MEDICAL

TERMINOLOGY
THE BASIS OF THE LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF MEDICINE

DR. FREDERICK PHILEMON P.

OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE
 Definition of Medical terminology
 •Importance of medical terminology
 •Medical word elements
 •Word roots
 •Combining forms
 •Suffixes
 •Prefixes
 •Basic rules
 •Defining medical words
 •Building medical words
 •Pronunciation Guidelines
 Definition of Medical terminology

 Medical terminology is a system of words

that are used to describe specific medical
aspects and diseases. It is based on standard
root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Or, it is a
language that is used to accurately describe
the human body and associated components,
conditions, processes and procedures in a
science-based manner.
 Definition continues
 The words – or terms – which make up the language of medicine are referred to as
the terminology of the medical field…known as medical terminology.
 •Like every other language, medical terminology has changed over time and will
continue to change.
 •Medical terminology has evolved in great measure from the Latin and Greek
languages.
 Other older roots have their origins in Arabic.
 Some modern roots are taken from the English Language. This reflects the pre-
eminence of the English language in medicine and biomedical sciences for the past
half century.
 Some words in modern medical terminology have been borrowed from biology.
Many of these are names of genus and species of pathogen
 Significance of Medical Terminology

 Simplify communication/break down the language barrier.

 Easy understanding(common language)
 They are specific terminologies, thus makes no need to use general
terminology
 Medical terminology is also employed when describing diseases or
procedures. As an example, review acute pancreatitis in the
posterior portion of the organ. The root (pancrea-) indicates the organ
of involvement, the pancreas. The suffix (-itis) indicates an
inflammation.
Medical Word Elements
Word Elements
 Suffixes: Surgical Procedures
 -centesis – to puncture/tap to draw fluid from
 -desis – surgical fixation, fusion
 -ectomy – excision, removal, cut out
 -pexy - fixation
 -plasty – surgical repair, correction
 -rrhaphy – suture
 -sect – to cut
 -stomy – forming a new opening
 -tome – instrument for cutting
 -tomy – incision into, cut into
 -tripsy – to crush, break down
 -puncture – to pierce a surface
 Suffixes: Diagnostic Procedure

 -assay – examine, analyze

 -gram – written record, recording
 -graph – instrument for recording
 -graphy – process of recording
 -grapher– The person recording
 -manometer – instrument for measuring pressure
 -manometry – process of measuring pressure
 -meter – instrument for measuring
 -metery – process of measuring
 -opsy – to view
 -scope - instrument for examining
 -scopy – process of examining, examination
 Three Rules of Word Building
 There are three important rules of word building:

■Rule 1: A word root links a suffix that begins with a
vowel.

■Rule 2: A combining form (root + o) links a suffix that
begins with a consonant.

■Rule 3: A combining form (root + o) links a root to
another root to form a compound word. (This
 rule holds true even if the next root begins with a
vowel.)
NOUN SUFFIXES
SUFFIXES THAT MEAN “CONDITION
OF”
SUFFIXES FOR MEDICAL
SPECIALIST
ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES
“PARTAINING TO” OR “RESEMBLING”
SUFFIXES THAT MEAN “RESEMBLING” OR “PARTAINING TO”
FORMING PLURAL NOUNS
PREFIXES
PREFIXES
PREFIXES
PREFIXES
PREFIXES
PREFIXES
PREFIXES FOR DIRECTION
PREFIXES FOR SIZE AND COMPARISM
 Common Prefixes
 A-
•
 Ab- away from midline
Homo- same, similar
 Ab- away from midline
 •Hyster- uterus
 •Acu- needle
 •Anti- against  •Men- menstruation
 •Auto- self  •Quadri- four
 •Bi- two, both, double  •Re- back, again
 •Dys- abnormal, bad, painful  •Super- above, beyond
 •Hemi- half  •Tri- three
 •Hetero- opposite, different
 Prefixes Continued

Hydro- fluid, water •Poly- many, much

 •Inter- between  •Post- after, behind
 •Intra- within  •Pro- before, in front of, forward
 •Iso- equal  •Retro- behind, backward
 •Mal- ill, bad  •Sub- under, below, beneath
 •Meta- after, beyond, change  •Supra- above, on the top side
 •Multi- many, more than one  •Tachy- fast
 •Neo- new or abnormal  •Trans- across, over
 Other Rules…

 To define medical terms, divide or slash them into their

component parts; these word components are called
prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
 Use the hyphen ( - ) after the word component to
indicate that it is a prefix; use it after the combining form
to indicate that it needs a suffix; use it before the word
component to indicate it is a suffix.
 For example: Epi-gastr/o/-cele
 Rules continued…

 Use the combining vowel “o” when a suffix begins with a

consonant. i.e Termin/o/logy
 Use the combining vowel “o” when combining two roots only if
the second root begins with a consonant. i.e. Pneum/o/thorax
 Do not use the combining vowel “o” if you are combining a
second root that begins with a vowel or a suffix that begins
with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y). i.e.
Pneum/arthr/osis
 Add –y to a word to indicate a procedure (gastroscopy) or –ly
to indicate an act or process (splenomegaly).
 Rules Continued…

 The suffix –osis always denotes a condition (usually

abnormal). When combined with the color roots
erythr/o- (red) and leuk/o- (white), it represents a
condition of abnormally increased blood cells.
 Most of the time, word components denoting color
are used as prefixes. However, sometimes they are
the root of the medical term.
 Body Systems

 BLOOD
 REPRODUCTIVE – FEMALE
 CARDIOVASCULAR
 REPRODUCTIVE – FEMALE
 ENDOCRINE
 REPRODUCTIVE – MALE
 GASTROINTESTINAL
 RESPIRATORY
 INTEGUMENTARY
 SENSES (5)
 LYMPHATIC/IMMUNE
 SKELETAL
 MUSCULAR
 URINARY
 NERVOUS
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1.) The WORD ELEMENTS of a medical terminology consist
of the following EXCEPT__________
A.) Word Root
B) Enteritis
C) Prefixes
D) Combining form
PRACTICE QUESTIONS

2) The word ERYTHROCYTOSIS is in what part/form

of speech?
A) Adjectival
B) Verbal
C) Noun
D) Adverb
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

3) All of the following are Numeric Prefixes for TWO EXCEPT
_____________
A) Bi-
B) Di-
C) Dipl/o
D) Tripl/o
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
4) The medical terminology OLIGOSPERMIA
means____________
A) High sperm count condition
B) Middle sperm count condition
C) Enlarged sperm condition
D) Little or low sperm count condition
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
 5) One of the following is not the significance of medical
terminology.
A) Easy understanding
B) Simplify communication
C) Break down the language barrier
D) Unify all communication terms
E) The basics of medical profession
 CONCLUSION
Medical terminology remains the basic
language of medicine. Hence, it is
highly recommended for anyone who
wishes to study medical courses or
medicine.
THANK YOU
REFERENCES

 Medical Terminology Simplified by Barbara A. Gylis ,

Regina M. Masters