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Medical Terminology: Dr. Joel Gluck

The document outlines the basic elements of medical terminology including word roots, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes. It explains that medical terms are built using these elements, with word roots usually referring to body parts and suffixes and prefixes modifying the meaning. Understanding the meanings of the elements and rules for combining them allows one to determine the definitions of complex medical terms.

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81 views21 pages

Medical Terminology: Dr. Joel Gluck

The document outlines the basic elements of medical terminology including word roots, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes. It explains that medical terms are built using these elements, with word roots usually referring to body parts and suffixes and prefixes modifying the meaning. Understanding the meanings of the elements and rules for combining them allows one to determine the definitions of complex medical terms.

Uploaded by

henry
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Medical Terminology

Dr. Joel Gluck


Course Policies

 Attendance is MANDATORY.
 It will be extremely difficult to make up work
missed.
 You must bring your notebook, textbook, and
medical dictionary to each class.
 You are responsible for all notes given in
class. These notes are in addition to
anything in the textbook.
Basic Elements of a Medical Word

1. Word Root
2. Combining Form
3. Suffix
4. Prefix

These four parts of a word are known as


ELEMENTS.
Word Root

 Main part or foundation of a word.


 All words have at least one word root.
 A word root may be used alone or combined
with other elements to form a complete word.
IE: SPEAK (word root) + ER (suffix) =
SPEAKER (complete word)
 The word root usually refers to a body part.
 Some root words are derived from the Latin
or Greek language.
Word Root Examples

 “dent” means tooth


 “dermat” means skin
 “cardi” means heart
 “gastr” means stomach
 “pancreat” means pancreas
Combining Forms

 Correct pronunciation of medical words is


important.
 In order to make the pronunciation of word
roots easier, sometimes it is necessary to
insert a vowel after the root.
 The combination of a word root and a vowel
is known as a COMBINING FORM.
 Combining forms consist of a combining
vowel.
 The combining vowel is usually an “o”, but
others may be used.

IE: gastr / o pronounced GASTRO.

Word root Combining vowel


 When a word has more than one root, a
combining vowel is used to link the root to
each other.
Slashes separate elements

IE: osteoarthritis oste/ o / arthr/ itis

Word root suffix


Combining
Word root
vowel
Word-Building System

 By understanding the meanings of word


roots, one can determine the meaning of
complex medical terms by putting together
the smaller parts.
Leukocytopenia

Word Roots: Leuk / (white)


cyt / (cell)
Combining Vowel /o/
Suffix: / penia (decrease)
Suffixes

 A suffix is added to the END of a word root or


combining form to modify its meaning.

 By adding a suffix to the end of a word root,


we create a noun or adjective with a different
meaning.
 A combining vowel is used between a word root and
a suffix that begins with a consonant (not a vowel).
 This is to make pronunciation easier.

Word root: scler / (hardening)


Suffix: / derma (skin)

Term: Scler / o / derma (hardening of the skin)

Combining vowel
Meanings of certain suffixes

-al pertaining to dent/al


(pertaining to teeth)
-er one who speak/er
(one who speaks)
-able capable of being playable
(capable of being played)
-oma (tumor) hematoma
(blood tumor)

NOTE: The element that comes before a suffix


can either be a word root or combining form.
 The suffixes

-scope (instrument to view)


-rrhexis (rupture)
-rrhea (flow or discharge)

all begin with a consonant, therefore a combining


vowel must be used between the word root and the
suffix.
 The suffixes

-algia (pain)
-edema (swelling)
-uria (urine, urination)

These suffixes begin with a vowel, therefore a


combining vowel is NOT used between the word root
and the suffix.
REVIEW

 A combining vowel IS used to link one root to


another root, and before a suffix that begins
with a consonant.

 A combining vowel IS NOT used before a


suffix that begins with a vowel.
Prefixes
 A prefix is a syllable or syllables placed BEFORE a
word or word root to alter its meaning or create a
new word.

Some prefixes:
Hyper- (excessive)
Pre- (before)
Post- (after)
Homo- (same)
Hypo- (under)
Hypoinsulinemia

Hypo / insulin / emia


Notice that there is
no combining vowel
in this word because
the prefix ends with
Prefix suffix a vowel and the
Word root
suffix begins with a
LOW INSULIN BLOOD vowel.
Plurality

 To make a medical word plural (more than


one), first look at the suffix.
 Then, choose the rule that changes the
singular form to the plural form. The rules
appear on page 18 of the text.

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