MEDICAL MEDICAL

TERMINOLOGY TERMINOLOGY The Language of the Health The Language of the Health

ProfessionProfession

ORIGIN OF MEDICAL ORIGIN OF MEDICAL TERMSTERMS

Hippocrates was a Hippocrates was a Greek physician Greek physician

known as the known as the “father of “father of medicine.”medicine.”

75% of medical 75% of medical terms are based terms are based on either Greek or on either Greek or Latin words.Latin words.

ROOT WORDSROOT WORDS

A root is the A root is the foundation or basic foundation or basic meaning of a word.meaning of a word.

May appear with a May appear with a prefix or suffix, or prefix or suffix, or between a prefix or between a prefix or suffix.suffix.

There may be more There may be more than one root wordthan one root word

cardi = heartcardi = heart hepat = liverhepat = liver neur = nerveneur = nerve nephr = kidneynephr = kidney cyt = cellcyt = cell

PREFIXPREFIX

pre = beforepre = before peri = aroundperi = around hemi = halfhemi = half micro = smallmicro = small neo = neneo = neww

The prefix is a The prefix is a part of the part of the word that word that goes before goes before the word root the word root

It changes It changes the meaning the meaning of the wordof the word

Indicates Indicates location, location, time, or time, or numnumber.ber.

SUFFIXSUFFIX A suffix is A suffix is placed after the placed after the root word (at root word (at the end)the end)

It changes the It changes the meaning of the meaning of the wordword

Indicates a Indicates a procedure, procedure, condition, condition, disorder, or disorder, or diseasedisease

itis = inflammationitis = inflammation ology = the study ology = the study

ofof ectomy = surgical ectomy = surgical

removalremoval plasty = surgical plasty = surgical

repairrepair

CardiologyCardiology

cardi = heart = rootcardi = heart = root

ology = the study of =ology = the study of =

suffixsuffix

cardiology = the study cardiology = the study

of the heart.of the heart.

NephritisNephritis

nephr = kidney nephr = kidney = root= root

itis = itis = inflammation = inflammation = suffixsuffix

nephritis = nephritis = inflammation of inflammation of the kidneythe kidney

Determine the word parts and Determine the word parts and meaning of the following words:meaning of the following words:

pericarditispericarditis

leukocyteleukocyte

hepatitishepatitis

neuroplastyneuroplasty

pericarditispericarditis peri = around = prefixperi = around = prefix cardi = heart = root wordcardi = heart = root word itis = inflammation = suffixitis = inflammation = suffix pericarditis = inflammation around the pericarditis = inflammation around the

heartheart

leukocyteleukocyte

leuk = white = prefixleuk = white = prefix o = combining vowelo = combining vowel

cyte = cell = root wordcyte = cell = root word

leukocyte = white cellleukocyte = white cell

hepatitishepatitis hepat = liver = root wordhepat = liver = root word

itis = inflammation = suffixitis = inflammation = suffix

hepatitis = inflammation of the hepatitis = inflammation of the liverliver

neuroplastyneuroplasty neur/o = nerve or nerves = root wordneur/o = nerve or nerves = root word

o = combining vowelo = combining vowel

plasty = surgical repair = suffixplasty = surgical repair = suffix

neuroplasty = surgical repair of the neuroplasty = surgical repair of the nervenerve

Combining FormsCombining Forms

Basic Rules for using Basic Rules for using the the

Combining VowelCombining Vowel The combining vowel is not used when the The combining vowel is not used when the

suffix begins with a suffix begins with a vowelvowel. Example: neuro/. Example: neuro/iit t isis

neur/itisneur/itis

The combining vowel is used when the suffix The combining vowel is used when the suffix begins with a begins with a consonantconsonant. Example: . Example: neur/plastyneur/plasty

neur/o/neur/o/pplastylasty