Medical Terminology Foundation

Question 1

What are the two languages that medical terminology originated from

Answer 1

Greek and Latin

Question 2

What is Etymology

Answer 2

Etymology helps you find the origin and historical development of a term. You can use etymology to decipher words with Latin and Greek origins, eponyms (words named after people), and acronyms (modern language terms that stand for longer phrases).

Question 3

What are the three main word parts?

Answer 3

Roots/combining forms, prefixes and suffixes.

Question 4

What is a root

Answer 4

Roots are the glue that holds all medical terms together. They are the basic form around which the final word is formed.

Question 5

What is a combining form?

Answer 5

A combining form is a combining vowel (usually o or I) plus the root word, usually with a prefix or suffix added.

Question 6

What is a prefix

Answer 6

Prefixes appear at the beginning of a word and tell how, why, where, when, how much, how many, position, direction, time or status.

Question 7

What is a suffix?

Answer 7

The suffix always at the end of a word, usually indicates a procedure, a condition, or a disease.

Question 8

What is he difference between a prefix and a suffix.

Answer 8

While the prefix (start of the word) gives you a clue as to what to expect in a words meaning, the suffix tells you what is happening with a specific body part or system. And, usually, it either entails what is wrong with you out the procedure used to diagnose it