This document provides an introduction to medical terminology. It defines medical terminology as language used to accurately describe the human body, conditions, processes, and procedures. The objectives are to define key terms, explain how medical words are built, and cover pronunciation guidelines. Medical terminology is made up of word roots, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes from Greek and Latin. Understanding these elements and following rules for combining them allows medical words to be accurately defined and built. Examples are provided to illustrate word elements and how terminology is used in diagnoses and medical procedures.

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.
10

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.
12

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
17
• 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
18

19. SUFFIXES: SURGICAL
PROCEDURES
19
-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
21
-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
24
-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?