Chapter 1 Medical Terminology

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The Language OfThe Language Of
MedicineMedicine
1010thth
editionedition
Davi-Ellen ChabnerDavi-Ellen Chabner

2. Chapter 1
Basic Word Structure
Copyright © 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
2

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Chapter Goals
• Identify basic objectives to guide your
study of the medical language.
• Divide medical words into their
component parts.
• Learn the meanings of basic combining
forms, prefixes, and suffixes of the
medical language.
• Use these combining forms, prefixes, and
suffixes to build medical words.

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Chapter 1
Lesson 1.1

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Objectives in Studying
The Medical Language
• 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.

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QUICK QUIZ:
1. All medical terms have:
A. a combining vowel
B. two roots
C. a suffix
D. a prefix

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QUICK QUIZ: (cont’d)
2. Which element appears at the beginning
of a medical term?
A. Suffix
B. Prefix
C. Combining vowel
D. Combining form

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Word Analysis
HEMAT/O/LOGY

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
HEMAT/O/LOGY
  
root  suffix
combining vowel
hemat means blood
-logy means process of study

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
Important elements:
Root: foundation of the term
Suffix: word ending
Prefix: word beginning
Combining vowel: vowel (usually o) that
links the root to the suffix or the root to
another root and aids pronunciation
Combining form: combination of the root
and the combining vowel

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM
    
root  root  suffix
combining vowels
electr means electricity
cardi means heart
-gram means record

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
GASTR/ITIS

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
GASTR/ITIS
 
root suffix
gastr means stomach
-itis means inflammation
Note: Drop combining vowel when suffix starts
with a vowel (as in “itis”)

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY
    
root  root  suffix
combining vowels
gastr means stomach
enter means intestines
-logy means process of study

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
THREE General Rules:
1. Read the meaning of medical terms
from the suffix back to the beginning
of the term and across
2. Drop the combining vowel (usually o)
before a suffix beginning with a vowel:
gastritis not “gastroitis”
3. Keep the combining vowel between
two roots: gastroenterology not
“gastrenterology”

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
HYPO/GASTR/IC

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
HYPO/GASTR/IC
  
prefix root suffix
hypo- means below
gastr means stomach
-ic means pertaining to

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
EPI/GASTR/IC

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Word Analysis (cont’d)
EPI/GASTR/IC
  
prefix root suffix
epi- means above
gastr means stomach
-ic means pertaining to

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Combining Forms
aden/o _________
arthr/o _________
bi/o _________
carcin/o _________
cardi/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
aden/o gland
arthr/o joint
bi/o life
carcin/o cancerous, cancer
cardi/o heart
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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QUICK QUIZ:
3. Which term means inflammation
of the gland?
A. Arthritis
B. Adenitis
C. Adenoma
D. Cephalic

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Combining Forms
cephal/o _________
cerebr/o _________
cis/o _________
crin/o _________
cyst/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
cephal/o head
cerebr/o cerebrum
cis/o to cut
crin/o to secrete
cyst/o urinary bladder
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
cyt/o _________
derm/o or dermat/o _________
electr/o _________
encephal/o _________
enter/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
cyt/o cell
derm/o or dermat/o skin
electr/o electricity
encephal/o brain
enter/o intestines
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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QUICK QUIZ:
4. Which term means study of cells?
A. Cystoscopy
B. Cystitis
C. Cytology
D. Hematology

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Combining Forms
erythr/o _________
gastr/o _________
glyc/o
_________
gnos/o _________
gynec/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
erythr/o red
gastr/o stomach
glyc/o sugar
gnos/o knowledge
gynec/o woman, female
hemat/o or hem/o blood
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
hepat/o _________
iatr/o _________
leuk/o _________
log/o _________
nephr/o _________
neur/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
hepat/o liver
iatr/o treatment, physician
leuk/o white
log/o study of
nephr/o kidney
neur/o nerve
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
onc/o _________
ophthalm/o _________
oste/o _________
path/o _________
ped/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
onc/o tumor
ophthalm/o eye
oste/o bone
path/o disease
ped/o child
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
psych/o _________
radi/o _________
ren/o _________
rhin/o _________
sarc/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
psych/o mind
radi/o x-rays
ren/o kidney
rhin/o nose
sarc/o flesh
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
sect/o _________
thromb/o _________
ur/o _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Combining Forms (cont’d)
sect/o to cut
thromb/o clot, clotting
ur/o urinary tract, urine
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes
-ac _________
-al _________
-algia _________
-cyte _________
-ectomy _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-ac pertaining to
-al pertaining to
-algia pain
-cyte cell
-ectomy excision,
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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QUICK QUIZ:
5. Which suffix means to “cut out” or remove?
A.-ectomy
B.-scopy
C. -itis
D.-opsy

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Suffixes
-emia _________
-genic _________
-globin _________
-gram _________
-ic, ical _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-emia blood condition
-genic produced by or in
-globin protein
-gram record
-ic, ical pertaining to
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-ion _________
-ist _________
-itis _________
-logy _________
-oma _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-ion process
-ist specialist
-itis inflammation
-logy process of study
-oma tumor, mass, swelling
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-opsy
_________
-osis _________
-pathy _________
-scope _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-opsy process of viewing
-osis condition, usually abnormal
-pathy disease condition
-scope instrument to visually examine
-scopy process of visually examining
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-sis _________
-tomy _________
-y _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Suffixes (cont’d)
-sis state of; condition
-tomy process of cutting, incision
-y process, condition
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Prefixes
a-, an- _________
aut-, auto _________
dia- _________
end-, endo- _________
epi- _________
ex-, exo- _________
Combining Form MeaningCombining Form Meaning

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Prefixes (cont’d)
a-, an- no, not, without
aut-, auto- self, own
dia- complete, through
endo- within
epi- above, upon
ex-, exo- out, outside of, outward
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Prefixes (cont’d)
hyper- _________
hypo- _________
in- _________
peri- _________
pro- _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Prefixes (cont’d)
hyper- excessive, above, more than normal
hypo- deficient, below, under, less than normal
in- into, in
peri- surrounding, around
pro- before, forward
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Prefixes (cont’d)
re- _________
retro- _________
sub- _________
trans- _________
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Prefixes (cont’d)
re- back, backward, again
retro- behind
sub- below, under
trans- across, through
Combining FormCombining Form MeaningMeaning

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Pronunciation of Terms
• When ¯ is above a vowel, the sound is long.
For example:
ā as in āpe
ō as in ōpen
• When ˘ is above a vowel, the sound is short.
For example:
ă as in ăpple
ŏ as in pŏt
• The capitalized syllable is accented.

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Pronunciation of Terms
(cont’d)
Examples:
adenitis ăd-ĕ-Nī-tĭs
biology bī-OL-ō-jē
cephalic se-FĂL-ĭk
iatrogenic i-ăt-rō-JĔN-ĭk
resection rē-SĔK-shŭn