Medical terminology is the language used by healthcare professionals to describe the human body and medical conditions. There are four elements that make up medical terms: combining vowels, root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Root words provide the basic meaning and often refer to a body part or system, prefixes are placed at the beginning and modify the root word, and suffixes are placed at the end and can indicate an action, condition, or occupational title. Understanding word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and their meanings is essential for comprehending medical terminology.