medical terminology

1. INTRODUCTION TO
MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY
(1)
DR. HAYAT AL AKOUM

2. INTRODUCTION
LESSON #1
When in doubt of
the terminology,
tell your patients
they’re very sick.

3. OBJECTIVES
• Definition of Medical terminology
• Importance of medical terminology
• Medical word elements
• Word roots
• Combining forms
• Suffixes
• Prefixes
• Basic rules

4. OBJECTIVES
• Defining medical words
• Building medical words
• Pronunciation Guidelines

5. DEFINITION
• Medical terminology is language that is used
to accurately describe the human body and
associated components, conditions, processes
and procedures in a science-based manner.
• Some examples are: R.I.C.E., trapezius, and
latissimus dorsi. It is to be used in
the medical and nursing fields.

6. DEFINITION
• The words – or terms – which make up the language of
medicine are referred to as the terminology of the medical
field…known as medical terminology.
• Like every other language, medical terminology has
changed over time and will continue to change.
• Most medical terms come from the Greek and Latin
languages.
6

7. IMPORTANCE OF THE
MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY
• Simplify communication/break down the
language barrier.
• Easy understanding(common language)
• They are specific terminologies, thus makes
no need to use general terminology

8. WORD ELEMENTS
• The medical word contains all or some of these;
Word Elements
Word root
Combining form
Suffixes
Prefixes
E.g. Dermatitis = defined as the inflammation of the skin.
Skin(word root)
Inflammation(suffix)

9. WORD ELEMENTS
Tonsillectomy
ctomy(remove)
Tonsil(root)
oligospermia
Prefix(Little ) word root suffix(state/conditions)
Peritonsillitis = Inflammation of the tissues surrounding the tonsil
Around(prefix) tonsil(Root) inflammation(suffix)

10. WORD ROOT
A root is the basic element of a word, and it is the foundation on
which the meaning of a word is built.
Many roots are real words in their own right and term.
Although these roots can have other elements, they don't
need other elements to be complete.
A root can be a whole word or a part of a
word. Roots come from many different
languages, mainly Greek and Latin, and find
their way into English.
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11. WORD ROOTS
• All medical terms have at least one-word root
E.g. of Respiratory system word roots and the meaning
Alveol ………. Alveolus(one), Alveoli(many)
Bronch……….Bronchus/bronchi
Epiglott ………Epiglottis
Lob……………..Lobe
Nas …………….Nose
Or ………………Mouth

12. COMBINING FORMS
Combining (Linking) forms are formed when a word root is
combined with a vowel.
usually “o”, but occasionally “e” or “i”.
i.e Combined form= word root + o
Most medical terms can be broken down into parts like a
sentence.
Common word parts/components:
 Prefixes / Roots or Words / Suffixes
The medical terms will contain one or more of these
components.
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13. COMBINING FORMS
vowel
Word root
Epiglott + I eg Epiglottitis
Pharyng + i/o eg Pharyngitis/
pharyngotonsilitis

14. PREFIX
14
A prefix is a word component placed in front of a
root/word to change or modify its meaning.
A prefix can give a root direction or position. It can also give
a root a specific type/ classification, quality, or quantity.

15. COMMON PREFIXES
15
• Homo- same, similar
• Hyster- uterus
• Men- menstruation
• Quadri- four
• Re- back, again
• Super- above, beyond
• Tri- three
• Ab- away from midline
• Acu- needle
• Anti- against
• Auto- self
• Bi- two, both, double
• Dys- abnormal, bad, painful
• Hemi- half
• Hetero- opposite, different

16. MORE PREFIXES!
16
• Epi- upon, over, above
• Ex- out, out of
• Hyper- excessive, above,
too much, over, beyond
• Hypo- less than, under,
below, deficient
• A-, An- without, none
• Ad- toward/near midline
• Acro- extremities
• Ambi- on both sides
• Bio- life
• Brady- slow
• Circum- around, encircling
• Contra- against
• Dys- difficult, painful, bad,
abnormal
• Endo- within

17. PREFIXES CONTINUED
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• Poly- many, much
• Post- after, behind
• Pro- before, in front of,
forward
• Retro- behind, backward
• Sub- under, below, beneath
• Supra- above, on the top side
• Tachy- fast
• Trans- across, over
• Hydro- fluid, water
• Inter- between
• Intra- within
• Iso- equal
• Mal- ill, bad
• Meta- after, beyond,
change
• Multi- many, more than
one
• Neo- new or abnormal

18. SUFFIX
A suffix is a word component added to the end of a
root/word that changes or modifies its usage,
function, or meaning.
SUFFIX
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19. SUFFIXES: SURGICAL
PROCEDURES
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-centesis – to puncture/tap to draw fluid from
-ectomy – excision, removal, cut out
-pexy - fixation
-plasty – surgical repair, correction
-rrhaphy – suture
-sect – to cut
-stomy – forming a new opening
-tomy – incision into, cut into
-tripsy – to crush, break down
-puncture – to pierce a surface
Moe, after the
bandages come off
and the wounds
heal, you’ll still be a
pig.

20. SUFFIXES: DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
20
-gram – written record, recording
-graph – instrument for recording
-graphy – process of recording
-manometer – instrument for measuring pressure
-manometry – process of measuring pressure
-meter – instrument for measuring
-metery – process of measuring
-opsy – to view
-scope - instrument for examining
-scopy – process of examining, examination

21. SUFFIXES: 5 RRH’S
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-rrhagia – excessive flow, profuse fluid discharge
-rrhage – excessive flow, profuse fluid discharge
-rrhaphy – suture
-rrhea – flow, discharge
-rrhexis - rupture

22. SUFFIXES: PERTAINING TO…
22
Suffixes that all mean pertaining to:
-ac (cardiac)
-al (dental)
-ary (pulmonary)
-ia (bradycardia)
-ic (gastric)
-ical (chemical)
-ium (cardium)
-ous (mucous)
-tic (pancreatic)
-us (hydrocephalus)

23. MORE SUFFIXES!
23
-algia, -algesia – pain
-cele – herniation, swelling
-cide – killing, agent that kills
-cyte - cell
-emia – blood condition
-ist – specialist
-itis – inflammation
-logist – one who studies, specialist
-logia, -logy – the study of
-lysis – destruction, breakdown
-megaly – enlarged

24. MORE SUFFIXES
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-oma – tumor, mass
-opia, -opsia – vision
-pathy – disease
-plasm – growth/formation of tissue
-pnea – breath, breathing
-porosis – porous, decrease in density
-ptosis – drooping, prolapsed
-ptysis – spitting, spit up
-spasm – twitching, involuntary contraction
-therapy – treatment

25. RULES!
25
To define medical terms, divide or slash them into their
component parts; these word components are called prefixes,
suffixes, and roots.
Use the hyphen ( - ) after the word component to indicate
that it is a prefix; use it after the combining form to indicate
that it needs a suffix; use it before the word component to
indicate it is a suffix.
For example Epi-gastr/o/-cele

26. MORE RULES!
26
Use the combining vowel “o” when a suffix begins with a consonant.
i.e Termin/o/logy
Use the combining vowel “o” when combining two roots only if the
second root begins with a consonant. i.e. Pneum/o/thorax
Do not use the combining vowel “o” if you are combining a second
root that begins with a vowel or a suffix that begins with a vowel (a,
e, i, o, u, and sometimes y). i.e. Pneum/arthr/osis
Add –y to a word to indicate a procedure (gastroscopy) or –ly to
indicate an act or process (splenomegaly).

27. AND MORE RULES!!
27
The suffix –osis always denotes a condition (usually abnormal).
When combined with the color roots erythr/o- (red) and
leuk/o- (white), it represents a condition of abnormally
increased blood cells.

28. CASE STUDY
• WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A ROOT WORD?
A. ANTI-
B. HEPAT-
C. -ITIS
D. -EMIA

29. CASE STUDY
• THE PREFIX “TACHY-” MEANS:
A. ABOVE
B. OUTSIDE
C. FAST
D. HIGHER

30. CASE STUDY
• THE SUFFIX “-LOGY” REFERS TO:
A. STUDY OF
B. OCCURRING AFTER
C. WITHIN
D. PERTAINING TO

31. CASE STUDY
• THE TERM FOR BLOOD IN THE URINE WOULD BE:
A. DIARRHEA
B. RHINORRHEA
C. HEMATURIA
D. HEMATEMESIS

32. CASE STUDY
______ 1. ARTHRITIS
______ 2. MYODYNIA
______ 3. HEPATOMEGALY
______ 4. APNEA
______ 5. HEMATURIA
______ 6. DYSURIA
______ 7. HYSTERECTOMY
______ 8. OSTEOMALACIA
______ 9. APHASIA
______10. OTORRHEA
a. DIFFICULT OR PAINFUL URINATION
b. ABSENCE OF BREATHING
c. PAIN IN A MUSCLE
d. SOFTENING OF THE BONE
e. DISCHARGE FROM THE EAR
f. SURGICAL REMOVAL OF THE
UTERUS
g. ENLARGEMENT OF THE LIVER
h. INFLAMMATION OF A JOINT
i. LOSS OF SPEECH
j. BLOOD IN THE URINE

33. QUESTIO
NS?