Chapters 1-3 The Foundation of Medical Words

1
Introduction
2
Basics

• Most medical words are comprised of 3 sections
• Root
• Prefix
• Suffix
• To define a medical word you must
• Divide the word into its sections
• Analyze each section

3
1. Prefix

• A prefix is the word Element placed at beginning
  of word root that changes its meaning
• Normally deals with size, number, time, or
  direction
• Medical 1) Poly
• Many- Polyuria
• Medical 2) Hyper
• High, above, excessive- hyperthyroidism
• Medical 3) Sub
• Below, under- sublingual gland

4
2. Word Root

• The word root is the heart or meaning of a word
• Medical speech
• gastrostomach (gastritis, gastroma, gastric)
• osteobone (osteoma osteomegaly)

5
3. Suffix

• The suffix is the word element at end of word
  after the root that changes the meaning of the
  word
• Usually describes a pathology (i.e. disease)
• Medical English itis
• Inflammation
• Medical ectomy
• Removal
• Medical oma
• Tumor/Cancer
• Medical ia
• Condition

6
Origins of Medical Words

• The Ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to
  dissect and name the parts of the body.
• The Romans spoke Latin.
• After the fall of Rome, Latin continued to be the
  language of the educated until the modern time.
• For this reason, much of our medical terms
  originate from Latin.
• General Rule
• Most diseases come from the Greek language
• pneumonia, encephalitis, hepatitis,
• Most anatomy comes from the Latin language
• Vertebrae, Oral, Abdomen, Larynx

7
Roots (Most roots have an o to connect it to
suffix, but not always.)

• Liver Hepato
• Heart Cardio
• Brain Encephalo
• Bone Osteo
• Mouth Oro
• Ear Oto
• Throat Pharyngo
• Vein Phlebo
• Kidney Nephro Reno
• Blood Hemo
• Skull Cranio
• Uterus/Womb Hysto
• Ovaries Oophoro
• Bladder Cysto
• Gall bladder Cholecysto
• Fallopian Tubes Salpingo
• Rib Costo

• Stomach Gastro
• Chest Thoraco
• Lung Pulmano Pneumo
• Intestines Entero
• Arm Brachio
• Armpit Axillo
• Eye Ophthalmo
• Muscle Myo
• Nerves Neuro
• Skin Dermo
• Nose Rhino
• Breast Mast
• Testicles Orchido
• Joint Arthro
• Penis Phallo
• Spinal Cord Myelo
• Mind Psycho
• Urine Uro

8
Suffixes

• itis-inflammation
• tonsillitis
• ectomy-removal
• tonsillectomy
• plasty-surgical repair
• rhinoplasty
• logy- study of
• dermatology
• scopy- study involving camera
• bronchoscopy
• emia blood condition
• Leukemia, uremia
• ia- medical condition
• uremia
• megaly enlargening
• cardiomegaly

• oma- cancerous tumor
• hepatoma
• pathy- disease
• encephalopathy
• plegia paralysis
• Quadriplegia
• rrhea discharge/flow
• diarrhea
• algia and dynia- pain

9
Common Prefixes

• hypo-below, deficient
• hyper- too much, excessive
• pre- before
• post- after
• infra under, below
• supra above
• sub under below
• inter- between
• retro behind, backward
• a- no, lack of

• bi or di- two
• hemi-half
• macro- large
• micro small
• poly- many
• endo- inside
• peri outside, around
• circum- around
• dys- abnormal/diseased
• brady- too slow
• tachy -too fast

10
Medical Abbreviations

• Used to make patient charting easier and shorter
• Originate from Latin

11
Common Abbreviations

• q.d. every day
• q.h.- every hour
• b.i.d.- 2x/day
• t.i.d.- 3x/day
• q.i.d- 4X/DAY
• n.p.o.-nothing by mouth
• s- without
• c- with
• fx fracture
• sx- surgery
• hx- history
• dx- diagnosis

12
Vocabulary for Test

• Sycophant (n) brown-noser, kiss-ass
• Ambivalent (adj) (ambivalence (n) to have
  simultaneously conflicting feelings about
  something
• Touche- a word stated as a response to when
  someone makes a good point.
• Precocious (adj)- precocity (n)to be mature
  beyond your years
• Coquette (n)- a flirt
• Euphemism-(n)- a politically-correct term for an
  old term considered offensive (e.g.
  African-American Sanitation Engineer Little
  Person

13
Group Activity

• Break into pairs
• Begin writing flashcards (1 or 2 terms per card)

14
Group Assignment

• Groups no bigger than 4 persons
• Put a line b/t prefix, root, and suffix.
• Must have entire word correct for full credit
• Group with most correct answers will receive 5
  extra points on Friday quiz.
• You are competing with other groups, so
• SHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!