Dr Rakesh Calton MD

Main Objective:Learn Medical Terminology

New students to Medical Terminology often bewildered by strange spelling and pronunciation.

Approximately 75% of Medical Terms are based on either Greek or Latin

The Layman’s Medical Terms…

Enema Not a friendArtery Study of paintingG.I. Series Army baseballImpotent Distinguished, well

known

Terminal Illness Airport sicknessVaricose NearbySeizure Roman EmperorOutpatient Person who has

fainted

Medical Terminology

Mispronunciations

Barium - What you do when CPR fails.Benign - What you are after you be

eight.Coma - A punctuation mark.Morbid - A higher offer. Urine - opposite of you’re out.Tablet - A small table.

A study of physiological systems approach to provide principles of medical word building. Provides medical vocabulary including anatomy, physiology, systems, diagnostic testing and pharmacology. This course is appropriate for health science students such as nursing, dental hygiene, paramedics, and physical therapy assisting; as well as medical transcriptionist students.

Course ObjectivesApply basic principles of medical word

building.Correctly pronounce medical terms.Define common medical terms.Relate common medical terms to human

anatomy and physiology; common disease states, pharmacological categories and diagnostic tests.

Identify the medical terminology in medical record reports.

A Busy Course!Are you feeling

like a lot of information is about to come your way?

The answer is

YES.

Look Up Unfamiliar Terms

5 Ways to LearnSayingHearingSeeingWritingThinking

Synopsis:The Word-Building System – Introduction to Word Parts Including Word Roots, Suffixes, Prefixes, Parts of Speech, Plural Formation

Word-building SystemBuilding thousands of words by using a few

word parts

There are exceptions also

Word Roots (WR)Usually derived form Greek or Latin Frequently indicates a body partMost medical terms have one or more

word roots

Examples of Word RoodsGreek Word Word Root

Kardia (heart) Cardi

Gaster (stomach) Gastr

Hepar (liver) Hepat

Nephros (kidney) Nephr

Osteon (bone) oste

Word RootThe foundation of a word.Port

Trans/port, ex/port, sup/portFix

Suf/fix, pre/fix, af/fixGastr

Gastr/itis, Gastr/ectomy, gastr/ic

Combining Forms (CF)

Combining Form (CF) is a Word Root (WR) plus a vowel, usually an “o”

Usually indicates a body part

Combining VowelAdding a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, or y) to a word root

to create a combining form allows 2 or more word roots to be joined to form a compound word. It also allows a word root to be joined with a suffix (word ending) to form a word. Vowel makes the term easier to pronounce.Examples: Cyt/o/meter, micr/o/scope, micr/o/film,

micr/o/be, neur/o/spasm, therm/o/meter, micr/o/surgery

Combining FormWord root + vowel = Combining formMicr/ o = Micr/o Word root Combining vowel combining form

Gastr/o, therm/o, micr/oCombining vowel = (a, e, i, o, u, or y)

Gastr/ o/ duoden/ -ostomy Word root combining vowel word root suffix

Combining Forms ExamplesCardi/ + o = cardi/o heartgastr/ + o = gastr/o stomachhepat/ + o = hepat/o livernephr/ + o = nephr/o kidneyoste/ + o = oste/o bone

Combining form (word root + vowel) is usually used to join a word root to a suffix or other root that begins with a consonant.

Combining form + Suffix = Compound WordGastr/o duoden/o -scopy =

Gastroduodenoscopy combining form combining form suffix compound

word

A word root, not a combining form, is used to join a word root with a suffix or another word root that begins with a vowel.

Word root + Suffix = WordDermat + itis = Dermatitis word root suffix word

Compound WordCompound words can be formed when 2 or

more word roots are used to build the word. Sometimes word roots are words.

Word root + word root = Compound wordChicken + Pox = Chickenpox Word root word root compound word

Examples: underage, shorthand, download, brainstem

Compound WordCompound word can also be formed from a

combining form and a whole word.Therm/o + meter = Therm/o/meter Combining form word compound

word

Compound WordMicr/o + scopeMicr/o + surgeryMicr/o + meter

Hydr/o + phobiaHydr/o + celeHydr/o + therapy

MicroscopeMicrosurgeryMicrometer

HydrophobiaHydroceleHydrotherapy

SuffixSuffix is an ending that follows a word root.May be in a noun form or an adjective formCombining form + Word root + Suffix =

Compound wordMicr/o + scop + -ic Combining form word root suffix

Examples: therm/o/metr/ic, electr/o/stat/ic, hydr/o/chlor/ic

SuffixWord root + Suffix = Noun

Anem -ia AnemiaWord root + Suffix = Adjective

Anem -ic AnemicSuffix may change the part of the speech

between a noun and an adjective

SuffixNoun-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

Verbs are words that represent action or a state of being.

The suffixes –ed or –ing added to the word alter the tense of this verb.Past tense: Vomited, InjectedPresent Participle: Vomiting, Injecting

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

Suffix - Adjective

-ous = possessing, having, full of

-able = ability-ible = ability

Examples:• Nervous, mucous,

serous• Injectable, inflatable• Edible, reducible

Suffix: Singular vs. PluralGreekSingular Suffixeso -on

o Spermatozoon, ganglion

o -mao Carcinoma, lipoma

o -siso Crisis, prognosis

o -nxo Larynx, pharynx

Plural Suffixeso -a

o Spermatozoa, gangliao -mata

o Carcinomata, lipomata

o -seso Crises, prognoses

o -geso Larynges, pharynges

Suffix: Singular vs. PluralLatinSingular Suffixes-a

Vertebra, conjunctiva-us

Bacillus, bronchus-um

Bacterium, ilium-is

Testis

Plural Suffixes-ae

Vertebrae, conjunctivae

-iBacilli, bronchi

-aBacteria, ilia

-esTestes

Suffix: Singular vs. PluralLatinSingular Suffixes-ex

cortex-ix

Appendix-ax

thorax

Plural Suffixes-ices

cortices-ices

appendices-aces

thoraces

Practice…Singular:SarcomaDiagnosisPhalanxCoccusCalcaneumVertexCervixthorax

Plural:SarcomataDiagnosesPhalangesCocciCalcaneaVerticesCervicesthoraces

PrefixPrefix is a word part that goes in front of a

word root, changing the meaning of the word.

PrefixEx- + tension = ExtensionEx- + press = ExpressDis- + please = DispleaseDis- + ease = DiseaseIm- + plant = ImplantSup- + plant = SupplantTrans- + plant = Transplant

Acr/o = Extremities

Acr/o = extremities (arms and legs)Acr = word rootO = vowelAcr/o = combining form

Acr/o/paralysis: Paralysis of extremitiesAcr/o/cyan/osis: Condition of blue

extremitiesAcr/o/dermat/itis: Inflammation of skin of

the extremities, like red inflamed hands

Megal/o = Enlarged, Large-megaly = Suffix for “enlarged”Acr/o/megaly: Enlargement of the extremitiesAcromegalic Gigantism = A specific disorder

of the body with enlargement of the bones of the hands, feet, and head.

-y = Suffix that means “the process or condition”. Makes a word a noun.

Dermat/o = Skin-logy = (noun) Study of-logist = (noun) One who studies-logos = Greek for studyDermat/o/logist: The person who specializes

in diseases of the skinDermat/o/logy: The study of skinEti/o/logy: Study of the origin of disease

-itis = InflammationDermat/itis: Inflammation of the skin

i.e. Contact (allergic reaction) dermatitis, or due to infection, inflammation, trauma

Acr/o/dermat/itis: Inflammation of the skin of the extremities

-osis = Condition, Status, ProcessDermat/osis: Any skin condition. (abnormal

condition). (noun)Cyan/osis: Condition of blueness

Cyan/o = Blue, BluenessCyan/osis: (noun) Condition of bluenessCyan/otic: (adj.) Pertaining to a condition of

blueness-tic = adjective suffix for “pertaining to”

Acr/o/cyan/osis: Blueness of the extremitiesCyan/o/derma: Bluish discoloration of the

skin

Basic Rule One A WR (word root) is used before a suffix that

begins with a vowel.Scler/ + osis = sclerosis

Basic Rule TwoA combining vowel is used to link a WR to a

suffix that begins with a consonant and to link a WR to another WR to form a compound wordcolon/o + scope = colonscopeosteo/ o/ chondr/ itis = osteochondritis

Defining Medical WordsFirst, define the suffix or endingSecond, define the prefix, or beginningThird, define the middle

Pronunciation GuidelinesAe and oec and ge and eschIpnps