Medical Terminology: Basic Word Structure Designed by xxxxxxxxx Click here to move to the next screen This tutorial has some nice use of audio, and the.

Medical Terminology: Basic Word Structure

Designed by xxxxxxxxx

Click here to move to the next screen

This tutorial has some nice use of audio, and the assessment is done well. The screen design is not so good, and the font is too large throughout. The use of cheesy clip art cost points. Overall it looks too much like a presentation.

Directions for Using This Tutorial

Use your mouse to click on the buttons at the bottom of each screen to perform the following actions: Move to the

next screen:

Move to the previous screen

Move to the first screen

Move to the last screen

Click on the underlined words in

red to hear their pronunciation

Try it!

epicardiumepicardium

tachycardiatachycardia

Let’s get started!

Click on the button below to move to the next screen!

Objectives

After completion of this tutorial, the learner will be able to: relate the study of medical terms to the study of a foreign

language list all the possible component parts of a medical term, including

the root, combining vowel, prefix, and suffix. build medical terms with a variety of component parts by following

the rules for forming and spelling medical terms. define medical terms by analyzing their component parts.

The Language of Medicine

Studying medical terminology is very similar to learning a new language. This is because most medical terms stem from Greek or Latin origins. Other languages, such as German and French, have also influenced medical terminology.

The Components of Medical Terms

Medical terms are like individual jigsaw puzzles. They are constructed from small pieces (prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes) that make each term unique.

Once you understand the basic medical term structure and how these components fit together, you will be able to “build” almost any medical term.

Start with the ROOT of the term

liplip which means “fat”

The root is the foundation of the medical term. All medical terms have one or more roots.

Examples of medical term roots are:

hemathemat which means “blood”

cardicardi which means “heart”

gastrgastr which means “stomach”

…Add the combining VOWEL

The combining vowel (usually o) is used to link the root to the suffix or the root to another root. The combining vowel has no meaning of its own. When a vowel is linked to a root, this combination is called a combining form.

lip + o = lipolip + o = lipo = the combining form of “fat”

When the suffix begins with a vowel, the combining vowel is dropped.

lip + lip + + oid + oid = lipoid (“resembling fat”)

…Now add the SUFFIX

The suffix is the term ending. All medical terms have a suffix.

––emiaemia which means “blood condition”

Examples of medical term suffixes are:

––itisitis which means “inflammation”

––logylogy which means “study of”

––icic which means “pertaining to”

…And sometimes a PREFIX

The prefix is a small part that is attached to the beginning of a term. Not all medical terms contain prefixes, but if present, the prefix can have an important influence on the meaning of the term.

hyper-hyper- which means “above or excessive”

Examples of medical term prefixes are:

peri-peri- which means “around or surrounding”

endo-endo- which means “within”

epi-epi- which means “upon, above, or beside”

Put all the pieces together and….

You’ve got a medical term!

Prefix + Root + Vowel + Suffix =

hemat o logy

epi gastr ic

cardi o pathy

peri cardi itis

lip oma

Medical Term

hematology hematology

epigastricepigastric

cardiopathycardiopathy

pericarditis pericarditis

lipomalipoma

Test Your Knowledge

Studying medical terminology is like learning a new ____

language

dance step

math skill

sport

a

b

c

d

Which of the following is not a medical term component?

root

suffix

consonant

combining vowel

a

b

c

d

Test Your Knowledge (again)

The ___ is the foundation of the medical term.

suffix

root

prefix

vowel

a

b

c

d

The root plus vowel combination is called the ___

prefix

suffix

medical term

combining form

a

b

c

d

Summary of Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms

a. A combining vowel is used to join root to root as well as root to any suffix beginning with a consonant:

electr + o + cardi + o + gram =

root + vowel + root + vowel + suffix

vasectomyvasectomy

(excision of a vessel)

b. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix that begins with a vowel:

vas + + ectomy =

root + no vowel + suffix beginning with a vowel

electrocardiogramelectrocardiogram

(electrical record of the heart)

Summary of Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms (continued)

c. If the root ends in a vowel and the suffix begins with the same vowel, drop the final vowel from the root and do not use a combining vowel:

cardi + + itis = root ending in i + no vowel + suffix beginning

with i

cardioesophageal cardioesophageal (pertaining to the heart and esophagus)

d. Usually, a combining vowel is inserted between two roots even when the second root begins with a vowel:

cardi + o + esophag + + eal = root ending with i + vowel + root beginning with e +

no vowel + suffix beginning with e

carditiscarditis

(inflammation of the heart)

Summary of Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms (continued)

e. Occasionally, when a prefix ends in a vowel and the root begins with a vowel, the final vowel is dropped from the prefix:

para + enter + al = prefix ending in a + root beginning with e + no

vowel + suffix beginning with a

parenteral parenteral (pertaining to alongside of the intestine)

Quiz: Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms

A ___ is not used before a suffix that begins with a vowel.

prefix

combining vowel

root

consonant

a

b

c

d

If the root ends in a vowel and the suffix begins with the same vowel, ___ the final vowel from the root

change

add

drop

double

a

b

c

d

Quiz 2: Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms

A combining vowel is almost always inserted between two ___

roots

prefixes

suffixes

combining forms

a

b

c

d

Occasionally, when a ___ ends in a vowel and the root begins with a vowel, the final vowel is dropped.

suffix

root

combining form

prefix

a

b

c

d

Defining Medical Terms

You can usually define a term by interpreting the suffix first, then the prefix (if present), then the succeeding root or roots. For example:

hyper

prefix

excessive

lip

root

fat

emia

suffix

blood condition

= hyperlipemiahyperlipemia

medical term

blood condition of excessive fat

You Gotta Have Heart…

The following are examples and definitions of the various medical terms that can be formed using the root “cardi” (heart):Root/Suffix

cardi/accardi/ac

heart/pertaining to

(pertaining to the heart)

Prefix/Root/Suffix

epi/cardi/umepi/cardi/um

upon/heart/tissue

(tissue upon the heart)

Combining Form/Suffix

cardi/o/logycardi/o/logy

heart/study of

(study of the heart)

Combining Form/ Combining Form/Suffix

electr/o/cardi/o/gramelectr/o/cardi/o/gram

electricity/heart/record

(electrical record of the heart)

Prefix/Prefix/Root/Suffix

sub/endo/cardi/alsub/endo/cardi/al

beneath/within/heart/ pertaining to

(pertaining to beneath and within the heart)

Prefix/Combining Form/Root/Suffix

peri/cardi/o/mediastin/itisperi/cardi/o/mediastin/itis

surrounding/heart/mediastinum/ inflammation

(inflammation of the area surrounding the heart and the mediastinum)

Medical Term/Definition Matching

See if you can pick the correct definition for the following terms:

the study of blood

pertaining to the interior of the abdomen

inflammation surrounding the heart

pertaining to the area above the stomach

pericarditis

epigastric

hematology

endoabdominal

How did you do?

Here are the correct term-definition matches:

pericarditis

epigastric

hematology

endoabdominal

inflammation surrounding the heart

pertaining to the area above the stomach

the study of blood

pertaining to the interior of the abdomen

Summary

The important components of medical terms are:

1. Root: foundation of the term

2. Suffix: word ending

3. Prefix: word beginning

4. Combining vowel: vowel that links the root to the suffix of the root to another root.

5. Combining form: combination of the root and the combining vowel.

Remember these three rules for forming and defining medical terms:

1. Read the meaning of medical terms from the suffix back to the beginning and then across.

2. Drop the combining vowel before a suffix beginning with a vowel (ex. gastritis, not gastroitis).

3. Keep the combining vowel between two roots (ex. gastroenterology).

End Show