A course in medical terminology

A course in

Instructor: Haitham Bader
Ninaveha Medical College
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Even to a native English speakers, new medical students often bewildered by strange medical Terms, its spelling and pronunciation
Why
Approximately 75% of Medical Terms are based on either Greek or Latin

Main Objective:Learn Medical Terminology

Origins of medical language
Current medical vocabulary includes terms built from Greek and Latin word parts, some which were used by Hippocrates and Aristotle over 2000 years ago

Example of medical term you may hear from your collogue

I think he need Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

What???????
Don’t be shocked
The subjects is simpler than what you think !!!!!
You need to learn the principles of building and analyzing medical term

Why we use strange terms?

One word
Sentence of English words
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
Instrumentation to visualize esophagus, stomach and duodenum
medical term

Objectives of the course

Upon completion of this unit you will be able to:
• Identify and define the four component of medical terms
•  Analyze and define medical terms
•  Build medical terms for given definitions

Word Parts / Building Blocks of medical term

Word root

Prefixes
Suffixes
Medical terms are built from word parts with some or all of the following components:
1. Word roots
2. Suffixes
3. Prefixes
4. Combining vowels
5. Combining forms

Prefix

Suffix
Root
Building & interpretation of term



Suffix
Prefix
Root
Building
Interpretation

How you define medical term

How to Define Medical Terms

Terms can easily be defined by determining the meaning of their parts.
Read left to right, but define by interpreting the suffix, then the prefix, then the combining form.
e.g. Define heminephrectomy?
prefix Root suffix
hemi- neph -ectomy
(Half) (Kidney) (Removal)
Remove half of kidney

Word root

The word root is the central and foundation of the medical term
Usually indicates the part of the body involved
All medical terms must have one or more word roots

Examples of word roots

Gastr-
Cardi-
Arth-
Ophthal-
Nephr-
Stomach
Heart
Joint
Eye
Kidney















=
=
=
=
=

Combining vowel

Usually an ‘o’ and occasionally an ‘I’
Has no meaning of its own
Makes pronunciation easier
Can be found between word roots
Can be found between word roots and a suffix
When a vowel is added to a root word, it is called a combining form

Examples of combining form according to systems

Combining form for Body Systems Cardiovascular

angi/o vessel
aorto/o aorta
arteri/o artery
cardi/o heart
coron/o heart
phleb/o vein
ven/o vein

an/o anus

append/o appendix
cholecyst/o gallbladder
col/o colon
duoden/o duodenum
esophag/o esophagus
gastr/o stomach
hepat/o liver
ile/o ileum



Combining form for Body SystemsDigestive

Combining form for Body SystemsDigestive

jejun/o jejunum
or/o mouth
pancreat/o pancreas
pharyng/o pharynx
proct/o anus and rectum
rect/o rectum
sigmoid/o sigmoid
stomat/o mouth

Combining form for Body SystemsEndocrine

• adren/o adrenal
• hypophys/o pituitary
• oophor/o ovary
• ovari/o ovarian
• orchi/o testis
• pancreat/o pancreas
• parathyroid/o parathyroid
• pituitar/o pituitary
• thym/o thymus
• thyroid/o thyroid

Combining form for Body SystemsReproductive

• cervic/o cervix
• vagin/o vagina
• hyster/o uterus
• mamm/o breast
• uter/o uterine
• oophor/o ovary
• salping/o fallopian tube
• balan/o penis
• orch/o testis
• prostat/o prostate
• scrot/o scrotum

Combining form for Body SystemsSkeletal

• arthr/o joint
• chondr/o cartilage
• cost/o rib
• crani/o skull
• ligament/o ligament
• my/o muscle
• muscul/o muscle
• myel/o bone marrow
• oste/o bone
• pelv/o pelvis
• vertebr/o vertebra

Combining form for Body SystemsRespiratory

• alveol/o alveolar
• bronch/o bronchial tube
• cyan/o blue
• laryng/o larynx
• nas/o nose
• rhin/o nose
• pharyng/o pharynx
• phren/o diaphragm
• pneumon/o lung
• tonsill/o tonsils
• trache/o trachea

Combining form for Body SystemsUrinary

cyst/o urinary bladder
nephr/o kidney
ren/o renal
pyl/o renal pelvis
ureter/o ureter
urethr/o urethra

Combining form for Body SystemsNervous

cerebell/o cerebellum
cerebr/o cerebrum
encephal/o brain
medull/o medulla
myel/o spinal cord
neur/o nerve

Combining form for Body SystemsMiscellaneous

• aur/o ear
• ot/o ear
• cutane/o skin
• derm/o skin
• myring/o eardrum
• ocul/o eye
• onych/o nail
• ophthalm/o eye
• pil/o hair
• retin/o retina
• trich/o hair
• ungu/o nail

Prefixes

Syllable located at the beginning of a word
Changes the meaning of the word
Usually indicates a number, time, position, direction, color, size etc. or sense of negation
Nuli-
Multi-
Nuli-para
×
Number
Pre-
Post-
Pre-term
×
Time
Epi-
Sub-
Epi-dermis
×
Position
Pro-
Retro-
Pro-spective
×
Direction
Leuko
Melan
Leuko-cyte
×
Color
Hyper
Hypo
Hyper-trophy
×
Size


Numerical prefixes
¼
½
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Quadrant-
Semi-, Hemi-
Nulli-,
Mono-Uni-,Prim-
Bi-, Di-
Tri-, Ter-
Tetra-, Quadri-
Penta-, Quinque-
Hexa-, Sexa-
Hepta-
Octa-
Nona-
Deca-


Numerical prefixes

Color prefixes

alb/o
albin/o
Leuk/o
Glauc/o
Poli/o
Melan/o
Nigra
Cirrh/o
Xanth/o
Leut/o
Eryth/o
Eosin/o
Rub
Chlor/o
Cyan/o


Chrom/o

Prefixes of position

Inter-

Intra-

Para-,
Juxta-

Sub-

Infra-
Hypo-

Epi-

Supra-
Pre-
Pro-
Ante-
Vent-
Post-
Retro-
Dorsi-
Meta-
Endo-
Meso-
Ecto-


Prefixes of direction

Ad-
Ab-
Peri-
Circum-
Dia-
Trans-
Ex-
Ef-
En-
Af-

Prefixes of direction

Pro-

Retro-

Re-
Anti-
Counter-


Schizo-

Con-

Sym-
Syn-

Miscellaneous prefixes

Hypo-
Hyper-
Ortho-
Kypho-

Tachy-

Brady-

Macro-

Micro-

Homo-

Iso-
Hetro-
Allo-
 
Eu-
Pseudo-
-Ve
A-
An-






Pan-
Oligo-

Suffixes

 Suffix is the word part attached to the end of the word root to modify its meaning.
 The suffix usually indicates the surgical procedure, diagnosis & pathology.
 All medical terms must have a suffix.

Surgical suffixes

-Centesis

- Puncture a cavity
-Stomy
--rrhaphy
--pexy
--ectomy
--tomy
--plasty
--tripsy
Permanent opening
Repair by suturing
Surgical fixation
Surgical removal
Incision
Surgical repair
Crushing stone


Diagnostic suffixes
--gram
Recording
-graph
-scop
-graphy
Instrument for recording
Instrument for viewing
Process for recording

Pathology- related suffixes

-algia, -dynia
Pain
-osis
A condition of-

-blast

Immature forming

-cidal

killing

-clast

Breaking

-ectasis

Abnormal dilatation

-emesis

Vomiting



-emia
Blood

Pathology- related suffixes

-itis
Inflammation
-kinesia
Movement
-logy
Science
-lysis
Destruction
-malacia
Softening
-megaly
Enlargement
-oid
Resembling
-pathy
Disease

Pathology- related suffixes

-penia
Deficiency
-rrhea
Flow
-plegia
Paralysis
-rrhexis
Rupture
-ptosis
Fall
-phobia
Excessive fear
-ole
Diminutive form
-ule
Diminutive form

Pluralizing medical term

If singular form of term end in ------ , the plural is usually formed by changing to ------
Singular
Plural
Example
-a
-ae
Bursa  Bursae
-ex
-ices
Index  Indices
-is
-es
Testis  Testes
-on
-a
Criterion  Criteria
-um
-a
Ovum  Ova
-us
-i
Alveolus  Alveoli
-ma
-mata
Condyloma  Condylomata


Suffixes
Noun
-osis cyanosis
-ia anemia
-us mucus
-um ilium
-e condyle
-us carpus
-itis arthritis
-sis emesis
Adjective
-otic cyanotic
-ic anemic
-ous mucous
-ac iliac
-ar condylar
-al carpal
-itic arthritic
-tic emetic

Suffix - Noun

-ism = condition, state, of theory
-tion = condition
-ist = specialist
-er = one who
-ity = quality
Examples:
Hyperthyroidism, Darwinism, Mendelism
Contraction, relaxation
Psychiatrist
Radiographer
Sensitivity, conductivity

Suffixes - Adjective

-ous = possessing, having, full of
-able = ability
-ible = ability
Examples:
Nervous, mucous, serous
Injectable, inflatable
Edible, reducible

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