform). Metamorphic
• Para-median (next to). Paramedic
• Peri-anal (around). Periscope
• Retro-peritoneal (back). Retroactive
22. 22
Prefixes for Direction, Position,
and Movement
• Sub-cutaneous (below). Subnormal
• Supra-nasal (above). Supraorbital
• Trans-endemic (through or beyond). Transfer
26. 26
Nomenclature of Bacteria
Naming Bacteria By Shape
Coccus/cocci – bacteria that are spherical
Streptococcus
Staphylococcus
Diplococcus
Bacillus/bacilli – bacteria that are rod-shaped
Lactobacillus
27. 27
Nomenclature of Bacteria
Naming Bacteria by Group Arrangement
• Strepto- twisted (chains)
– Streptococcus
• Staphylo- bunch or cluster
– Staphylococcus
• Diplo- pairs
– Diplococci
28. 28
Nomenclature of Bacteria
Bacteria named after a person
• Pasteurella
• Escherichia
Bacterial species can named for
type of animal:
Streptococcus equi
Disease it causes:
Bacillus anthracis
Or area of the body:
Staphylococcus epidermidis
30. 30
Prefixes Related to Color
• Chrom-atin
• Chloro-phyl
• Cirrh-osis
• Cyano-sis
• Erythro-cyte
• Leuko-cyte
• Melano-cyte
• Xanth-oma
31. 31
Terms Related to Blood
• Prefixes
–Cyto-penia
–Hemo-rrage
–Hema-cytometer
–Hemato-crit
• Suffixes
–Leuko-cyte
–Lympho-cytosis
–Ur-emia
–Lympho-penia
32. 32
Terms Related to Urine
• Prefixes
–Uro-lith
–Urin-alysis
• Suffixes
–Hemat-uria
–Dys-uria
33. 33
Terms Relating to
Pharmacology
• Pharmacology – the study of drugs and their
effect on the body
• Pharmacodynamics –the study of the action and
metabolism of drugs and how they are excreted
by the body
• Therapeutics – the study of the treatment of
disease with the use of drugs
• Toxicology – the study of poisons and other toxic
substances
34. 34
Drug Names
Trade Name
The brand name or proprietary
name – usually has a trademark
Generic Name
A chemically descriptive drug
name that is not protected by a
trademark
Chemical Name
Describes the constituents and
their chemical configuration within
the drug molecule
35. 35
Types of Drugs
Drugs can be classified by their therapeutic
use or their actions
• Analgesics
• Anesthetics
• Anthelmintics
• Antibiotics
• Anticoagulants
• Anticonvulsants
• Antidiarrheals
• Antifungals
• Antiinflammatories
• Antipruritics
• Antitussives
• Biologicals
• Cardiovascular drugs
• Cathartics
• Ceruminolytics
• Diuretics
• Hematinics
• Hormones
• Opthalmics
• Otics
• Parasitics
• Sedatives and Tranquilizers
39. 39
Common Medical Terminology
• Abscess – cavity containing pus
• Alopecia – abnormal hair loss
• Ambulate – to walk
• Analgesic – relieves pain
• Anemia – low red blood cells
• Anorexia – lack of appetite
• Antibody – protein produced in the body that destroys
specific invaders
• Arrhythmia – abnormal heart rhythm
• Artery – blood vessel leading from the heart
• Aseptic – without infection or contamination
• Bilateral – two sides
40. 40
• Bile – produced by the liver for fat digestion
• Bloat – gas in the stomach
• Calculus – tartar
• Centimeter – one-hundredth of one meter
• Conjunctiva – inner membrane of the eyelids
• Cyanotic – Blue color of the gums due lack of oxygen
• Cystitis – inflammation of the urinary bladder
• Debride – remove dead tissue
• Declaw – amputation of a cat’s claws
• Defecation – passing feces
• ECG – (EKG) electrical impulses of the heart
Common Medical Terminology
41. 41
Common Medical Terminology
• Edema – swelling caused by abnormally increased tissue
fluid
• Emboli – blocked blood vessel
• Enema – liquid put into the rectum to produce defecation
• Endotracheal tube – Sterile, flexible put into the trachea
fro anesthesia
• Enteritis – inflammation of the small intestine
• Estrus – (heat) time when female is ready to breed
• Excise – to remove surgically
• Febrile – has fever
• Flank – sides of an animal’s body from the ribs to the hips
• Gastritis – inflammation of the stomach, usually causes
vomiting
42. 42
Common Medical Terminology
• Gingiva – gum
• Hematocrit (HCT) – packed cell volume (PCV)
measures the number of red blood cells
• Hematoma – an area of swelling that contains blood
• Hemostat – clamp for blood vessels
• Hyper = high Hypo = low
• Icterus – yellow skin (jaundice)
• Incise – to cut
• Inflammation – tissue reaction to injury
• -itis – suffix meaning inflammation of
• Lateral recumbency – lying on its side
• Leukocyte – white blood cell
43. 43
Common Medical Terminology
• Ligature – suture material
• Lipoma – benign tumor of fat
• Mastitis – inflammation of the glands that secrete milk
• Mandible – jaw
• Milligram – one-thousand of one gram
• Necrotic – dead tissue
• Neuter – surgically remove the reproductive organs:
castration (male) or spay (female)
• Otic – for the ear
• Ovariohysterectomy – spay
• Pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas causing
vomiting and pain
• Pathogen – disease-causing organisms
44. 44
Common Medical Terminology
• Perianal – around the anus
• Peritoneal cavity – abdominal cavity
• Pleural cavity – chest cavity (thorax)
• Postmortem – after death
• Prognosis – expected outcome of a disease
• Prophylaxis – prevention of disease
• Purulent – contains pus
• Pyometra – infection and pus in the uterus
• Queen – giving birth in cats
• Recumbent – lying down
• Sanguinous – containing blood
45. 45
Common Medical Terminology
• Serum – the liquid portion of blood
• Slough – to shed dead tissue
• Sterile – all microorganisms have been killed
• Systemic – affecting the whole body system
• Tetanus – disease caused by a bacterial toxin that
produces muscle spasms and “lockjaw”
• Thrombus – blood clot
• Torsion – twisting or rotating
• Traumatic – the result of an injury
• Ulcer – a defect on the surface of an organ exposing
deeper more sensitive tissues
• Vein – blood vessel leading away from the heart
• Whelp – giving birth in dogs
