3 types of medical terms
built from latin or greek part words, eponyms (based on a person's name), modern english words
Word roots
foundation,
... [Show More] gives essential meaning, frequently but not always refers to body structure, organs, system
Suffix
end of medical term. provides information about condition, diseases, surgical procedures, and diagnostic procedures
Provides information about condition, diseases, surgical and diagnostic procedures
Suffix
ALL medical terms must have
a suffix
when written by itself a hyphen is placed
before suffix
Found at beginning of medical term
Prefix
Provides information such as abnormal conditions, numbers, positions, and times.
Prefix
Prefix
Many medical terms don't have one
when written by itself the hyphen is placed after
prefix
combining vowel
almost always uses an "O"
Does not have any meaning simply used to connect together word parts, & to make terms easier to spell and pronounce
Combining vowel
Combining vowel
a root word and suffux. or two root words
Is NEVER placed between a prefix and word root
Combining vowel
If suffix begins with a vowel
a combining vowel is not necessary ex: arthritis
if suffix begins with a consonant
use a combining vowel ex: rhin-o-plasty
between root words use a _______ even if the second root begins with a vowel. ex: gastro-enter-o-logy
combining vowel
Combining form
is not one of the 3 word parts,
Combining form
combination of the root and the combining vowel, standard way to write word roots bc it's easier to pronounce ex: gastro
-algia
pain
ex: gastralgia (stomach pain)
-asthenia (his thin knee)
weakness ex: (myasthenia, muscle weakness)
-cele
protrusion ex: cystocele (protrusion of urinary bladder)
-dynia
pain ex: cardiodynia (heart pain)
-cytosis
abnormal cell condition (too many) ex: erythrocytosis (too many red cells)
-ectasis
dilated ex:(bronchiectasis dilated bronchi )
edema
swelling ex: lymphedema (lymphatic swelling)
-emesis
Vomiting ex: hematemesis (vomiting blood)
-emia
blood condition (ex. anemia)
-ia
state of, condition ex: pnemonia (lung condition)
-iasis
abnormal condition ex:Lithiasis (abnormal condition of stones)
-ism
state of, ex: hypothyroidism (state of inefficient thyroid hormones)
inflammation
ex: gastritis (inflammation of stomach)
lith
stone ex:cystolith (bladder stone)
-lysis
to destroy, ex:osteolysis (destroy bone)
-lytic
destruction ex:thrombolytic (clot destruction)
-malacia
abnormal softening ex: chondromalagia ex: (abnormal cartilage softening )
-megaly
enlarged ex: cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)
-oma
Tumor or mass ex: carcinoma (cancerous tumor)
-osis
abnormal condition ex: cyanosis (abnormal condition of blue skin)
-pathy
disease, ex: myopathy (muscle disease)
-penia
too few , cytopenia (too few cells)
Phobias
fear,
-plegia
paralysis, ex: paraplegia (paralysis of both lower extremities)
-ptosis
drooping, ex: proctopsis (drooping rectum)
-rrhage
excessive, abnormal flow ex: hemmorrhage (excessive bleeding)
-rrhagia
abnormal flow condition ex: menorrhagia (excessive menstrual flow condition)
rrhea
discharge, flow (ex. rhinorrhea- discharge from the nose)
-rrhexis
rupture ex: hysterorrhexis (rupture of uterus)
-sclerosis
hardening (ex. arteriosclerosis- hardening of the arteries)
-spasm
involuntary muscle contraction ex: bronchospasm involuntary contraction of bronchi muscles
stasis
stopping ex: hemostasis (stopping blood flow)
-stenosis
narrowing ex: angiostenosis (narrowing of a vessel)
-toxic
posion ex: cytotoxic (poisonous to cells)
-uria
urine condition ex: hematuria (blood in urine condition)
-clasia
surgical breaking ex: osteoclasia (surgical breaking of bone)
-desis
surgical fixation ex: arthrodesis (surgical fusing of joint)
-ectomy
surgical removal ex: gastrectomy (surgical removal of stomach)
-ostomy
surgically create an opening ex: colostomy (surgically create opening for colon {through abdominal wall}
-otomy
cutting into ex: thoracotomy (cutting into chest)
-pexy
surgical fixation
ex: nephropexy (surgical fixation of kidney)
plasty
surgical repair ex: dermatoplasty (surgical repair of skin)
rrhaphy
suture ex: myorrhaphy (suture together muscle)
tome
instrument to cut ex: dermatome (instrument to cut skin)
tripsy
surgical crushing ex: lithotripsy (surgical crushing of stone)
-centesis
surgical puncture to remove fluid ex: arthrocentesis (puncture to withdraw fluid from joint)
-gram
record or picture ex: electrocardiogram (record of hearts electrical activity)
graph
instrument for recording
-graphy
process of recording
manometer
instrument for measuring pressure ex: sphygmomanometer (instrument for measuring pulse{blood} pressure)
meter
instrument for measuring ex: audiometer (instrument to measure hearing)
metry
process of measuring ex: audiometry (process of measuring hearing)
-scope
instrument for viewing ex: gastroscope instrument to view stomach
scopy
process of visually examining
cle
small ex: vesicle (small sac [blister])
cysesis
pregnancy ex: salpingocysesis (uterine tube pregnancy)
cyte
cell ex: luekocyte (white blood cell)
derma
skin condition ex: luekoderma (white skin condition)
-dipsia
feeling sensation ex: anesthesia (without sensation)
-gen
that which produce ex: mutagen (that which produces mutations)
-genesis
produces, generates ex: osteogenesis (produces bone)
genic
producing ex: carcinogenic (producing cancer)
-globin
protein ex: hemoglobin (blood protein)
-globulin
protein ex: immunoglobulin (protective protein)
-gravida
pregnancy ex: multigravida (many pregnancies)
-kinesia
movement ex: bradykinesia ex: (slow movement)
oid
resembling ex: lipoid resembling fat
ole
small ex: arteriole (small artery)
opia
vision ex: diplopia (double vision)
-opsy
view of ex: biopsy (view of life)
-osmia
sense of smell ex: anosmia (no sense of smell)
oxia
oxygen
ex: anoxia (without oxygen)
-para
to bear (offspring)
-partum
childbirth
ex. postpartum (after childbirth)
-pepsia
digestion
ex: bradypepsia (slow digestion)
-phagia
eating, swallowing ex: dysphagia (diffuculty swallowing)
phasia
speech ex: aphasia (lack of speech)
-phil
attracted to ex:eosinophil (attracred to rosy [dye])
-phonia
voice ex: aphonia (without voice)
-plasia
formation of cells
plasm
formation
pnea
breathing
ex: apnea (lack of breathing)
poiesis
formation
ex: hematopoiesis (blood formation)
porosis
porous
ex: osteoporosis (porous bone)
ptysis
spitting up, coughing up ex: hemoptysis (spitting up blood)
-therapy
treatment
thorax
chest
trophic
development
trophy
development
ule
small
er
one who ex: radiographer
iatric
medical specialty ex: psychiatric
-iartist
physician
iatry
treatment, medicine
ician, ist
specialist
-logist
one who studies
logy
study of
Word Roots to Adjectives
usually indicates location
a-
without
an-
without
anti-
against
brady-
slow
de-
without
dys-
painful, difficult, abnormal
pachy-
thick
tachy-
fast
ante-
before, in front of
endo-
within, inner
epi-
above
ex-
outward
extra-
outside of
hypo
below
infra
below
inter
between
intra
within
para
beside
peri-
around
retro
behind
sub
beneath, under
supra
above
trans
across
bi
two
di
two
hemi
half
hyper
excessive
hypo
insufficient
micro
small
mono
one
multi
many
nulli
none
pan-
all [Show Less]