Medical Terminology: February 2022

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Medical Terminology
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Osama Nijris
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Professor Doctor Osama Nadhom Nijris Uni. of Samarra, College of Applied Science
Medical Terminology 2021
Medical Terminology
Introduction
For a layperson, learning medical language may seem difficult, but it becomes
easier as one gets to know the origin and meaning of medical terms. For healthcare
professionals, it’s already second nature. The majority of the medical terms are
borrowed from Latin and Greek, but it’s unnecessary for you to learn these
languages to become experts in the use of and understanding of medical terms. All
you need to do is to study and learn word parts.
Definition
Is a science that deals with the proper use of medical terms. It is accurately
describing the human body and associated components and processes, conditions
and procedures in a science-based manner.
Simplified Medical Language
The building block for most medical terms is the word root, or the primary body of
a word.
At times, a medical term can be made up of compound words. A compound word
may consist of two-word roots, such as in the case of collarbone (collar + bone).
To facilitate the pronunciation of words, a combining vowel is placed in between
word roots. A significant number of medical terms use the vowel “o”. However,
it’s good to note that “o” isn’t the only vowel.
The following table demonstrates examples of roots and combining forms.
Word Root Combining Combining Meaning Use in a Word
Vowel Form
acr + o acr/o extremity acrocyanosis
psych + o psych/o mind psychology
chol + e chol/e bile cholesterase
It is critical that you have a strong working knowledge of medical terminology.

The language of medicine is primarily derived from Greek and Latin. Medical
terminology is used in international language, and it is also necessary for
1
communicating with other medical personnel. The wider your vocabulary base, the
more competent you seem to the rest of the medical community and the better the
patient care you will be able to provide. Understanding terminology involves
breaking words down into their separate components of prefix, suffix, and root
word and having a good working knowledge of those parts.
Medical Terminology for Health Careers provides the strong medical language
foundation that students need for jobs in the healthcare industry.
• Provides an overview of health care and anatomy and physiology of body system.
• Emphasizes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modes.
• Teaches word analysis techniques, core medical terms, and the essential
vocabulary of each body system.
• Offers stimulating, comprehensive exercises that require the recall of terms and
word structures as well as analysis and judgment within the context of medical
records.
• Presents anatomy, physiology, pathology, and diagnostic terms within a
framework of infant-to-seniors health care.
Medical term formation and Construction
A. Formation:
medical terms and words are usually composed of two or more components:
1. The root
2. The prefix
3. The suffix
- The Root
The main part or stem of a word is called a root word. A root word conveys the
essential meaning of the word and frequently indicates a body part. With a
combining form, the root word and a combining vowel such as i, e, o, or a may be
combined with another root word, a prefix, or a suffix to describe a particular
structure or condition.. The word root is a term derived from a source language
such as Greek or Latin and usually describes a body part.
Example: Cysto: (Bladder). A frequently used term in EMS is CPR, which stands
for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. When we break it down, cardio is a root word
2
meaning “heart,” and pulmonary is a root word meaning “lungs.” By performing
CPR, we introduce air into the lungs and circulate blood by compressing the heart
to resuscitate the patient. Some root words may also be used as prefixes or
suffixes; those already appear in the earlier tables. table 3 lists common root words.
- The Prefix
• The prefix can be added in front of the term to modify the word root by giving
additional information about the location of an organ, the number of parts, or time
involved. as well as in medical and scientific terminology. When a medical word
(ventilation) contains a prefix (hyper), the meaning of the word is altered
(hyperventilation). Not all medical terms have prefixes. By learning to recognize a
few of the more commonly used medical prefixes, you can figure out the meanings
of terms that may not be immediately familiar to you. table 1 lists common
prefixes.
- The suffix
• Suffixes are attached to the end of a word root to add meaning or to change the
original meaning, such as condition, disease process, or procedure. A commonly
used suffix is -itis, which means “inflammation.” When this suffix is paired with
the prefix arthro-, meaning joint, the resulting word is arthritis, an inflammation of
the joints. Sometimes it is necessary to change the last letter or letters of the root
word or prefix when a suffix is added to make pronunciation easier. table 2 lists
common suffixes.
B. Construction:
The way in which medical terms are constructed can be illustrated by the following
examples:
1. Prefix, Root and suffix (Pericarditis)
2. Tow roots and a suffix (Osteo-myelitis)
3. Prefix and root (Dyspnea)
4. Root and suffix (Cystitis)
5. Prefix and suffix (Epistaxis)
3
Table 1 Common Prefixes
a- without, away from
an- without
ante- before, in front of
anti- against
auto- self
brady- slow
contra- against
de- without
dys- painful, difficult,
abnormal
endo- within, inner
epi- upon, over
eso- inward
eu- normal, good
ex- external, outward
exo- outward
extra- outside of
hetero- different
homo- same
hydro- water
hyper- over, above
hypo- under, below
in- not, inward
inter- among, between
intra- within, inside
macro- large
micro- small
myo- to shut
neo- new
pan- all
para- beside, near, abnormal
per- through
peri- around
post- after
pre- before, in front of
pro- before
pseudo- false
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retro- backward, behind
sub- below, under
supra- above
tachy- fast
trans- through, across
ultra- beyond, excess
un- not
Table 2 Number Prefixes

bi- two
hemi- half
mono- one
multi- many
nulli- none
poly- many
primi- first
quadri- four
semi- partial, half
tetra- four
tri- three
Table 3 Common Suffixes

algia pain
-cele hernia, protrusion
-cyte cell
-dynia pain
-ectasis dilatation
-gen that which produces
-genesis produces, generates
-genic producing, produced by
-ia state, condition
-iasis abnormal condition
-iatry medical treatment
-ism state of
-itis inflammation
-logist one who studies
5
-logy study of
-lysis destruction
-lytic destruction
-malacia abnormal softening
-megaly enlargement, large
-oid resembling
-oma tumor, mass
-osis abnormal condition
-pathy disease
-phobia fear
-plasia development, growth
-plasm formation, development
-ptosis drooping
-rrhage excessive, abnormal flow
-rrhagia abnormal flow condition
-rrhea discharge, flow
-rrhexis rupture
-sclerosis hardening
-stenosis narrowing
-therapy treatment
-trophy nourishment, development
-ule small
Table 4 Adjective Suffixes

ac -eal -nic
-al -iac -ory
-an -ic -ose
-ar -ile -ous
-ary -ine -tic
-atic -ior
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Table 5 Surgical Suffixes
-centesis puncture to withdraw fluid
-ectomy surgical removal
-ostomy surgically create an opening
-otomy cutting into
-pexy surgical fixation
-plasty surgical repair
-rrhaphy suture
Table 6 Procedural Suffixes

-gram record or picture
-graph instrument for recording
-graphy process of recording
-meter instrument for measuring
-metry process of measuring
-scope instrument for viewing
-scopy process of visually examining
Medical Symbols
Some examples:
> greater than ‘ foot, minute
< less than “ inch, second
↑ higher, elevate, up ° degree
↓ lower, down F female
# pound or number M male
Word Building
 Putting together several parts to form a variety of terms to convey the
necessary information
 Begins with knowing the meaning of the various word parts in order to
select the correct ones
 Always remember the rules regarding the location of each word part
7
 For example:
o hypo- = below or under
o derm/o = meaning the skin
o -ic = meaning pertaining to
 Combine to form the term:
o Hypodermic
o Meaning: pertaining to under the skin
Interpreting Medical Terms
• Term to be translated
 gastroenterology
• Divide the term into its word parts
 gastr / o / enter / o / logy
• Define each word part
 gastr = stomach
 o = combining vowel, no meaning
 enter = small intestine
 o = combining vowel, no meaning
 -logy = study of
• Combine the meanings of the word parts
 study of the stomach and small intestine
Pronunciation
• Will differ according to place of birth and education
• When in doubt, ask for spelling
• New terms in the book are introduced in boldface type, with phonetic
spelling in parentheses
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• Stressed syllable will be in capital letters:
pericarditis (per ih car DYE tis)
some Hints:
– ch sounds like k.
• Chyme, Cholecystectomy, Chronic
– ps sounds like s.
• Psychiatric, Psychology, Psoriasis
– pn sounds like n.
• Pneumonia, Pneumatic
– c sounds like a soft s when it comes before e, i, and y.
• Cycle, Cytoplasm, Centrifuge
– g sounds like j when it comes before e, i, and y.
• Giant, Gestation, Generic, Gyration
– i sounds like “eye” when added to the end of a word to form a plural.
• Glomeruli, Villi, Alveoli, Bacilli
Spelling
• Only one correct way to spell a term
• Changing one letter can change the meaning of a word
 abduction (moving away) versus adduction (moving towards)
 ileum (small intestine) versus ilium (hip bone)
Same Sounds Spelled Differently
• Sounds like si
 psy psychiatry
 cy cytology
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• Sounds like dis
 dys dyspepsia
 dis dislocation
Singular and Plural Endings
• Many medical terms come from Greek or Latin words
• Rules for forming plurals for these languages are different from English
 Plural of atrium is atria, not atriums
• Other words will use English rules
 Plural of ventricle is ventricles
Word Ends In Singular Plural

-a vertebra vertebrae
-ax thorax thoraces
-ex or -ix appendix appendices
-is metastasis metastases
-ma sarcoma sarcomata
-nx phalanx phalanges
-on ganglion ganglia
-um ovum ova
-us nucleus nuclei
-y biopsy biopsies
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Table 7 Common Root
aer/o air Aerobic microorganisms are those that
need oxygen in order to survive.
algesi/o sensitivity to pain analgesic
blast/o embryonic form Erythroblasts are immature red blood
cells.
cancer/o, cancer malignant Carcinogenic means any
carcin/o substance or agent that can cause
cancer.
cephal/o head Cephalohematoma is the collection of
blood under the skull.
cry/o cold Cryosurgery utilizes extreme cold
temperature to destroy or remove
diseased tissue
. electr/o electricity Electrocardiography is a test that detects
problems with the electrical activity of
the heart.
fibr/o fiber Fibrous pertains to anything that
contains, resembles, or consists of fiber.
hist/o tissue Histology is the study of the
microanatomy of cells and tissues of
plants and animals.
myc/o fungus The branch of botany that focuses on the
study of fungi is mycology.
narc/o stupor Narcotics may cause stupor or
insensibility.
necr/o dead Necropsy or autopsy is the examination
of a person who has died.
Onco- mass / tumour oncology = the study of cancer
optic/o, opt/o vision The optic nerve carries electrical
impulses from the eye to the brain.
phag/o eat, ingest eating phagocytosis
pharmac/o, drugs or medicine pharmacokinetics
pharmaceuti/i
phon/o voice Bronchophony refers to the normal
voice sounds heard over the bronchus.
phot/o light Phototherapy or light therapy pertains to
treatment using a special kind of light.
py/o pus Pyogenesis refers to pus formation.
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scop/o to examine, to view microscope bronchoscopy
instrument used for
viewing
therm/o heat heat Thermometer is an instrument used
to measure temperature.
top/o position, place A topical medication is applied to the
skin.
trache/o trachea A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure
that
tox/o poison toxicology
troph/o nutrition hypertrophy
Table 8 Color in terminology:

Alb- White albino (person who has a marked deficiency of
pigment in the eyes, hair, and skin; has abnormally
white skin)
Albino/o White albinism (condition of abnormally white skin;

characterized by absence of pigment in the skin, hair,
and eyes)
Chlor/o Green chlorophyll (green pigment in plants that
accomplishes photosynthesis)
Cirrh/o Yellow, cirrhosis (chronic degenerative disease of the liver
tawny with resultant yellowness of the liver and of the skin)
Cyan/o Blue cyanoderma (slightly bluish, grayish, slatelike, or
dark discoloration of the skin)
Eosin/o Red, rosy eosinophil (bilobed leukocyte that stains a red, rosy
color with an acid dye)
Erythr/o Red erythrocyte (mature red blood cell)
Glauc/o Gray, glaucoma (disorder of the eye due to an increase in
silver intraocular pressure; creates a dull gray gleam of the
affected eye)
Jaund/o Yellow jaundice (yellow discoloration of the skin)
Lute/o Yellow corpus luteum (a yellow glandular mass on the
surface of the ovary that forms after the ovarian
follicle ruptures and releases a mature ovum)
Leuk/o White leukoplakia (white, hard, thickened patches firmly
attached to the mucous membrane in areas such as
12
the mouth, vulva, or penis)
Melan/o Black melanoma (darkly pigmented cancerous tumor)

Poli/o Gray poliomyelitis (inflammation of the gray matter of the
spinal cord)
Purpur/o Purple purpura (collection of blood beneath the skin in the

form of pinpoint hemorrhages appearing as
red/purple skin discolorations)
Rube- Red rubella (contagious viral disease characterized by

fever, coldlike symptoms, and a diffuse, fine, red
rash)color medical terms
Xanth/o Yellow xanthoderma (yellow coloration of the skin)
Table 9 Body parts in terminology

Stomato = mouth stomatitis
Dento = teeth dentist
Glosso/linguo = tongue glossitis, lingual nerve
Gingivo = gums gingivitis
Encephalo = brain encephalitis
Gastro = stomach gastritis
Entero = intestine gastroenteritis
Colo = large intestine colitis, megacolon
Procto = anus/rectum proctitis, proctologist
Hepato = liver hepatitis, hepatomegaly
Nephro/rene = kidney nephrosis, renal artery
Orchido = testis orchiditis, orchidectomy
Oophoro = ovary oophorectomy
hysterectomy,
Hystero/metro =uterus endometritis
Salpingo = uterine tubes hysterosalpingogram
Dermo = skin dermatitis
mammography,
Masto/mammo = breast mastectomy
Osteo = bones osteoporosis
Cardio = heart electrocardiogram (ECG)
13
Cysto = bladder cystitis
Rhino = nose rhinitis (runny nose!)
Phlebo/veno = veins phlebitis, phlebotomy
Pneumo/pulmo = lung pneumonitis, pulmonologist
Hemo/emia = blood hematologist, anemia
Cyto- cell cytotoxic
Nephro- kidney nephrotoxic
Neuro- nerves neurob1ast
Osteo- bone/bony tissue osteosarcoma
Sarco- tissue sarcoma
Abbreviations
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Abbreviations can be in
the form of:
 Letters: The abbreviation for chest x-ray is CXR.
 Shortened words: The abbreviation “tab” is short for “tablet.”
 Acronyms: The acronym CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Note: Abbreviations and symbols should be used cautiously, especially when

medications are involved. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
and The Joint Commission (TJC) provide a list of unsafe abbreviations and
symbols.
Abbreviations take the place of words to shorten notes or documentation. When
you are using abbreviations in patient care reports, remember to use only standard,
accepted abbreviations to avoid confusion and errors. table 4 lists commonly used
abbreviations. This list is intended to help you decipher documents written by other
health care professionals. Before using any abbreviations in your own reports, you
should be familiar with accepted use of abbreviations in your local jurisdiction or
service area.
14
Table 10 Common Abbreviations
Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning
AIDS acquired CAD coronary artery
immunodeficiency disease
syndrome
ant anterior CBC complete blood count
Aq water cc cubic centimeter
ARDS adult respiratory distress CC or C/C chief complaint
syndrome
ASAP as soon as possible CCU coronary care unit
bid twice daily CHF congestive heart
failure
BP blood pressure Cl— chloride
BS blood sugar, breath cm centimeter
sounds, bowel sounds,
bachelor of
science (degree)
BSA body surface area cm3 cubic centimeter
bx biopsy CNS central nervous
system
°C degrees Celsius c/o complaining of
(centigrade)
Ca calcium CO cardiac output,
carbon
monoxide
CA cancer, cardiac arrest, CO2 carbon dioxide
chronologic age, coronary
artery, cold agglutinin
COLD chronic obstructive ECG electrocardiogram
lung disease
COPD chronic obstructive eg for example,
pulmonary disease
CP chest pain, chemically ENT ears, nose, and throat
pure, cerebral palsy
CPR cardiopulmonary ETOH ethyl alcohol
resuscitation
CSF cerebrospinal fluid FBS fasting blood sugar
CVP central venous pressure Fe iron
15
CXR chest x-ray FHx family history
DM diabetes mellitus fl, fld fluid
DOA dead-on arrival g gram
DON director of nursing GB gallbladder
DOS dead on scene GI gastrointestinal
DPT diphtheria, pertussis, gr grain
and tetanus toxoids
vaccine
Dx diagnosis gm gram
gtt drop(s) IM intramuscular
GTT glucose tolerance test IV intravenous
h hour L liter
H/A headache lb pound
Hb hemoglobin L/M liters per minute
Hct hematocrit mcg microgram
HIV Human immunodeficiency mg milligram is a former
virus symbol
hr hour min minute
HTN hypertension mL milliliter
Hx history mm millimeter
ICU intensive care unit MVA motor vehicle
accident
IDDM insulin-dependent N normal
diabetes mellitus
NAD no apparent distress, no PID pelvic inflammatory
appreciable disease disease
NC nasal cannula pt patient
NICU neonatal intensive care PT physical therapy
unit
NKA no known allergies PVC premature ventricular
complex, polyvinyl
chloride
NS normal saline PVD peripheral vascular
disease
N/V nausea and vomiting q every
N/V/D nausea, vomiting, and qd every day
diarrhea
NVD neck vein distention qh every hour
OB obstetrics qid four times a day
16
OD overdose, right eye, RBC red blood cell
optical density, outside
diameter, doctor of
optometry
OP outpatient Rh Rhesus blood factor
OR operating room Rx prescription
pH hydrogen ion SC subcutaneous,
concentration secretory
component
ss half vol volume
S/S signs and symptoms w/ with
stat immediately WBC white blood cell
STD sexually transmitted WNL within normal limits
disease
Sx symptoms w/o without
sym symptoms wt weight
tab tablet yo year old
TB tuberculosis
tid three times a day
TPR temperature, pulse,
respiration
Tx treatment
URI upper respiratory
infection
UTI urinary tract infection
17
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Article · February 2022

immunity lectures View project

isolation of pathogenic bacteria View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

It is critical that you have a strong working knowledge of medical terminology.

Table 2 Number Prefixes

Table 3 Common Suffixes

Table 4 Adjective Suffixes

Table 6 Procedural Suffixes

Word Ends In Singular Plural

Table 8 Color in terminology:

Albino/o White albinism (condition of abnormally white skin;

Melan/o Black melanoma (darkly pigmented cancerous tumor)

Purpur/o Purple purpura (collection of blood beneath the skin in the

Rube- Red rubella (contagious viral disease characterized by

Table 9 Body parts in terminology

Note: Abbreviations and symbols should be used cautiously, especially when

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