Presentation: Intro to Medical Terminology

Question 1

What is medical Terminology?

Answer 1

Medical terminology is the language of the medical profession. It is a language that requires consistent comprehension, definition, pronunciation, and spelling. Medical terms are made up of word roots combined with various prefixes and suffixes, all are which are understood throughout the medical community.

Question 2

Word Root Defined

Answer 2

A word root is the core part of a word. It is the foundation, or building block, of a medical term and the component to which prefixes and suffixes are attached.

Question 3

Rules to Remember

Answer 3

One of the most important rules to remember is that the meaning of the word root will not change, regardless of the prefixes and suffixes attached to it. When separated roots are written, they are joined by a accompanying commbining vowel. Look at the root cardio/o. The root itself is cardi and the combining vowel is o. As you will learn, the combining vowel helps with spelling and pronunciation.

Question 4

What They Tell Us In Medical Terminology

Answer 4

Medical terminology word roots will tell you one of three things; the body system refered to, the body part refered to, or the action to be performed.

Question 5

PREFIX

pre-

Answer 5

before, in front of

prefrontal - in front of the frontal bone

Question 6

PREFIX

pseudo-

Answer 6

false

pseudocyesis - false pregnancy

Question 7

PREFIX

retero-

Answer 7

backward, behind

retrograde - movement in a backward direction

Question 8

PREFIX

sub-

Answer 8

below, under

subcutaneous - under, below the skin

Question 9

PREFIX

super-

Answer 9

above, excess

supernumerary - above the normal number

Question 10

PREFIX

supra-

Answer 10

above

suprapublic - above the public bone

Question 11

PREFIX

tachy-

Answer 11

rapid, fast

tachycardia - fast heartbeat

Question 12

PREFIX

trans-

Answer 12

through, across

transurethral - across the urethra

Question 13

PREFIX

ultra-

Answer 13

beyond, excess

ultrasound - high frequency sound waves

Question 14

PREFIX

pan-

Answer 14

all

pancarditis - inflamation of all the heart

Question 15

PREFIX

para-

Answer 15

beside, beyond, near

paranasal - near or along the nose

Question 16

PREFIX

per-

Answer 16

through

percutaneous - through the skin

Question 17

PREFIX

peri-

Answer 17

around

pericardial - around the heart

Question 18

PREFIX

post-

Answer 18

after

postpartum - afterbirth

Question 19

inter-

Answer 19

among, between

intervertebral - between the vertebrae

Question 20

intra-

Answer 20

within, inside

intravenous - inside, within a vein

Question 21

macro-

Answer 21

large

macrocephalic - having a large head

Question 22

micro-

Answer 22

small

microcephalic - having a small head

Question 23

neo-

Answer 23

new

neonate - new born

Question 24

hetero-

Answer 24

different

heterograft - a graft from another person’s body

Question 25

homo-

Answer 25

same | homozygous - having two identical genes

Question 26

hyper-

Answer 26

over, above | hypertrophy - overdevelopment

Question 27

hypo-

Answer 27

under, below | hypoglossal - under the tongue

Question 28

infra-

Answer 28

under, beneath, below | infraorbital - below, under the eye socket

Question 29

brady-

Answer 29

slow | bradycardia - slow heart beat

Question 30

dys-

Answer 30

painful, difficult | dyspnea - difficult breathing

Question 31

endo-

Answer 31

within, inner | endoscope - instrument to view within

Question 32

epi-

Answer 32

upon, over | epigastric - upon or over the stomach

Question 33

eu-

Answer 33

normal, good | eupnea - normal breathing

Question 34

a-

Answer 34

without, away from | aphasia - without speech

Question 35

an-

Answer 35

without | anoxia - without oxygen

Question 36

ante-

Answer 36

before, in front of | antepartum - before birth

Question 37

anti-

Answer 37

against | antibiotic - against life

Question 38

auto-

Answer 38

self | autograft - a graft from one's own body

Question 39

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels albin/o | Combining Form ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 39

white

Question 40

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels bi/o | Combining Form ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 40

life

Question 41

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels cry/o | Combining Form ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 41

cold

Question 42

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels cutane/o | Combining Form ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 42

skin

Question 43

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels cyan/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 43

blue

Question 44

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels derm/o dermat/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 44

skin

Question 45

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels diaphor/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 45

profuse sweating

Question 46

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels electr/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 46

electricity

Question 47

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels ichthy/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 47

scaly

Question 48

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels kerat/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 48

hard

Question 49

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels lip/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 49

fat

Question 50

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels melan/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 50

black

Question 51

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels myc/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 51

fungus

Question 52

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels necr/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 52

death

Question 53

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels pil/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 53

hair

Question 54

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels py/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 54

pus

Question 55

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels rhytid/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 55

wrinkle

Question 56

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels seb/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 56

oil

Question 57

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels ungu/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 57

nail

Question 58

# Common Medical Root Words and Combining Vowels xer/o ## Footnote When root words and combining vowels appear together they are called a combining form. Study the common combining forms and their meanings.

Answer 58

dry

Question 59

Beginning - Prefix

Answer 59

The prefix begins a word

Question 60

Bridge - Combining Vowels

Answer 60

The combining vowel is a bridge that connects the root to the suffix. Note, that in this course, all roots show the appropriate combining vowel with a slash, which indicates that the vowel can be dropped as needed. For example; hem/o - blood - and bi/o - life.

Question 61

Ending - Suffix

Answer 61

The suffix ends the word

Question 62

Suffixes Defined

Answer 62

In general, a suffix attaches at the end of a word root - using a combining vowel if the suffix begins with a consonant - and modifies the word accordingly - turning the word root into a noun, adjective, or verb.

Question 63

Rules To Remember

Answer 63

Suffixes are written with a hyphen at the beginning to signify to the reader that they must connect to another word part - typically a word root. - Consider these examples - -algia -ism -itis

Question 64

What Suffixes Tell Us in Medical Terminology

Answer 64

In medical terminology, suffixes are; Symptomatic; Suffixes can refer to symptoms or evidence of an illness. For example, -algia refers to pain.

Question 65

What Suffixes Tell Us in Medical Terminology

Answer 65

Procedural; Suffixes can refer to surgical or operative procedures. For example, -ectomy refers to removal.

Question 66

What Suffixes Tell Us in Medical Terminology

Answer 66

Diagnostic; Suffixes can refer to the illnesses themselves. For example, -emia refers to the blood.

Question 67

# Common Medical Suffixes -algia

Answer 67

pain | gastralgia - stomach pain

Question 68

# Common Medical Suffixes -cele

Answer 68

hernia, protrusion | cystocele - protrusion of the bladder

Question 69

# Common Medical Suffixes -cise

Answer 69

cut | excise - to cut out

Question 70

# Common Medical Suffixes -cyte

Answer 70

cell | erythrcyte - red cell

Question 71

# Common Medical Suffixes -dynia

Answer 71

pain | cardiodynia - heart pain

Question 72

# Common Medical Suffixes -ectasis

Answer 72

dilation | bronchiectasis (dialated bronchi)

Question 73

# Common Medical Suffixes -gen

Answer 73

that which produces | mutagen (that which produces mutations

Question 74

# Common Medical Suffixes -genesis

Answer 74

produces, generates | osteogenesis

Question 75

# Common Medical Suffixes -genic

Answer 75

produces, produced by | carcinogenic (producing cancer)

Question 76

# Common Medical Suffixes -la

Answer 76

state, condition | hemiplegia (condition of being half paralyzed)

Question 77

-lasis

Answer 77

abnormal condition | lithiasis - abnormal condition of stones

Question 78

-ism

Answer 78

state of | hypothyroidism - state of low thyroid

Question 79

-itis

Answer 79

inflammation | cellulitis - inflamation of cells

Question 80

-logist

Answer 80

one who studies | cardiologist - one who studies the heart

Question 81

-logy

Answer 81

study of | cardiology - study of the heart

Question 82

-lysis

Answer 82

destruction | osteolysis - bone destruction

Question 83

-malacia

Answer 83

abnormal softening | chondromalacia - abnormal cartilage softening

Question 84

-megaly

Answer 84

enlargement, large | cardiomegaly - enlarged heart

Question 85

-oma

Answer 85

tumor, mass | carcinoma - cancerous tumor