ENG 114 Medical Terminology Module 23-24

University of Bahrain
College of Health Sciences

English Department
2022/2023
ENG114- English for the Professions Level 1
Introduction to Medical Terminology
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY MODULE
Objectives
You should be able to:
R Analyze medical terms using prefixes, suffixes, and word roots

R build medical terms using prefixes, suffixes, and word roots
R Describe medical terms using prefixes, suffixes, and word roots
R Identify names of medical specialists accurately
R Analyze medical terms for parts of the body and specialists
R Describe terms using adjectives in medical terminology:
 Adjectives of quantity
 Adjectives of size
 Adjectives of shape
 Adjectives of color
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Introduction
Everybody uses medical terminology. If you work in a hospital, you use medical words every
day. If you are a patient, you hear medical terms at your doctor’s, read about health matters in the
newspaper, and use them to make daily decisions about your own health care and the health care of
your family. Terms such as arthritis, electrocardiogram, hepatitis, and anemia describe conditions
and tests.
Other medical words may seem more complicated, but this course will help you to understand
them even if you have never studied biology or science.
If you divide the terms into their component parts and learn the meaning of each part, you can
use that knowledge to produce and understand many other new terms.
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FOUR WORD PARTS
Most medical terms consist of some or all of the following word parts:
1. Word roots
2. Suffixes
3. Prefixes
4. Combining vowels
5. Combining Forms
1. WORD ROOT
The word root is the word part that is the core of the word. The word root contains the fundamental
meaning of the word.
Examples:
In the word ………………… play/er,
play is the word root.
In the medical term ………… arthr/it is,

arthr (which means joint) is the word root
In the medical term ……… hepat/it is,

hepat (which means liver), is the word root.
2. SUFFIX
The suffix is a word part attached to the end of the word root to modify its meaning.
Examples:
In the word …………………… play/er, -er is the suffix.
In the medical term ………… hepat/ic, -ic (which means pertaining to) is the suffix.
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As mentioned above, hepat is the word root for liver; therefore hepatic means pertaining to the
liver.
In the medical term ………… hepat/itis,

-itis (which means inflammation) is the suffix.
The suffix is used to

The term hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. modify the meaning
of a word: therefore,
3. PREFIX not all medical
terms have a suffix.
The prefix is a word part attached to the beginning of a word root to modify
its meaning.
Examples:
In the word re/play,
re- is the prefix.
A prefix may be
used to modify the
In the medical term sub/hepat/ic,
meaning of a word;
sub- (which means under) is the prefix. therefore, not all
medical terms
have a prefix.
Hepat is the word root for liver, and –ic is the suffix for pertaining to. The
medical term subhepatic means pertaining to under the liver.
In the medical term intra/ven/ous,

intra- (which mean within) is the prefix,
ven- (which means vein)is the word root,
and
-ous (which means pertaining to ) is the suffix.
The word intravenous means pertaining to within the vein.
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4. COMBINING VOWEL
The combining vowel is a word part, usually an o, and is used between two word roots or between a
word root and a suffix to ease pronunciation.
Examples:
In the word therm/o/meter,
o is the combining vowel used between two word parts.
In the medical term arthr/o/pathy,

o is the combining vowel used between the word root arthr and the suffix
–pathy (which means disease).
5. Combining Forms
A combing form is a word root with the combining vowel attached, separated by a diagonal line.
Examples: arthr/o
oste/o
ven/o
The combining form is not a word part; rather it is a presentation of two word parts.
The combining vowel is used to ease pronunciation, hence not all medical terms have combining vowels.
Medical terms introduced throughout the text that have combining vowels other than O are highlighted
at their introduction.
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Guidelines for Using Combining Vowels
GUIDELINE ONE: When connecting a word root and a suffix, a combining vowel is usually not used if
the suffix beings with a vowel.
Example:
In the medical term hepat/ic,
The suffix –ic beings with the vowel i;
Therefore a combining vowel is not used.
GUIDELINE TWO: When connecting two word roots, a combining vowel is usually used even if
vowels are present at the junction.
Example:
In the medical term oste/o/arthr/itis,
o is the combining vowel used, even though the word root oste(which means
bone) ends with the vowel e and the word root arthr begins with the vowel a.
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Activity 1A Match the phrases in the first column with the correct terms
in the second column.
_____ 1. attached before a word root a. combining vowel

_____ 2. usually an -o- b. prefix
_____ 3. all medical terms contain one or more c. combining form
_____ 4. attached after a word root d. word root
_____ 5. word root with combining vowel attached e. suffix
Activity 1B Answer true (T) or false (F).
_____ 1. There is always a prefix at the beginning of medical terms.
_____ 2. A combining vowel is always used when connecting a word root and
a suffix.
_____ 3. A prefix modifies the meaning of the word.
_____ 4. A combining vowel is used to ease pronunciation
_____ 5. I is the most commonly used combining vowel.
_____ 6. The word root is the core of a medical term.
_____ 7. A combining form is a single word part.
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Analyzing and Defining Medical Terms

Analyzing
To analyze medical terms divide the medical terms into word parts, label each word part, and label
the combining forms. Follow the procedure below:
1. Divide the term into word parts by VERTICAL SLASHES.
Example: oste/o/arthr/o/pathy
2. Label each word part by using the following abbreviations.
WR word root COMBINING DEFINITION

P prefix FORMS
S suffix arthr/o joint
CV combining vowel
hepat/o liver
ven/o vein
WR CV WR CV S oste/o bone
Example: oste / o / arthr / o / pathy
PREFIXES
intra- within
3. Label the combining forms. sub- under
WR CV WR CV S SUFFIXES
-itis inflammation
Examples: oste / o / arthr / o / pathy
-ic pertaining to
CF CF -ous
-al pertaining to
-pathy disease
COMBININGVOWEL
-o-
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Analyze the following medical term.

osteopathy
WR CV S
Answer: oste / o / pathy
CF
Defining
To define medical terms apply the meaning of each word part in the term.
Apply this rule to find the definition of
oste/o/arthr/o/pathy
Write the definition of osteoarthropathy. Begin by defining the word pathy, then move to the beginning
A helpful rule:
Begin by defining the suffix, then move to the beginning of the term to complete the definition
(Does not apply to all medical terms).
of the term. Use the box on page 98 to find the meaning of the word part.
Answer: disease of the bone and joint.
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Building Medical Terms
Building medical terms means using word parts to build a medical term that matches the definition.
Using the box on page 98 as a reference, complete the following steps to build the medical term for
disease of a joint
STEP 1: Find the suffix for disease. Write the word part in the space below.
STEP 2: Find the word root for joint. Write the word part in the space below.
STEP 3: The suffix does not begin with a vowel. So a combining vowel is needed.
Insert the combining vowel in the correct space below.
__________ / ____ /_________

WR / CV / S
Summary
To complete this worksheet successfully, you do not need to

Keep in mind that the
know what the word parts, such as arthr, mean. You will learn
beginning of the
these in subsequent worksheets. definition usually
indicates the suffix.
It is important that you have met these objectives:
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1. Can you identify and define the four word parts? yes  no 
2. Can you identify and define a combining form? yes  no 
3. Can you use word parts to analyze and define medical terms? yes  no 
4. Can you use word parts to build medical terms for a given definition? yes no
Activity 2A. Using the box on page 98, identify the word parts and their
meaning, analyze and define the following terms.
WR CV WR CV S
Example: oste/o/arthr/o/pathy = disease of bone and joint
CF CF
1. arthr/itis ________________________
2. hepat/itis ________________________
3. sub/hepat/ic ________________________
4. intra/ven/ous ________________________
5. arthr/o/pathy ________________________
6. oste/itis ________________________
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Activity 2B. Using the box on page98as a reference, build medical terms for the
following definitions.
Example: disease of the joint arthr / o / pathy

WR CV S
1. inflammation of the joint _________________
2. pertaining to the liver _________________
3. pertaining to under the liver _________________
4. pertaining to within the vein _________________
5. inflammation of the bone _________________
6. inflammation of the liver _________________
7.disease of the bone and joints _________________
In a term that has more than one root there is no rule as to which goes first. The order is usually
dictated by common practice. You will eventually become accustomed to the accepted order.
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Examples of the four word-parts
Word Combining Medical Literal Actual

Prefix Suffix
Root Vowel Term Meaning Meaning
against the suppressing thyroid

antithyroid- antithyroid
thyroid activity
-ic pertaining to the

gastr- gastric
stomach
-logy
cardi- -o- cardiology study of the heart
decrease in number of
-ia condition of red blood cells/
an- (h)aem- anaemia
no blood decreased haemo-
globin in the cells
pain in the upper
-algia pain above
epi- gastr- epigastralgia region of the
the stomach
abdomen
the branch of
ot- -o- medicine dealing
otorhino-
rhin- -o- -logy with diseases of the
laryngology
laryng- -o- ear, nose and
throat (ENT)
oste- inflammation of the
-o- -it is osteoarthritis
arthr- bone and joints
oste- -o- disease of the bone
-pathy osteoarthropathy
arthr- -o- and joints
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Activity3A Match the term with its definition.
DEFINITION TERM
_____ 1. inflammation of the tendon a. thoracotomy
_____ 2. inflammation of the esophagus b. tendonitis
_____ 3. incision into the thorax c. thyroidectomy
______4. removal of the thyroid gland d. arthritis
_____ 5. removal of the spleen e. splenectomy
_____ 6. inflammation of the joints f. esophagitis
Activity 3B Select the correct term to complete each sentence.
____ 1. Fatima had a cough and fever. Her doctor instructed her to go to the ______
department for a chest x-ray.
a. pathology b. radiology c. hematology
____ 2. Layla had problems holding her urine. She made an appointment with a ____ a.
gastroenterologist b. neurologist c. urologist
____ 3. The doctor told the patient she had lost much blood during delivery of her
child. She therefore had _______________.
a. anemia b. leukocytosis c. adenitis
____ 4. Juma was having chest pain during his morning walks. He made an
appointment to see a _________.
a. nephrologist b. neurologist c. cardiologist
____ 5. After the skiing accident, Dr Abdulla suggested ___________to visually

Examine my swollen, painful knee.
a. cystoscopy b. biopsy c. arthroscopy
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Biology and its Branches
The principles of word construction and analysis outlined on the previous pages can
be illustrated by looking at some of the terms used for different branches of medical science.
The study of living things forms the subject of biology (from the Greek bio-, meaning life, and -logy,
meaning science or study). Bio- appears in many related words:
biochemistry - the study of the chemical processes involved in life;

biophysics - the study of the physical processes involved in life;
microbiology - the study of micro-organisms (small life);
antibiotic- a substance capable of destroying life (especially bacterial life).
An important branch of biology is the science of the functions of living things, or physiology (from the
Greek physi/o-, meaning nature, and -logy). Physic- meaning natural appears in words like:
physics - the science dealing with the properties of matter and

physical - according to the laws of nature; energy;
physician - one who practices medicine (presumably by applying the study of nature)
The branch of biology which deals with the structure of the body is known as anatomy. This word is
derived from the Greek words ana-, meaning up or back and
-tomy, meaning cutting. The derivation reveals that the study of anatomy is largely based on
dissection, or cutting up.
Two subjects related to anatomy are histology, the study of the structure of the tissues of the body
(from the Greek hist/o-, meaning web or tissue, and -logy), and cytology, the study of cells (from the
Greek cyt/o-, meaning cell, and -logy).
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Medicine and its Branches I
The word medicine means the art, or science, of restoring and preserving health. It is derived directly
from the Latin word medicina.
Many of the specialities into which medicine is divided are named by the addition of the suffix -logy
meaning study, to the appropriate root. Examples include:
dermatology - the branch of medicine concerned with the skin

(from the Greek derm/o-, dermat/o- meaning skin);
gynaecology - the branch of medicine concerned with women

(from the Greek gynaec/o-, meaning woman);
pathology - the study of disease, especially the structural and functional

changes in tissues caused by disease
(from the Greek path/o- meaning suffering);
psychology - the study of behaviour

(from the Greek psych/o-, meaning soul or spirit).
Other branches of medicine are named by the addition of the suffixes -iatry or -iatrics to the
appropriate root. These suffixes are derived from the Greek iatric- meaning treatment. Examples
include:
geriatrics - the branch of medicine concerned with old people

(from the Greek ger-, meaning old age);
paediatrics - the branch of medicine concerned with child

(from the Greek paed-, meaning child);
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psychiatry - the treatment of mental disorders.
Activity 3A Match the definitions on the right with the sciences on the
left.
SCIENCE DEFINITION
___ 1. histology a. the branch of medicine concerned with the elderly
___ 2. neurology b. the treatment of mental disorders
___ 3. psychiatry c. the branch of medicine concerned with children
___ 4. pathology d. the study of the structure of body tissues
___ 5. paediatrics e. the branch of medicine concerned with women
___ 6. chemotherapy f. the study of disease
___ 7. radiotherapy g. the study of the nervous system
___ 8. gynaecology h. the treatment of disease by radiation
___ 9. geriatrics i. the treatment of disease by chemicals
___ 10. dermatology j. the branch of medicine concerned with the skin
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Activity 3B
Give the definition of the words below.
Example: radiology: the study of X- rays
1. embryology
2. enzymology
3. gynaecology (gynecology, US)
4. histology
5. laryngology
6. microbiology
7. neurology
8. osteology
9. symptomatology
10. urology
11. parasitology
12. pathology
13. psychopathology
14. physiology
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Medicine and its Branches II
The study of medicine often involves the study of the causes of disease, or aetiology (from the Greek
aetio-, meaning cause, and -logy).
The practice of medicine employs the arts of diagnosis and prognosis. Both of these words are
derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge or judgment. The prefix dia- means
through or thorough. Hence diagnosis means thorough knowledge and is used in medicine in the
sense of the identification of a disease.
The prefix pro- means before, hence prognosis means foreknowledge and is used in medicine in the
sense of forecasting the course of a disease.
The purpose of medicine is healing. The Greek root for to heal is therap-, from which the words
therapy and therapeutics are derived. The suffix -therapy meaning treatment, appears in many
words, for example:
physiotherapy: the treatment of disease by natural agencies (such as heat or

sunlight);
hydrotherapy: the treatment of disease by the application of water

(from the Greek hydr- meaning water, and - therapy);
chemotherapy: the treatment of disease by chemicals
Although the strict meaning of the term chemotherapy is the treatment of disease by chemicals, the
word is commonly used in the more restricted sense of the use of a chemical substance or drug to kill
an infective organism or cancerous cell. Chemotherapy is therefore a branch of pharmacotherapy,
the treatment of disease by drugs. Pharmacotherapy is derived from the Greek pharmaco-,
meaning drug, medicine or poison. This word appears as a root in such words as:
pharmaceutical: pertaining to medicine and drugs
pharmacist: chemist
pharmacology: the study of medicine and drugs
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pharmacopoeia: a book containing details of products used in making medicine
from the Greek -poeia, meaning making, preparation)
pharmacy: the preparation and dispensing of drugs; or achemist’s shop.
Finally, there is one important branch of medicine which has not yet been mentioned, namely
surgery. (This word is derived from the Greek words cheir-/chir- meaning hand and erg-, meaning
work, by way of the early English word chirurgery.)
Activity 4A Deduce the meaning of the following terms:
1. Electrotherapy _____________________________________________
2. Radiotherapy _____________________________________________
3. Physiatrics _____________________________________________
Activity 4B Define the following terms:
1. Aetiology is _____________________________________________
2. Pharmacology is _____________________________________________
3. Neurosurgery is _____________________________________________
Activity 4C Deduce the meanings of the following terms:
1. Neurophysiology is _________________________________________
2. Neurology is ________________________________________
3. Neuropathy is ________________________________________
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Activity 5 Select from the following terms to complete the sentences below.
leukemia urologist anemia thrombocyte arthralgia
pathologist oncologist neuralgia dermatologist arthritis psychiatrist
1. The medical term for pain from joints is ________________.
2. The medical term for pain from nerves is ______________ .
3 Mr. Bell’s white blood cell count is 10 times higher than normal. Examination of his blood
shows cancerous white blood cells. His diagnosis is ________________.
4. The biopsy sample was removed during surgery and sent to a ______________ to be
examined under the microscope for a proper diagnosis.
5 A __________ performed surgery to remove Mr. Simon’s cancerous kidney.
6. Mr. Jordan has a disease caused by abnormal hemoglobin in his erythrocytes. The
erythrocytes change shape, collapsing to form sickle-shaped cells that can become clots and
obstruct the flow of blood. He has a condition called sickle-cell _______________
7. A/An _______________ is a doctor who treats carcinomas and sarcomas.
8. A cell that helps blood to clot is called a platelet ______________________.
9. A/An _____________ is a medical doctor who treats mentally ill patients and can prescribe
medications for them.
10. A/An _____________ is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of diseases of the
skin.
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THE BODY
In this section annotated diagrams are used to show the roots from which medical terms referring to
the body are constructed. In the annotations the commonly used English word is shown in capital
letters. The appropriate roots derived from Greek and Latin are shown underneath the English word.
Any relevant notes are added underneath the Greek and/ or Latin roots.
Where more than two roots are in common use, all the roots are shown in the appropriate typeface.
Where only one root is in common use, only that root is shown. For example :
The English word

BODY
somat corpor
This is the Greek root from This is the Latin root from
which some medical terms which some medical terms are
are derived. derived.
MIND
schizo psych ment
FACE
Faci
Note: The word facies is often used to designate a specific surface of a body structure.
BODY
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CHEST
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A Summary of Words Related to the Trunk and Limbs
English Latin Greek Greek

Meaning
Noun Adjective Adjective Noun
abdomen abdominal laparotomy abdominal incision
arm brachial
body corporeal somatic somatotype type of body
breast mammary mastectomy removal of a breast
instrument for examining the

chest pectoral thoracic stethoscope
chest
inflammation of fingers and/or
finger digital dactylitis
toes
foot pedal podiatrist foot specialist
hand manual chiroplasty/ plastic surgery on the hand

cheiroplasty
pleura
(membrane pleural pleurisy Inflammation of the pleura
around lungs)
rib costal
bones beyond the wrist in

wrist carpal metacarpals
the palm of the hand
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FACE
MOUTH
stom(at)- or-
SINUS
sin-
LIP
chil- cheil- labi-
TONGUE
TOOTH
gloss- lingu-
odont- dent-
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HEAD
HEAD
cephal- capit-
SKULL
crani-
BRAIN FOREHEAD
encephal- cerebr- front-
EYE
EAR
ophthalm- ocul-
ot- aur-
NOSE
CHEEK
rhin- nas-
bucc-
NECK
trachel- cervic-
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A Summary of Words Related to the Head
In medical terminology, adjectives are not normally formed from the English noun. Instead, the Latin
or Greek roots are used. In this table the strong part of each word is in bold type. Study the table,
and then answer the questions.
English Latin Greek ‘Inflammation
Noun Adjective Adjective of the ..........’
brain cerebral encephalic encephalitis
cheek buccal
ear aural otic otitis
eye ocular ophthalmic ophthalmitis
face facial
forehead frontal
head capital cephalic cephalitis (= encephalitis)
lip labial cheilitis, chilitis
mind mental phrenic, phrenetic, psychic
mouth oral stomatic stomatitis
neck cervical
nose nasal rhinal rhinitis
sinus sinusitis
skull cranial
tongue lingual glossal glossitis
tooth dental odontic odontitis
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1. Which suffix is normal (a) in Latin adjectives?

(b) in Greek adjectives?
2. Is the suffix -itis normally used with Greek or Latin roots?
3. Which part of the word is normally strong (stressed)

(a) in English nouns?
(b) in Latin adjectives?
(c) in Greek adjectives?
(d) in -itis words?
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B. Pronounce the words in the third and fourth columns after your teacher.
Activity 1
A. Which of the diseases on the right affect the parts of the body listed on the left?
a. nose 1.otitis media
b. lip 2.cheilocarcinoma
c. ear 3. rhinitis
B. Which parts of the body do the following nerves supply?
a) oculomotor nerve ______________________
b) lingual nerve ______________________
c) buccal nerve ______________________
d) labial nerve ______________________
C. Deduce the meanings of the following adjectives.
a) somatic ______________________
b) phrenic ______________________
c) cephalic ______________________
d) cranial ______________________
D. On which parts of the body are the following instruments used?
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a) ophthalmoscope ______________________
b) otoscope ______________________
c) craniometer ______________________
d) encephalometer ______________________
Activity 2
A. Whereabouts in the body are the following?
1. carpal bones ______________________
2. brachial artery ______________________
3. pectoral muscles ______________________
4. mammary muscles ______________________
5. intercostals muscles ______________________
B. On which parts of the body are the following surgical procedures carried out?
1. laparotomy ______________________
2. mastectomy ______________________
3. thoracocentesis ______________________
4. cheiroplasty ______________________
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C. Match the following word elements with their meaning.
_____ 1. aden/o- a. brain
_____ 2. bronch/o- b. abdomen
_____ 3. encephal/o- c. bronchus
_____ 4. gloss/o- d. bone
_____ 5. lapar/o- e. gland
_____ 6. oste/o- g. tongue
Medical Specialists
Medical specialists and an explanation of their specialties are listed below.
Medical Specialist Specialty
allergist hypersensitivity reactions
anesthesiologist /anesthetists agents for loss of sensation
cardiologist heart disease
cardiovascular surgeon heart and blood vessels
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colorectal surgeon colon and rectum
dermatologist skin disorders / diseases
endocrinologist endocrine gland disorders
gastroenterologist stomach and intestinal disorders
geriatrician/gerontologist diseases of old age
gynecologist female reproductive system
hematologist blood disorders
infectious disease specialist diseases caused by microorganisms
nephrologist kidney diseases
neurologist nerve disorders
neurosurgeon brain, spinal cord and nerves
obstetrician pregnant women and delivery
Medical Specialist Specialty
oncologist malignant tumors
ophthalmologist surgery and treatment of eye disorders
surgery on bones, muscles, and joints (especially of

orthopedist
children)
otorhinolaryngologist ear, nose and throat
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pathologist diagnosis of disease by analysis of cells
pediatrician diseases of children
physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist restoring function after illness
psychiatrist mental disorders
pulmonary specialist lung diseases
radiologist examination of x-rays to determine a diagnosis
radiotherapist treatment with high-energy radiation
rheumatologist joint and muscle disorders
thoracic surgeon chest organs
urologist surgery on the urinary tract
Activity 5
A. Name the doctor who treats the following problems (first letter is given).
Disease Doctor
1. kidney disease
2. tumors
3. broken bones
4. female diseases
5. eye disorders
6. heart disorders
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7. nerve disorders
8. lung disorders
9. mental disorders
10. stomach and intestinal disorders
B. Match the following medical specialists in Column I with their specialties in Column II.
Column I Column II
----1.urologist a. operates on the large intestine
----2.thoracicsurgeon b. treats blood disorders
----3.radiotherapist c. treats thyroid and pituitary gland disorders
----4. colorectal surgeon d. delivers babies
----5.endocrinologist e. treats children and their disorders
---- 6.obstetrician f. operates on the urinary tract
----7.radiologist g. treats disorders of the skin
---- 8.paediatrician h. treats disease with high energy radiation
----9.hematologist i. operates on the chest
----10.dermatologist j. examines x-rays to diagnose disease
C. Complete the sentences that follow using the terms listed below.
clinical orthopedist oncologist surgeon pathologist
research geriatrician ophthalmologist infectious disease specialist
1. A physician who diagnoses and treats diseases that are caused by micro-organisms is known as a/ an
infectious disease specialist.
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2. A doctor who does bone surgery is called a/ an -------------------.
3. A doctor who takes care of patients does ----------------- medicine.
4. A doctor who reads biopsy samples and performs autopsies is called a/an --------------------------------.
5. A doctor who treats cancerous tumors is called a/an -------------------.
6. A doctor who operates on patients is called a / an ---------------------.
7. A doctor who does experiments with test tubes and laboratory equipment is interested in
--------------------- medicine.
8. A doctor who specializes in treatment of disorders of the eye is called a/an ---------------.
9. A doctor who specializes in the treatment of older people is called a/an --------------------------------.
D. Which medical specialist would you consult for the following medical conditions?
 arthritis ------------------------
 otitis ------------------------
 anemia ------------------------
 urinary bladder displacement ------------------------
 chronic bronchitis ------------------------
 cerebro vascular accident ------------------------
 breast cancer ------------------------
 hole in the wall of the heart ------------------------
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 dislocated shoulder bone ------------------------
 thyroid gland enlargement ------------------------
 kidney disease ------------------------
 acne (skin disorder) ------------------------
 hay fever (hypersensitivity reaction) -----------------------
 viral and bacterial diseases ------------------------
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Adjectives in Medical Terminology

Medical terms commonly use adjectives of quantity, number, size and shape and color.
ABOVE
1. Quantity
hyper-
MANY (EXC
poly- mu
EQUAL
iso-
BOTH, DOUBLE
amphi- diplo- ambi-
FIRST
prot- prim-
ENEQUAL
aniso-
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Quantity
Definition Example Meaning Prefix
abnormal fear of many things polyphobia many poly-

many-coloured multicoloured multi-
shortage of teeth(congenital) oligodontia few, olig/o-

shortage of (blood) cells cytopenia shortage *-pen(ia)
excessive length of sleep hypersomnia over, above hyper-
low blood pressure hypotension under, below hyp/o-
inflammation of the whole heart pancarditis all pan-
not normal atypical a-

absence of teeth anodontia not, absence of an-
not accurate inaccurate in-
able to live on land and in water amphibious amph/i-

double vision diplopia both, double dipl/o-
able to write with either hand ambidextrous either amb/i-
having equal dimensions isometric equal is/o-
the first in a series or species prototype first prot/o-
inequality in size of (blood) cells anisocytosis unequal anis/o-
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Activity 1
A. Which of the definitions on the right apply to the words listed on the left?
1. anuria a. the passage of a large volume of urine
2. oliguria b. absence of excretion of urine from the body
3. polyuria c. excretion of a diminished amount of urine
B. Deduce the meaning of the following words:
1. cytopenia _______________________________________________________
2. isodontic___________________________________________________________
3. protonephros _____________________________________________________
4. ambilateral ______________________________________________________
5.panmyelopathy____________________________________________________
6. imbalance________________________________________________________
C. Match the correct meanings with the appropriate words for each of the sets of words and
meanings below.
1. ___a. hypoaesthesia 1. abnormally increased sensitivity
___b. hyperaesthesia 2. abnormally decreased sensitivity
2. ___ a. isopia 1. double vision

___ b. anisopia 2. equality of vision in the two eyes
___ c. diplopia 3. inequality of vision in the two eyes
3. ___a. primiparous 1. having born one child

___ b. multiparous 2. having born two or more children
P a g e | 41
Size and Shape
NORMAL STRAIGHT (NORMAL) BENT, CROOKED

norma- ortho- ankylo- kypho-
NARROW
steno-
LARGE SMALL SHORT
mega- macro- megalo- micro- brachy-
SAME DIFFERENT
SPLIT
homo- allo- hetero-
schizo-
P a g e | 42
Size and Shape
Meaning Example Meaning Prefix
having normal blood pressure normotensive normal norm-
specialist in straightening teeth orthodontist straight, normal orth-
stiffness of a joint ankylosis fusion, growing ankyl-

together
excessive curvature kyphosis bent, crooked kyph-
of the spine
narrowing of a passage stenosis narrow sten-
abnormally enlarged colon megacolon large mega-
abnormal enlargement of the heart megalocardia megal-
excessive size of teeth macrodontia macr-

study of micro- organisms microbiology small micr-
abnormal shortness of fingers and toes brachydactylia short brachy-
split personality schizophrenia split schiz-
uniform in structure homogeneous same hom-
irregular heart beat allorhythmia different all-

heter-
non-uniform in structure heterogeneous
Activity 3
A. Deduce the meaning of the following words.
P a g e | 43
1. stenocephalous _____________________________
2. megalopodia _____________________________
3. brachyoesophagous ____________________________
4. schizophrenic ____________________________
5.normocyte ____________________________
6.microcheiria ____________________________
7.orthoglycaemic ____________________________
B. Which of the definitions on the right apply to the terms listed on the left?
_____1. homogeneity a. stiff
_____ 2. heterogeneity b. uniformity
_____3. macromastia c. oversized breasts
_____4. allorhythmic d. narrowed
_____ 5. stenosed e. pertaining to irregularity of the heart beat
_____6. ankylosed f. non-uniformity
P a g e | 44
Color
BLACK GREY
WHITE
melan- polio- glauco-
leuc- leuk- alb-
GREEN
-chlor
YELLOW
xanth flav- cirth-
RED
erythr- rub(r)
BLUE
-cyan
P a g e | 45
Color
Meaning Example Meaning Prefix
a colored cell chromocyte color chrom/o-
orange-yellow condition (of the liver) cirrhosis orange-yellow cirrh/o-
yellow vision xanthopsia yellow xanth/o-
a black tumor melanoma black melan/o-
a red blood cell erythrocyte red erythr/o-
red condition (of the eye) rubeosis rube/o-
a purple condition (of the skin) purpura purple purpur/o-
white blood cell leucocyte, white leuc/o-

leukocyte
white blood condition leukaemia, leuk/o-
leukemia
a person with white hair and pink skin albino alb-
and eyes
green pigment (in plants) chlorophyll green chlor/o-
grey swelling (of the eye) glaucoma grey glauc/o-
inflammation of the grey matter of poliomyelitis grey, poli/o-

the central nervous system (CNS). grey matter
abnormal blue condition (of the skin) cyanosis blue cyan/o-
Activity 4
A. What color are the following substances?

P a g e | 46
1. leucocytes ___________
2. erythrocytes ___________
3. chlorine ___________
4. albumin ___________
5. flavoxanthin ___________
B. Which of the definitions on the right apply to the terms listed on the left?
_____1. chromocyte a. redness
_____2. cyanosis b. a viral disease in which the grey matter of the

nervous system is affected
_____3. melanodermic c. a colored cell
_____4. rubor d. having a black skin
_____5. poliomyelitis e. a bluish discoloration of the skin and lips
C. Match the terms on the left to their correct color on the right.
_____1. erythr/o a. white
_____2. chrom/o b. green
_____3. poli/o c. orange-yellow
_____4. melan/o d. yellow
_____5. cyan/o e. any color
_____6. alb- f. black
_____7. cirrh/o g. blue
_____8. xanth/o h. red
_____9. chlor/o i. grey
P a g e | 47

ENG 114 Medical Terminology Module 23-24

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ENG 114 Medical Terminology Module 23-24

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University of Bahrain

College of Health Sciences

R Analyze medical terms using prefixes, suffixes, and word roots

FOUR WORD PARTS

In the medical term ………… arthr/it is,

In the medical term ……… hepat/it is,

In the medical term ………… hepat/itis,

The suffix is used to

In the medical term intra/ven/ous,

The word intravenous means pertaining to within the vein.

In the medical term arthr/o/pathy,

Guidelines for Using Combining Vowels

_____ 1. attached before a word root a. combining vowel

_____ 3. all medical terms contain one or more c. combining form

_____ 4. attached after a word root d. word root

_____ 5. word root with combining vowel attached e. suffix

Activity 1B Answer true (T) or false (F).

_____ 1. There is always a prefix at the beginning of medical terms.

_____ 3. A prefix modifies the meaning of the word.

_____ 4. A combining vowel is used to ease pronunciation

_____ 5. I is the most commonly used combining vowel.

_____ 6. The word root is the core of a medical term.

_____ 7. A combining form is a single word part.

Analyzing and Defining Medical Terms

1. Divide the term into word parts by VERTICAL SLASHES.

2. Label each word part by using the following abbreviations.

WR word root COMBINING DEFINITION

Analyze the following medical term.

Apply this rule to find the definition of

(Does not apply to all medical terms).

Building Medical Terms

__________ / ____ /_________

To complete this worksheet successfully, you do not need to

It is important that you have met these objectives:

2. Can you identify and define a combining form? yes  no 

Example: disease of the joint arthr / o / pathy

1. inflammation of the joint _________________

2. pertaining to the liver _________________

3. pertaining to under the liver _________________

4. pertaining to within the vein _________________

5. inflammation of the bone _________________

6. inflammation of the liver _________________

7.disease of the bone and joints _________________

Word Combining Medical Literal Actual

against the suppressing thyroid

-ic pertaining to the

Activity3A Match the term with its definition.

_____ 1. inflammation of the tendon a. thoracotomy

_____ 2. inflammation of the esophagus b. tendonitis

_____ 3. incision into the thorax c. thyroidectomy

______4. removal of the thyroid gland d. arthritis

_____ 5. removal of the spleen e. splenectomy

_____ 6. inflammation of the joints f. esophagitis

Activity 3B Select the correct term to complete each sentence.

____ 5. After the skiing accident, Dr Abdulla suggested ___________to visually

Biology and its Branches

biochemistry - the study of the chemical processes involved in life;

physics - the science dealing with the properties of matter and

Medicine and its Branches I

dermatology - the branch of medicine concerned with the skin

gynaecology - the branch of medicine concerned with women

pathology - the study of disease, especially the structural and functional

psychology - the study of behaviour

geriatrics - the branch of medicine concerned with old people

__ / /_

5. After the skiing accident, Dr Abdulla suggested _______to visually