This document discusses medical terminology and its components. It explains that medical terminology describes the human body, medical procedures, diseases, and pharmacology. There are primary and secondary medical terms. Primary terms appear in boldface and should be learned first, as they are used for answers in exercises and tests. Secondary terms provide additional context. There are four types of word parts used to create medical terms: word roots, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes. Word roots usually indicate the involved body part, combining forms add vowels before suffixes, suffixes indicate procedures or conditions, and prefixes indicate location or other descriptors. Guidelines are provided for using each word part type correctly.

1. Somali Institute of Health Training
& Journalism-SIHTOJ
1

2. Medical
terminology
MR.BURHAN
ABDULE
GURE
(PROFESSIONA
L LECTURER
&TRAINER)

3. Medical terminology
 Medical terminology is the language used to
describe components and processes of the
human body, medical procedures, diseases,
disorders, and pharmacology
Types of medical terminology
 Primary medical terms
 Secondary medical terms
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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4. Medical terminology
 Primary terms appear in boldface. Learning
these terms should be your highest priority as
only primary terms are used as correct answers
in the Learning Exercises and tests.
 Secondary terms appear in orange italics.
Some of these terms are the “also known as”
names for conditions or procedures. Other
secondary terms clarify words used in the
definitions of primary terms.
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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5. medical terminology
 Example of primary term
 Gastr
 Nephr
 Hepat
 Example of secondary term
 Stomach
 Kidney
 liver
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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6. The Four Types of Word Parts
 Four types of word parts may be used to create
medical terms.
 A word root contains the basic meaning of the
term. This word part usually, but not always,
indicates the involved body part. For example, the
word root Meaning stomach is gastr.
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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7. The Four Types of Word Parts
 A combining form is a word root with a
vowel at the end so that a suffix beginning
with a consonant can be added. When a
combining form appears alone, it is shown
with a slash (/) between the word root and
the combining vowel. For example, the
combining form meaning stomach is gastr/o,
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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8. The Four Types of Word Parts
 A suffix usually, but not always, indicates the
procedure, condition, disorder, or disease. A
suffix always comes at the end of a word.
 A prefix usually, but not always, indicates
location, time, number, or status. A prefix
always comes at the beginning of a word
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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9. Word part guidelines
 A word root cannot stand alone. A suffix must
be added to complete the term.
 The rules for creating a combining form by
adding a vowel apply when a suffix beginning
with a consonant is added to a word root.
 When a prefix is necessary, it is always placed
at the beginning of the word
Burhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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10. Word roots
 Word roots act
as the
foundation of
most medical
terms. They
usually, but not
always, describe
the part of the
body that is
involved. Some
word rootsBurhan Abdule Gure (professional lecturer & Trainer)
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