Transcript Basic Term Components

Chapter 2
Basic Term Components
Origins of Medical Terms
 Most medical terms have Greek or Latin origins
 Most diagnostic and surgical terms have Greek origins
 Most anatomical terms have Latin origins
 Medical terms have also been influenced by
German and French languages
 Many new terms are derived from English
Analysis of Term Components
 Most medical terms have three components:
 Root — foundation or subject of the term
 Suffix — ending that gives essential meaning to the term
 Prefix — added to the beginning of a term when needed
to further modify the root
Combining Vowels and Combining Forms
 A vowel, usually an “o”, is used to join root to
another root or a suffix
 The letter “i” is the second most common
combining vowel
Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms
1. A combining vowel is used to join root to root as
well as to any suffix beginning with a consonant
2. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix that
begins with a vowel
3. If the root ends in a vowel and the suffix beings
with the same vowel, drop the final vowel from
the root and do not use a combining vowel
Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms
(continued)
4. Most often, a combining vowel is inserted
between two roots even when the second root
begins with a vowel.
5. Occasionally, when a prefix ends in a vowel and
the root begins with a vowel, the final vowel is
dropped from the prefix
Defining Medical Terms through
Word Structure Analysis
 You can usually define a term by interpreting
the suffix first, then the prefix (if present), then
the succeeding root or roots
Note
 It is difficult to know the difference between
prefixes and roots (or combining forms) because
the root is placed first in a medical term when a
prefix is not needed
 Memorize the most common prefixes so that you
can recognize them when used in a term
Formation of Medical Terms
 Most medical terms build from the root
 Prefixes and suffixes are attached to modify its
meaning
 Often two or more roots are linked before being
modified
 Occasionally, terms are formed by a root alone or
a combination of roots
 Sometimes, a term is formed from the combination
of a prefix and suffix
Spelling Medical Terms
 Sometimes words sound exactly the same but are
spelled differently and have different meanings:
 Context is the clue to spelling
 Some words sound similar but are spelled
differently and have different meanings
 When letters are silent in a term, they risk being
omitted when spelling the word
Spelling Medical Terms
(continued)
 Some words have more than one acceptable
spelling
 Some combining forms have the same meaning
but different origins that compete for usage
Types of Suffixes
 Simple: form basic terms
 For example:
 -ic (pertaining to)
 -ium (structure or tissue)
 -y (condition or process of)
Types of Suffixes
(continued)
 Compound: uses a combination of basic term
components to modify a term
 For example:
 -tomy
 -y + tom (root meaning to cut), refers to a process of
cutting (incision)
 -ectomy
 -ec (prefix meaning out) + tom (to cut) + -y refers to
a process of cutting out (excision or removal)
Four Categories of Suffixes
 Symptomatic suffixes: describe the evidence of
disease
 Diagnostic suffixes: provide the name of a medical
condition
 Operative suffixes: describe a surgical treatment
 General suffixes: have a general application
Root/Suffix
cardi / ac
heart / pertaining to
(pertaining to the heart)
Prefix/Root/Suffix
epi / card / ium
upon / heart / tissue
(tissue upon the heart, i.e.,
external lining of the heart)
Prefix/Root/Suffix
(continued)
sub /
beneath /
endo / cardia / al
within / heart / pertaining to
(pertaining to beneath and within the heart)
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix
cardi / o / logy
heart /
/ study
(study of the heart)
Root/Combining Vowel/Root/Suffix
cardi / o / pulmon / ary
heart /
/
lung
/ pertaining to
(pertaining to the heart and lungs)
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix
(symptomatic)
cardi / o / dynia
heart /
/ pain
(pain in the heart)
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix
(diagnostic)
cardi / o / rrhexis
heart /
/ rupture
(a rupture of the heart)
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix
(operative)
cardi / o / rrhaphy
heart /
/ suture
(a suture of the heart)
Exceptions: Root Alone
duct
root
(to lead)
Exceptions: Combination of Roots
ovi / duct
root / root
egg / to lead
(Oviduct refers to the uterine tube)
Exceptions: Prefix and Suffix
meta / stasis
prefix / suffix
beyond, after, / stop or stand
or change
(Metastasis refers to the spread of a disease,
such as cancer, from one location to another)