Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Language Of
Medicine
8
th
edition
Davi-Ellen Chabner
Chapter 1
Basic Word Structure
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Chapter Learning Objectives
Identify basic objectives to guide your study
of the medical language
Divide medical words into their component
parts.
Learn the meanings of basic combining
forms, prefixes, and suffixes of the medical
language.
Use these combining forms, prefixes, and
suffixes to build medical words.
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Lesson 1.1
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING
THE MEDICAL LANGUAGE
Analyze words by dividing them into
component parts.
Relate the medical terms to the structure
and function of the human body
Be aware of spelling and pronunciation
problems.
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1. All medical terms have:
A. A Combining Vowel
B. Two roots
C. A suffix
D. A prefix
QUICK QUIZ:
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2. Which element appears at the
beginning of a medical term?
A. Suffix
B. Prefix
C. Combining Vowel
D. Combining Form
QUICK QUIZ:
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Word Analysis
HEMAT/O/LOGY
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Word Analysis
HEMAT/O/LOGY

root suffix
combining vowel
hemat means blood
-logy means process of study
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Word Analysis
Important elements:
Root: foundation of the term
Suffix: word ending
Prefix: word beginning
Combining vowel: vowel (usually o) that links
the root to the suffix or the root to another root
and aids pronunciation
Combining form: combination of the root and
the combining vowel
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Word Analysis
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM
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Word Analysis
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM

root root suffix
combining vowels
electr means electricity
cardi means heart
-gram means record
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Word Analysis
GASTR/ITIS
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Word Analysis
GASTR/ITIS

root suffix
gastr means stomach
-itis means inflammation
Note: Drop combining vowel when suffix
stars with a vowel (as in -itis)
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Word Analysis
GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Word Analysis
GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY

root root suffix
combining vowels
gastr means stomach
enter means intestines
-logy means process of study
Copyright 2008, 2005 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Word Analysis (contd.)
THREE General Rules:
1. Read the meaning of medical terms from
the suffix back to the beginning of the
term and across
2. Drop the combining vowel (usually o)
before a suffix beginning with a vowel:
gastritis not gastroitis
3. Keep the combining vowel between two
roots: gastroenterology not
gastrenterology
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Word Analysis
SUB/GASTR/IC
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Word Analysis
SUB/GASTR/IC

prefix root suffix
sub- means under
gastr means stomach
-ic means pertaining to
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Word Analysis
EPI/GASTR/IC
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Word Analysis
EPI/GASTR/IC

prefix root suffix
epi- means above
gastr means stomach
-ic means pertaining to
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COMBINING FORMS
aden/o _________
arthr/o _________
bi/o _________
carcin/o _________
cardi/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
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aden/o gland
arthr/o joint
bi/o life
carcin/o cancerous, cancer
cardi/o heart
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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3. Which term means inflammation
of the gland?
A. arthritis
B. adentitis
C. adenoma
D. cephalic
QUICK QUIZ:
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cephal/o _________
cerebr/o _________
cis/o _________
crin/o _________
cyst/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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cephal/o head
cerebr/o cerebrum
cis/o to cut
crin/o to secrete
cyst/o urinary bladder
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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cyt/o _________
derm/o or dermat/o _________
electr/o _________
encephal/o _________
enter/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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cyt/o cell
derm/o or dermat/o skin
electr/o electricity
encephal/o brain
enter/o intestines
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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4. Term that means study of cells:
A. cystoscopy
B. cystitis
C. cytology
D. hematology
QUICK QUIZ:
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erythr/o _________
gastr/o _________
gn/o _________
gynec/o _________
hemat/o or hem/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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erythr/o red
gastr/o stomach
gn/o knowledge
gynec/o woman, female
hemat/o or hem/o blood
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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hepat/o _________
iatr/o _________
leuk/o _________
nephr/o _________
neur/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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hepat/o liver
iatr/o treatment, physician
leuk/o white
nephr/o kidney
neur/o nerve
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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onc/o _________
ophthalm/o _________
oste/o _________
path/o _________
ped/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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onc/o tumor
ophthalm/o eye
oste/o bone
path/o disease
ped/o child
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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psych/o _________
radi/o _________
ren/o _________
rhin/o _________
sarc/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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psych/o mind
radi/o x-rays
ren/o kidney
rhin/o nose
sarc/o flesh
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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sect/o _________
thromb/o _________
ur/o _________
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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sect/o to cut
thromb/o clot, clotting
ur/o urinary tract, urine
Combining Form Meaning
COMBINING FORMS
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-ac _________
-al _________
-algia _________
-cyte _________
-ectomy _________
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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SUFFIXES
-ac pertaining to
-al pertaining to
-algia pain
-cyte cell
-ectomy excision, removal
Combining Form Meaning
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5. Which suffix means to cut out or
remove?
A.-ectomy
B.-scopy
C.-itis
D.-opsy
QUICK QUIZ:
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-emia _________
-genic _________
-globin _________
-gram _________
-ic, ical _________
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-emia blood condition
-genic produced by or in
-globin protein
-gram record
-ic, ical pertaining to
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-ion _________
-ist _________
-itis _________
-logy _________
-oma _________
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-ion process
-ist specialist
-itis inflammation
-logy process of study
-oma tumor, mass, swelling
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-opsy _________
-osis _________
-pathy _________
-scope _________
-scopy _________
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-opsy process of viewing
-osis condition, usually abnormal
-pathy disease condition
-scope instrument to visually examine
-scopy process of visually examining
(with an endoscope)
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-sis _________
-tomy _________
-y _________
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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-sis state of; condition
-tomy process of cutting
-y process, condition
Combining Form Meaning
SUFFIXES
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PREFIXES
a-, an- _________
aut-, auto _________
dia- _________
end-, endo- _________
epi- _________
ex- _________
Combining Form Meaning
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a-, an- no, not, without
aut-, auto self, own
dia- through, complete
end-, endo- within
epi- above, upon
ex- out
Combining Form Meaning
PREFIXES
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exo- _________
hyper- _________
hypo- _________
in- _________
peri- _________
pro- _________
Combining Form Meaning
PREFIXES
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exo- outside of, outward
hyper- excessive, above, more
hypo- deficient, below, under, less
in- into, in
peri- surrounding, around
pro- before, forward
Combining Form Meaning
PREFIXES
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re- _________
retro- _________
sub- _________
trans- _________
Combining Form Meaning
PREFIXES
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re- back, backward, again
retro- behind
sub- below, under
trans- across, through
Combining Form Meaning
PREFIXES
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Pronunciation of Terms
When is above a vowel, the sound is long.
For example:
as in pe
as in pen
When is above a vowel, the sound is short.
For example:
as in pple
as in pt
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Examples:
adenitis d--N-ts
biology b-OL--j
cephalic se-FL-ik
iatrogenic i-t-r-JEN-ik
resection r-SEK-shn
Pronunciation of Terms
(contd.)