MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

dr. Siti Farida I.T. Santyowibowo, SpMMEU Univ. MataramMataram

The WORD PARTS Root word:

The basic meaning of the word, usually, but not always, indicate the involved part of the body

Suffix: Comes at the end of the word. Usually, but not

always, indicate procedure, condition, disorder, or disease

Prefix: Always comes at the beginning of the word.

Usually, but not always, indicate location, time, number, or status

WORD ROOTS

Indicating body parts: Myel/o (spinal cord) My/o (muscle) Oste/o (bone) Myel/o (bone marrow) Neur/o (nerve) Arthr/o (joint)

WORD ROOTS Indicating color

Cyan/o: blue Cyanosis= blue discoloration of the skin

(cyano=blue, -osis=condition Erythr/o: red

Erythrocyte= mature red cells (erythr/o= red, -cytes= cells)

Leuk/o: white Leukocytes = white blood cells (leuk/o= white, -

cytes= cells)

WORD ROOTS Melan/o: black

Melanosis = any condition of unusual deposits of black pigment (melan/o= black, -osis= condition)

Poli/o: gray Poliomyelitis = a viral infection of the

gray matter of the spinal cord (poli/o= gray, myel= spinal cord, -itis= inflammation)

Word Root Guidelines

A word root cannot stand alone Combining vowels apply when adding

suffixes to word root Prefixes are placed at the beginning

of the word, combining vowels are unnecessary

Word Root Guidelines Neur/o + plasty: combining vowel “o” =

Neuroplasty Neur/o + itis: combining vowel not used,

= Neuritis Gastr/o + enter/o = gastroenter… Gastr/o + enter/o + itis = gastroenteritis A prefix is added to the word root

without a combining vowel

SUFFIXES

Meaning “Pertaining to” Changes the word root into an

adjective Cardi cardiac

Examples -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal,- ical, -ial, -ic -ine, -ior, -ory, -ous, -tic Abdominal, pulmonary, brachial, colonic

SUFFIXES

Suffixes as noun endings Changes the root into a noun

Crani + -um = cranium Examples:

-a, -e, -um, -us, -y

SUFFIXES

Meaning abnormal condition/ disease

Gastr/o + osis = gastrosis Examples:

-ago, -esis, -ia, -iasis, -osis, -ion, -ism, - Lithiasis, diathesis, uremia, botulism

SUFFIXES

Suffixes related to pathology Pathology = the study of disease Examples:

-algia, -dynia, -itis, -malacia, -megaly, -necrosis, -sclerosis, -stenosis Cephalgia, acrodynia, gastritis,

keratomalacia, arterionecrosis, hepatomegaly, arteriosclerosis, arteriostenosis

SUFFIXES

Suffixes related to Procedures Examples:

-centesis, -ectomy. –graphy, -gram, -plasty,

-scopy Amniocentesis, thyroidectomy,

arteriography, arteriogram, labioplasty, endoscopy

SUFFIXES

“Double RRs” -rrhage/ -rrhagia: bursting forth -rrhaphy: to suture or stitch -rrhea: abnormal discharge or flow of

body fluids -rrhexis: rupture

PREFIXES A prefix is added to the beginning of a word

to change the meaning of that term Prefixes usually indicate location, time, or

number Example:

Natal = pertaining to birth Prenatal= the time and events before birth Perinatal= the time and events surrounding birth Postnatal= the time and events after birth

Contrasting and Confusing Prefixes

Ab-: “away from” Abnormal: not normal, away from normal

Ad-: “toward”, “in the direction of” Addiction: drawn toward or a strong dependence

on a drug of substance Dys-: “bad, difficult, painful”

Dysfunctional: an organ/ part not working properly

Eu-: “good, normal, well, easy” Euthyroid: a normally functioning thyroid gland

Contrasting and Confusing Prefixes Hyper-: “excessive or increase”

Hypertension: blood pressure that is higher than normal

Hypo-: “deficient or decreased” Hypotension: blood pressure that is lower than

normal Inter-: “between or among”

Interstitial: between, but not within parts of a tissue Intra-: “within or inside”

Intramuscular: within the muscle Sub-: “under, less, below”

Subcostal: below a rib or ribs Supra-: “above or excessive”

Supracostal: above or outside the ribs

Determining meanings on the basis of word parts

Otorhinolaryngology: Ear Nose Larynx Study of

Neurochorioretinitis: Nerve Choroid Retina Inflammation

SPELLING: forming plurals

-a -ae Bursa bursae

-ex/ -ix -ices Appendix appendices

-is -es Diagnosis diagnoses

-itis -ides Meningitis meningitides

-nx -ges Phalanx phalanges

-on -a Criterion criteria

-um -a Diverticulum diverticula

-us -i Alveolus alveoli

LOOK ALIKE, SOUND ALIKE TERMS AND WORD PARTS

Arteri/o, ather/o, athr/o Ileum, ilium Infection, inflammation Laceration, lesion Mucous, mucus Myc/o, myel/o, my/o -ologist, -ology -ostomy, -otomy

LOOK ALIKE, SOUND ALIKE TERMS AND WORD PARTS

Palpation, palpitation Prostate, prostrate Pyel/o, py/o, pyr/o Supination, suppuration Suturing, ligation Triage, trauma Viral, virile

Origin of Words

Latin Greek others

Root words

Body part Greek root Latin Root

Abdomen Lapar/o- Abdomin-

Blood Haemat-/hemat-/ haem-

Sangui-

Bone Oste/o Ossi-

Brain Encephal/o Cerebr/o

Eyelid Blepharo- Palpebr-

Kidney Nephro- Ren-

Nose Rhino- Nas-

Things to do

Look for more words and find their meanings

REFERENCE

Ehrlich, A.; Schroeder, C.L.; (2004) Introduction to Medical Terminology, Thomson - Delmar Learning, Canada