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
 -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 suffi x that
begins with a vowel.

■Rule 2: A combining form (root + o) links a
suffi x 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
 Common Prefixes
•
 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
 •Inter- between
 •Intra- within
 •Iso- equal
 •Mal- ill, bad
 •Meta- after, beyond, change
 •Multi- many, more than one
 •Neo- new or abnormal
•Poly- many, much
 •Post- after, behind
 •Pro- before, in front of, forward
 •Retro- behind, backward
 •Sub- under, below, beneath
 •Supra- above, on the top side
 •Tachy- fast
 •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
 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
 Elsevier's Medical Terminology for the Practising
Nurse