terms Flashcards
(94 cards)
Word word
Word root-the foundation of the word.
a word root conveys the essential meaning of the word and frequently indicates a body part, organ, or organ system. Most terms have at least one word root, and some have more than one word root.
Prefix
Prefix-what occurs before the word root
A prefix is the part of a term that appears at the beginning of a word. It generally describes location and intensity.
A prefix gives the word root a specific meaning.
When a medical word contains a prefix, the meaning of the word is altered. For example, pnea is the word root for breathing. Adding the prefix a- (with-out), brady- (slow), or tachy- (rapid) to a word creates three very different terms.
• a/ pnea-without breathing
• brady/pnea slow breathing tachy/ pnea—rapid breathing
Suffix-what
Suffix-what occurs after the word root
Suffixes are placed at the end of words and usually indicate a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech.
Combining vowel—a
Combining vowel—a vowel that joins one or more word roots to other components of a term
Combining Vowels
A combining vowel is the part of a term that connects a word root to a suffix or another word root. In most cases, the combining vowel is an o; how-ever, it may also be an i or an e. A combining vowel is usually used when joining a suffix that begins with a consonant or when joining another word root.
phasia
speaking
dys
difficult or painful
phagia
eating or swallowing
dysphasia
difficulty speaking
dysphagia
difficulty eating or swallowing
ilium
The largest bone of the pelvis
ileum
last part of the small intestine
pnea
breathing
a
Without
brady
slow
tachy
rapid
apnea
Without breathing
bradypnea
Slow breathing
tachypnea
rapid breathing
cardi
heart
hepat
liver
nephr
kidney
neur
Nerves
psych
mind
thorac
chest
