Chapters 1, 3, and 4 in the Language of Medicine

1. Chapter 1
Basic Word Structure

2. Chapter Goals
• 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.

3. 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

4. Word Analysis
• HEMAT/O/LOGY

5. Word Analysis (cont’d)
HEMAT/O/LOGY
  
root  suffix
combining vowel
hemat means blood
-logy means process of study

6. Word Analysis (cont’d)
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

7. Word Analysis (cont’d
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM
    
root  root  suffix
combining vowels
electr means electricity
cardi means heart
-gram means record

8. Word Analysis (cont’d)
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”

9. Chapter 3
Suffixes

10. Chapter Goals
• Define new suffixes and review those presented in previous
chapters.
• Gain practice in word analysis by using these suffixes with
combining forms to build and understand terms.
• Identify the functions of the different types of blood cells in the
body.

11. Chapter Goals
• Define new suffixes and review those presented in previous
chapters.
• Gain practice in word analysis by using these suffixes with
combining forms to build and understand terms.
• Identify the functions of the different types of blood cells in the
body.

12. Suffixes and
Terminology
NOUN SUFFIXES
-algia pain
-cele hernia
-centesis surgical puncture to remove fluid
-coccus (plural: berry-shaped bacterium
-cocci)
-cyte cell
Suffix Meaning

13. Suffixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
NOUN SUFFIXES
-dynia pain
-ectomy excision, removal, resection
-emia blood condition
-genesis condition of producing,
forming
-gram record
Suffix Meaning

14. Suffixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
NOUN SUFFIXES
-graph instrument for recording
-graphy process of recording
-itis inflammation
-logy study of
-lysis breakdown, destruction,
separation
Suffix Meaning

15. Suffixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
NOUN SUFFIXES
-malacia softening
-megaly enlargement
-oma tumor, mass, collection of fluid
-opsy to view
-osis condition, usually abnormal
Suffix Meaning

16. Suffixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
NOUN SUFFIXES
-malacia softening
-megaly enlargement
-oma tumor, mass, collection of fluid
-opsy to view
-osis condition, usually abnormal
Suffix Meaning

17. Chapter 4
Prefixes

18. Chapter Goals
• Define basic prefixes used in the medical language.
• Analyze medical terms that combine prefixes and other word
elements.
• Learn about the Rh condition as an example of an antigen-
antibody reaction.

19. a-, an- no, not, without
ab- away from
ad- toward
ana- up, apart
ante- before, forward
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and Terminology

20. contra- against, opposite
de- down, lack of
dia- through, complete
dys- bad, painful, difficult, abnormal
ec-, ecto out, outside
endo- in, within
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

21. epi- upon, on, above
eu- good, normal
ex- out, outside, away from
hemi- half
hyper- excessive, above
hypo- deficient, under
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

22. in- not
in- into, within
infra- beneath, under
inter- between
intra- in, within, into
macro- large
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

23. mal- bad
meta- beyond, change
micro- small
neo- new
pan- all
para- abnormal, beside, near
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

24. per- through
peri- surrounding
poly- many, much
post- after, behind
pre- before, in front of
pro- before, forward
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

25. pros- before, forward
re- back, again
retro- behind, backward
sub- under
supra- above, upper
syn-, sym- together, with
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

26. tachy- fast
trans- across, through
ultra- beyond, excess
uni- one
Prefix Meaning
Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)

27. The Language Of
Medicine
10th edition
Davi-Ellen Chabner
All information taken from