Medical Terminology

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih

MSc community pharmacy practice

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 1

 Introduction
Objectives:
Once the introduction is complete you should be able to:
• Name and identify components of medical words
• Split medical words into their components
• Build medical words using word components.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 2

 Medical terminology:
Refers to the words and language used specifically in the medical and health
fields.

Is a language used to describe anatomical structures, procedures, conditions,

processes and treatments in the medical field.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 3

What are the basics of medical terminology?

• Medical terms often have some combination of a

-prefix
-suffix
-root word.
The prefix is the first few letters of the word, while the suffix is the ending of
a word. A root word is the base of the overall term.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 4

 The components of medical words

• Example 1 Gastrotomy
• First we can split the word and examine its individual components:

• Gastr + o + tomy = Word root + Combining vowel + Suffix

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The word root
• Roots are the basic medical words. Most are derived from Greek and Roman
(Latin) words.

• In our first example we have used the root gastr which always means stomach.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 6

The combining vowel
• Combining vowels are added to word roots to aid pronunciation and to
connect the root to the suffix.
• All the combining vowels a, e, i, o and u are used but the most commonly
used is o.

• In our first example we have added the combining vowel o to the root
gastr.
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The suffix
• The suffix follows the word root and is found at the end of the word. It also
adds to or modifies the meaning of the word root.

• In our first example we have used the suffix -tomy which always means to
form an incision.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 8

• We can now fully understand the meaning of our first medical word:
Gastrotomy

• Gastr
Gastro + o + tomy
Word root Combining vowel Suffix
Meaning stomach meaning incision into

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 9

• The meaning of gastrotomy: is - incision into the stomach.
• Gastrotomy is a name used by surgeons to describe an operation in which a
cut is made into the wall of the stomach.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 10

The combining form

• In our first example the root gastr can be combined with the vowel o to
make gastro. This word component is called a combining form of a word root

• Word root + combining vowel = combining form

• gastr + o = gastro

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• Example 2 Epigastric

Epi gastr ic

• Prefix word root suffix

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 12

The prefix:
• The prefix precedes the word root and changes its meaning.

• The prefix epi- means upon and so it modifies the word to mean upon or
above the stomach.

• Prefixes, like roots and suffixes, are also derived from Greek and Latin
words.
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• The suffix -ic meaning pertaining to was also used in our second example.

Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 14

The full meaning of epigastric

Epigastric

Epi gastr ic

Prefix word root suffix

Meaning upon meaning pertaining to
Or above stomach

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 Key Point

The components of medical words are

• Prefixes
• Roots
• Suffixes
• Combining vowels
• Combining words

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 The use of prefixes, combining forms and suffixes

• There are certain simple 'rules' which need to be applied when building and
analysing medical words.
• Rule 1: Joining a combining form to a suffix
• If we add the suffixes –logy, meaning study of, and -algia, meaning condition of
pain, to the combining form gastr/o we can make two new words:
• gastr/o + -logy = gastrology (study of the stomach)
• gastr/o + -algia = gastralgia (condition of pain in the stomach)

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• Here are some more examples where the vowel is left in place because the
suffix begins with a letter other than a vowel:
• gastr/o + -tomy = gastrotomy (incision into the stomach)
• gastr/o + -scope = gastroscope (instrument to view the stomach)

Key Point: When a combining form of a root is joined to a suffix, the combining vowel is left
in place if the suffix begins with a letter other than a vowel.

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• Here are some examples where the vowel is dropped:

• gastr/o + -itis = gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)

• gastr/o + -ectomy = gastrectomy (removal of the stomach)

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 WORD EXERCISE I
• Use Rule 1 to join the combining forms of word roots and suffixes to make medical words.
Combining form Suffix Medical word
of word root
(a) gastr/o + -pathy = gastropathy
(b) gastr/o + -scopy =
(c) hepat/o + -itis =
(d) hepat/o + -megaly =
(e) hepat/o + -oma =
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 Rule 2: Joining the combining forms of two word roots

• Some medical words contain two or more combining forms of roots, as in

Example 3. Gastroenterology
Gastr/o enter/o logy
Combining form of Combining form of Suffix meaning study
word root meaning word root meoning of
stomach intestine

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• The full meaning of gastroenterology is the study of the intestines and stomach.
Notice that the vowel between the two roots gastr and enter is left in place.

Key Point
When the combining forms of two roots are joined, the combining vowel of the
first root is kept in place.

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• Here are some more examples:

• pylor/o + gastr/o + ectomy = pylorogastrectomy

• duoden/o + enter/o + stomy = duodenoenterostomy

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 WORD EXERCISE 2
• Use Rules 1 and 2 to join the combining forms of two roots with suffixes to make medical
words.
Combining form Combining form Suffix Medical word of word root
of word root
(a) duoden/o + jejun/o + -stomy duodenojejunostomy
(b) trache/o + bronch/o + -itis
(c) gastr/o + enter/o + -stomy
(d) laryng/o + pharyng/o + -ectomy
(e) oste/o + arthr/o + -pathy

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Rule 3: Joining a prefix to a root

• When a prefix that ends in a vowel is added to a root that begins with a
vowel or 'h', the vowel of the prefix is dropped.

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• If we examine our second example, epigastric, again, here the vowel ‘i' of
epi- was retained because the root gastr begins with 'g' which is not a vowel.
• Consider another example, which may be familiar to you - antacid, a drug
used to neutralize stomach acid. This word is made from:
• anti + acid = antacid
(prefix meaning against) (root meaning acid)
• The i is dropped because acid begins with the vowel 'a'
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• Here are some more examples.

• Here the vowel of the prefix is retained:

hemi + col/o + ectomy = hemicolectomy

• Here the vowel of the prefix is dropped:

endo + arter/i + ectomy = endarterectomy
anti + helminth + ic = anthelminthic
Dr. Khanda T. Hamasalih 27
Key Point
When a prefix that ends in a vowel is joined to a root, the vowel of the prefix
is dropped if the root begins with a vowel or 'h'.

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 WORD EXERCISE 3
• Use the rules we have just described to join prefixes, combining forms of roots and suffixes
to make medical words.
Prefix Combining Suffix Medical word form
of word root
(a) endo- + odont/o + -ic endodontic
(b) prostho- + odont/o + -ist
(c) para- + rect/o + -al
(d) mono- + ocul/o + -ar
(e) peri- + splen/o + -itis
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 Summary
• For reading and understanding medical words.
First Split the word into its components gastro/entero/logy.
Then Think of or look up the meaning of these components.
Finally Read the meaning of the word beginning with the suffix and reading backwards:
Example 1: Gastroenterology
gastr/o 3 , enter/o 2 , -logy 1
1 -study of
2 - the intestines and
3 - the stomach. We read the full meaning of gastroenterology as - the study of the intestines and stomach.

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