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Introduction to Medical Terminology


OBJECTIVES
In this chapter, you should learn to Identify and recognize the parts of a medical term Dene commonly used prexes, combining forms, and sufxes presented in this chapter Analyze and understand basic medical terms Recognize the importance of spelling medical terms correctly Practice pronunciation of medical terms Recognize the importance of medical dictionary use Practice medical dictionary use

INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY


Medical terms are used every day in medical ofces, newspapers, television, and conversational settings. Most of us are familiar with many medical terms; however, other medical terms seem complicated and foreign. Learning and understanding how medical terminology developed can help us understand these terms. Current medical vocabulary is based on terms of Greek and Latin origin, eponyms (words formed from a persons name), and modern language terms. The majority of medical terms are derived from word parts based on Greek and Latin words. Becoming familiar with these Greek and Latin terms and identifying word parts will enable one to learn common medical terms and to recognize unfamiliar medical terms by word analysis. Medical terminology may seem daunting at first because of the length of medical words and seemingly complex spelling rules, but once you learn the basic rules of breaking a word down into its constituents the words become easier to read and understand.

ANATOMY OF A MEDICAL TERM


Many medical terms are composed of word part combinations. Recognizing these word parts and their meanings simplies learning medical terminology. These word parts are
prex: word part found at the beginning of a word. Usually indicates number, location, time, or status. root: word part that gives the essential meaning of the word. combining vowel: single vowel, usually an o, that is added to the end of a root to make the word easier to pronounce. combining form: combination of the root and combining vowel. sufx: word part found at the end of a word. Usually indicates procedure, condition, disease, or disorder.

Understanding the meaning of the word parts allows one to dissect medical terms in a logical way. By breaking down unfamiliar terms into recognizable word parts, ones medical vocabulary can be greatly increased.

Chapter 1

TABLE 11

Contrasting Prexes
Without a prex the root traumatic means pertaining to injury. Without a prex the root uria means urination.
ab- (ahb) means away from. abduction means to take away from midline.

Without a prex the root emetic means pertaining to vomiting. dys- (dihs) means difcult, painful, or bad. dysphagia means difculty eating or swallowing.
endo- (ehn-d) means within or inside. o endocrine means to secrete internally. endo- means within or inside. endoparasite is an organism that lives within the body of

a a- (ah or ) means without or no. atraumatic means without injury. an- (ahn) means without or no. anuria means absence of urine. ad- (ahd) means toward. adduction means move toward the midline. anti- (ahn-t or ahn-tih) means against. antiemetics work against or prevent vomiting. eu- (yoo) means good, easy, or normal. euthyroid means having a normally functioning thyroid gland.
ex- (ehcks) or exo- (ehcks-) means without, out of, o

outside, or away from.


exocrine means to secrete externally (via a duct). ecto- (ehck-t) means outside. o ectoparasite is an organism that lives on the outer surface

the host.
hyper- (h-pr) means elevated or more than normal. hyperglycemia means elevated amounts of blood

of the host.
hypo- (h-p) means depressed or less than normal. o hypoglycemia means depressed amounts of blood

glucose.
inter- (ihn-tr) means between. intercostal means between the ribs. poly- (pohl-) means many. e polyuria means elevated amount or frequency of

glucose.
intra- (ihn-trah) means within. intramuscular means within the muscle. oligo- (ohl-ih-g) means scant or little. o oliguria means depressed amount or frequency of

urination.
pre- (pr) means before. e preanesthetic means pertaining to before anesthesia. sub- (suhb) means below, under, or less. sublingual means under the tongue.

urination.
post- (pst) means after. o postanesthetic means pertaining to after anesthesia. super- (soo-pr) and supra- (soo-prah) mean above,

beyond, or excessive.
supernumerary means more than the regular number. suprascapular means above the shoulder blade.

Prexes are added to the beginning of a word or root to modify its meaning. For example, the term operative can be modied using various prexes. The prex pre- means before. Preoperative means before or preceding an operation. The prex peri- (pehr-e) means around. Perioperative means pertaining to the period around an operation or the period before, during, and after an operation. The prex post- means after. Postoperative means after an operation. Many prexes have another prex whose meaning is opposite of its own. Initially, when learning prexes it is helpful to learn them in these pairs or in similar groups (Table 11 and Figure 11).

Pe

r
Inter Trans Intra Extra

Infra

Sub, hypo

FIGURE 11 Directional prexes

Combining Vowels
A combining vowel sometimes is used to make the medical term easier to pronounce. The combining vowel is used when the sufx begins with a consonant,

as in the sufx -scope. An arthroscope is an instrument to visually examine the joint. Because the sufx -scope begins with a consonant, the combining vowel o is used. O is the most commonly used combining vowel; however, i and e may be used as well. A combining vowel is not used when the sufx begins with a vowel, as in the sufx -itis. Gastritis is inammation of the stomach. Because the sufx -itis begins with a vowel, the combining vowel o is not used. A

Prexes

Ultra, super, supra hyper

Epi

et

Introduction to Medical Terminology TABLE 1-2

Directional Prexes and Their Meanings


Prex epi extra hyper hypo infra inter intra meta per sub super supra trans ultra Pronunciation (eh-p) e (ehcks-trah) (hi-pr) (h-p) o (ihn-frah) (ihn-tr) (ihn-trah) (meht-ah) (pr) (suhb) (soo-pr) (soo-prah) (trahnz) (uhl-trah) Denition upper outside above, increased, or more than normal below, under, or decreased below or beneath between within beyond throughout below, under, or decreased above, increased, or more than normal above, increased, or more than normal across above, increased, or more than normal

The sufx -ectomy means surgical removal or excision. Gastrectomy is surgical removal of the stomach. Many sufxes can be grouped together by meaning or by the category they modify. Initially, when learning sufxes it is easiest if the learner groups them by meaning or category.
PERTAINING TO SUFFIXES

combining vowel is always used when two or more root words are joined. For example, when gastr/o (stomach) is joined with enter/o (small intestine) the combining vowel is used with gastr/o, as in the term gastroenteritis. A combining vowel is not used between a prex and the root word.

-ac (ahck), as in cardiac (pertaining to the heart) -al (ahl), as in renal (pertaining to the kidney) -an (ahn), as in ovarian (pertaining to the ovary) -ar (ahr), as in lumbar (pertaining to the loin) -ary (ahr-), as in alimentary (pertaining to the gase trointestinal tract) -eal (-ahl), as in laryngeal (pertaining to the lare ynx) -ic (ihck), as in enteric (pertaining to the intestines) -ine (ihn), as in uterine (pertaining to the uterus) -ous (uhs), as in cutaneous (pertaining to the skin) -tic (tihck), as in nephrotic (pertaining to the kidneys)
SURGICAL SUFFIXES

Combining Forms
A word root plus a vowel is the combining form. Combining forms usually describe a part of the body. New words are created when combining forms are added to prexes, other combining forms, and sufxes. For example, the term panleukopenia is composed of the word parts
pan- (pahn), a prex meaning all leuk/o (loo-k), a combining form meaning white o -penia (p-n-ah), a sufx meaning deciency or e e reduction in number Panleukopenia is a deciency of all types of white blood cells.

-ectomy (ehck-t-m) surgical removal, as in o e mastectomy, surgical removal of the breast or mammary glands -pexy (pehck-s) suture to stabilize, as in e gastropexy, surgically stabilizing the stomach to the abdominal wall -plasty (plahs-t) surgical repair, as in rhinoe plasty, surgical repair of the nose -stomy (st-m) surgically created opening, as in o e colostomy, a surgically created opening between the colon and body surface -tomy (t-m) cutting into, as in laparotomy, an o e incision into the abdomen
PROCEDURAL SUFFIXES

Sufxes
Sufxes are attached to the end of a word part to modify its meaning. For example, the combining form gastr/o means stomach and can be modied using various sufxes. The sufx -tomy means cutting into or incision. Gastrotomy is incision into the stomach. The sufx -stomy means a surgically created opening. Gastrostomy is a surgically created opening between the stomach and the body surface.

-centesis (sehn-t-sihs) surgical puncture to ree move uid or gas (either for diagnosis or to remove excess uid or gas), as in cystocentesis, a surgical puncture of the urinary bladder with a needle to remove uid (urine) -gram (grahm) record of, as in electrocardiogram, the electrocardiographic hard copy record -graph (grahf) instrument that records (or used as record), as in electrocardiograph, the machine that records the electrical activity of the heart -graphy (grahf-) procedure that records, as in e electrocardiography, the procedure used to record the electrical activity of the heart -lysis (l-sihs) separation or breakdown, as in

Chapter 1

urinalysis, separation of the urine into its constituents -scope (skp) instrument to visually examine, as o in endoscope, an instrument used to visually examine inside the body -scopy (skp-) procedure to visually examine, as o e in endoscopy, the procedure of visually examining inside the body -therapy (thehr-ah-p) treatment, as in chemoe therapy, treatment with chemical substances or drugs
DOUBLE R SUFFIXES

Noun cyanosis anemia mucus ilium condyle carpus

Suffix -osis -emia -us -um -e -us

Adjective cyanotic anemic mucous iliac condylar carpal

Suffix -tic -ic -ous -ac -ar -al

FIGURE 12 Sufx variation depending on usage

-rrhagia or -rrhage (r-j-ah or rihdj) bursting a e forth, as in hemorrhage, bursting forth of blood from the vessels -rrhaphy (rahf-) to suture, as in enterorrhaphy, e suturing of the intestines -rrhea (r-ah) ow, discharge, as in diarrhea, e complete discharge of the bowels -rrhexis (rehck-sihs) rupture, as in myorrhexis, rupture of the muscle

Sufxes may change the part of speech of a word. Different sufxes may change the word from a noun (naming people, places, or things) to an adjective (descriptor) (Figure 1-2). Examples of this include
cyanosis is a noun meaning condition of blue discoloration, whereas cyanotic is an adjective meaning pertaining to blue discoloration anemia is a noun meaning a blood condition of decient red blood cells or hemoglobin, whereas anemic is an adjective meaning pertaining to a blood condition of decient red blood cells or hemoglobin mucus is a noun meaning a slime-like substance that is composed of glandular secretion, salts, cells, and leukocytes, whereas mucous is an adjective meaning pertaining to mucus ilium is a noun meaning a part of the hip, whereas iliac is an adjective pertaining to the hip condyle is a noun meaning a rounded projection on a bone, whereas condylar is an adjective meaning pertaining to a rounded projection on a bone carpus is a noun meaning the joint between the radius and ulna and metacarpal bones, whereas carpal is an adjective meaning pertaining to the joint between the radius and ulna and metacarpal bones

What is the difference between human and veterinary medical terminology? Most times, the medical terms used in human medical settings are identical to the ones used in veterinary medical settings. The greater number of species in veterinary medicine and the addition of terms used in animal production greatly expand the vocabulary of veterinary professionals. Species-specic anatomical differences also inuence the terms used in a specic area. Do you know where the calf muscle is located on a person? Where is the calf muscle in a calf?

CONDITIONAL SUFFIXES

-algia and -dynia (ahl-j-ah or dihn--ah) pain, e e as in arthralgia and arthrodynia, or joint pain -itis (-tihs) inammation, as in hepatitis, in ammation of the liver -malacia (mah-l-sh-ah) abnormal softening, as a e in osteomalacia, abnormal softening of bone -megaly (mehg-ah-l) enlargement, as in care diomegaly, enlargement of the heart -osis (-sihs) abnormal condition, as in cardioo sis, an abnormal condition of the heart -pathy (pahth-) disease, as in enteropathy, dise ease of the intestines -sclerosis (skleh-r-sihs) abnormal hardening, as in o arteriosclerosis, abnormal hardening of the arteries -um (uhm) structure, as in pericardium, the structure surrounding the heart

ANALYZING MEDICAL TERMS


Medical terminology can be more easily understood if the following objectives are adhered to:

Dissect: First analyze the word structurally by dividing it into its basic components. Begin at the end: After dividing the word into its basic parts, dene the sufx rst, the prex second, and then the roots. If there are two roots, divide each and read them from left to right. Anatomical order: Where body systems are involved, the words usually are built in the order in

Introduction to Medical Terminology

which the organs occur in the body. For example, gastroenteritis is the proper term for inammation of the stomach and small intestine. Because food passes from the stomach into the small intestine, the medical term for stomach appears before the medical term for small intestine. The order of word parts in a medical term may also represent the order of blood ow through organs. The exception to this involves some diagnostic procedures in which tools or substances are passed retrograde or in the opposite direction of anatomic order. In these cases the words are built in the order in which the equipment passes the body part. Using these guidelines, analyze the term ovariohysterectomy. First divide the term into its basic components: ovari/o/hyster/ectomy. Dening from back to front, the sufx -ectomy is surgical removal, one combining form ovari/o means ovary, and the other combining form hysteri/o means uterus. Together the term ovariohysterectomy means surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus. This term is based on the order in which the ovaries and uterus are found in the body.

and transport it to the urinary bladder. Medical terms may be pronounced the same but have different meanings, so spelling is important. For example, ileum and ilium are pronounced the same. However, ileum is the distal part of the small intestine (e enter/o or e eating), whereas ilium is part of the pelvic bone (pelvic has i in it). Some medical terms actually have the same spelling as terms used for other body parts. For example, the combining form myel/o represents the spinal cord and bone marrow (it originates from the term meaning white substance). Other terms have different spellings depending on how the term is used grammatically. For example, when used as a noun mucus (the slimy stuff secreted from mucous membranes) is spelled differently than when it is used as an adjective (as in mucous membrane). When you are looking a medical term up in the dictionary, spelling plays an important role.
TABLE 13

Pronunciation of Guide
Vowel Sound

WHAT DID YOU SAY?


Proper pronunciation of medical terms takes time and practice. Listening to how words are pronounced by medical professionals and using medical dictionaries and textbooks are the best ways to learn pronunciation. There will be individual variations in geographic location or personal preference. Medical dictionaries also vary in how they present pronunciation of medical terms. Some sources mark the syllable receiving the greatest emphasis with a primary accent ( ) and the syllable receiving the second most emphasis with a secondary accent ( ). Other sources boldface and capitalize the syllable receiving the most emphasis, and other sources do not emphasize syllables. Consult with your reference before pronouncing the word.

a at the end of a word ae followed by r or s i at the end of a word oe oi eu ei ai au

ah ah eh oy u ay aw

Example idea aerobic bronchi oestrogen (old English form) sarcoid euthanasia Einstein air auditory

Exceptions to Consonant Pronunciations

Consonant

General Pronunciation Guidelines


Vowels can either be short or long (Table 13). Consonants are generally pronounced as in other English words.

DOES SPELLING COUNT?


Be aware of spelling when using medical terminology. Changing one or two letters can change the meaning of a word. Hepatoma is a liver mass, whereas hematoma is a mass or collection of blood. The urethra takes urine from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body, whereas ureters collect urine from the kidney

Sound s k j g s n k rst c k, second c s ch at beginning of word k cn in middle of word both c (pronounce k) and n (pronounce ehn) mn in middle of word both m and n pt at beginning of word t pt in middle of word both p and t rh r x at beginning of word z

Example

c before e, i, and y c before a, o, and u g before e, i, and y g before a, o, and u ps at beginning of word pn at beginning of word c at end of word cc followed by i or y

cecum cancer genetic gall psychology pneumonia anemic accident chemistry gastrocnemius

amnesia pterodactyl optical rhinoceros xylophone

Chapter 1

However, the term may not be spelled the way it sounds. The following guidelines can be used to nd a word in the dictionary: If it sounds like f, it may begin with f or ph. If it sounds like j, it may begin with g or j.

If it sounds like k, it may begin with c, ch, k, or qu. If it sounds like s, it may begin with c, ps, or s. If it sounds like z, it may begin with x or z.

REVIEW EXERCISES
Matching: Match the word parts in Column I with the denition in Column II.
Column I Column II

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

-itis -gram post-tomy pre-centesis -therapy dysperiren/o hepat/o -megaly -ectomy

a. incision or cutting into b. before c. surgical puncture to remove uid d. difcult, painful, or bad e. enlargement f. excision or surgical removal g. liver h. kidney i. inammation j. l. record treatment k. after m. around

Write the medical term that represents the following denitions.


1. Pertaining to the stomach 2. Inammation of the liver 3. Abnormal softening of bone 4. Joint pain 5. Procedure to visually examine inside the body 6. Heart enlargement 7. Pertaining to the kidney 8. Bursting forth of blood from vessels 9. Suturing of stomach to body wall 10. Treatment with chemicals or drugs

Multiple Choice: Choose the correct answer.


1. The prex a. b. c. d. adabexendomeans instrument to visually means away from midline. 3. The prex x a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. means elevated, while the premeans depressed.

2. The sufx examine. a. b. c. d. -ectomy -scope -scopy -graphy

pre-, postendo-, exohyper-, hypointer-, intrameans pertaining to. -al -ary or -ar -ic all of the above

4. The sufx

Introduction to Medical Terminology

5. The sufx a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. -ex -tomy -ectomy -graphy

means incision.

13. An instrument to visually examine may have which sufx in its term? a. b. c. d. lysis scope rrhexis scopy

6. The sufx -osis -rrhea -rrhagia -uria

means abnormal condition.

14. Which type of word part is always placed at the end of a term? a. b. c. d. combining form prex sufx root

7. The sufx into parts. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. -gram -pexy -um -lysis

means separation or breaking

15. Which type of word part is always placed at the beginning of a term? a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. combining form prex sufx root combining form prex sufx root inter- means between sub- means below, under, or less an- means without or no ad- means away from -rrhage -rrhaphy -rrhea -rrhexis hyperhypoperisupra-

8. The prex suprasuperintersub-

means below.

16. Which word part gives the essential meaning of a term?

9. The prex(es) oliga-, anpolyeu-

means many.

17. Which word association is incorrect?

10. The prex(es) a-, anoligdyshyperpain excessive liver abnormal condition after around before during

means without or no.

18. Which sufx means to rupture?

11. The sufx -algia means

19. Which prex means around?

12. The prex pre- means

20. In the term panleukopenia, the o between the leuk and penia is called a. b. c. d. a combining form a sufx a combining vowel a root

Word Part Identication: Underline the word root(s) in the following terms.
1. hepat/itis 2. gastr/o/intestin/al 3. cardi/o/logy 4. intra/ven/ous 5. nephr/osis

Chapter 1

Underline the sufx in the following terms.


6. hepat/itis 7. gastr/o/intestin/al 8. cardi/o/logy 9. intra/ven/ous 10. nephr/osis

Case Study: Fill in the blanks to complete the case history.


A 5-yr-old M, neutered cat is presented to a veterinary clinic with is palpated and (painful urination) and (an enlarged urinary bladder) (the tube (scant urine production). Upon examination the abdomen is noted. After completing the examination, the veterinarian suspects an obstruction of the that carries urine from the urinary bladder to outside the body). Blood is taken for analysis, and the cat is admitted to the clinic. The cat is anesthetized, and a urinary catheter is passed. Urine is collected for the cat is treated for urinary bladder). In this case study, the meanings of some unfamiliar medical terms (underlined) cannot be understood by breaking up the term into its basic components. Using a dictionary or dictionary Web site, dene the following medical terms 1. palpated 2. obstruction 3. catheter (breakdown of (inammation of the urine into its components). In addition to the obstruction,

Underline the prex in the following terms.


11. hyper/secretion 12. peri/card/itis 13. endo/cardi/um 14. poly/uria 15. ur/o/lith

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