1. Chapter 1
Basic Word Structure
1
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders,
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Learning Objectives
 Divide medical terms into their component
parts
 Analyze, pronounce, and spell medical
terms using common combining forms,
suffixes, and prefixes
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 2
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Important Word Parts
 Root: the essential meaning of the term
 Suffix: word ending
 Prefix: small part added to the beginning of
the term
 Combining vowel: connects roots to suffixes
and roots to other roots
 Combining form: the combination of the root
and the combining vowel
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 3
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

4. General Rules
1. Read the meaning of medical terms from the
suffix back to the beginning of the term and
then across
2. Drop the combining vowel before a suffix
beginning with a vowel:
gastritis not gastroitis
3. Keep the combining vowel word roots:
gastroenterology not gastrenterology
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 4
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Word Division
Example:
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM means record of
electricity in the heart
ELECTR: root
O: combining vowel
CARDI: root
O: combining vowel
GRAM: suffix
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 5
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Word Division (cont.)
Example:
SUB/GASTR/IC means pertaining to under
the stomach
SUB: prefix (under)
GASTR: root (stomach)
IC: suffix (pertaining to)
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 6
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Combining Forms
aden/o gland
arthr/o joint
bi/o life
carcin/o cancer, cancerous
cardi/o heart
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 7
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

8. Combining Forms (cont.)
cephal/o gland
cerebr/o cerebrum, largest
part of the brain
cyst/o urinary bladder
cyt/o cell
derm/o skin
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 8
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

9. Combining Forms (cont.)
dermat/o skin
electr/o electricity
encephal/o brain
enter/o intestines (often
the small
intestines)
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 9
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

10. Combining Forms (cont.)
erythr/o red
gastr/o stomach
gnos/o knowledge
gynec/o woman, female
hem/o blood
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 10
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

11. Combining Forms (cont.)
hemat/o blood
hepat/o liver
lapar/o abdomen
leuk/o white
nephr/o kidney
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 11
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

12. Combining Forms (cont.)
neur/o nerve
onc/o tumor
ophthalm/o eye
oste/o bone
path/o disease
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 12
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Combining Forms (cont.)
psych/o mind
ren/o kidney
rhin/o nose
sarc/o flesh
thromb/o clotting
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 13
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

14. Suffixes
- al pertaining to
- algia pain
- cyte cell
- ectomy cutting out; removal,
excision
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 14
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

15. Suffixes (cont.)
- emia blood condition
- globin protein
- gram record
- ia condition
- ic pertaining to
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 15
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

16. Suffixes (cont.)
- ism condition, process
- itis inflammation
- logist specialist in the
study of
- logy study of
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 16
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

17. Suffixes (cont.)
- oma tumor, mass
- opsy process of viewing
- osis abnormal condition
- scope instrument to visually
examine
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 17
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

18. Suffixes (cont.)
- scopy process of visual
examination
- sis state of
- tomy process of cutting
into (incision)
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 18
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

19. Prefixes
a-, an- no, not
aut- self
dia- complete, through
dys- bad, painful, difficult,
abnormal
endo- within
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 19
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

20. Prefixes (cont.)
exo- outside
hyper- excessive, more than
normal, too much
hypo- below, less than
normal, under
peri- surrounding
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 20
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21. Prefixes (cont.)
pro- before, forward
re- back
retro- behind
sub- below, under
trans- across, through
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 21
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

22. Medical Scramble
1. Pertaining to the heart
DACCIRA
2. Nerve pain
UGARENLAI
3. Deficiency of hemoglobin causes this condition
IMEANA
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 22
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

23. Medical Scramble (cont.)
4. Study of cells
GLYCOTOY
5. Infants are often born in this position…head first!
PCLAHIEC
6. Inflammation of a gland
NIDIEAST
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 23
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

24. Medical Scramble (cont.)
Bonus Term: Malignant diagnosis
CRNMOACIA
Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, 24
an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.