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Basic Elements of Medical Terms Word Elements

This document discusses the basic elements used to build medical terminology, including prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combining forms. It provides examples of how these elements are combined to form terms like polyarthritis, electrocardiogram, pericardial, and polyuria. The document also discusses some common suffixes like -gram, -graph, and -ectomy and provides rules for combining word roots and suffixes, with examples like sclerosis and thermometer. It concludes by outlining the three steps to define a medical term by identifying the suffix, prefix, and middle part of the word.

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DANIELLE MAE F CASTRO
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80 views2 pages

Basic Elements of Medical Terms Word Elements

This document discusses the basic elements used to build medical terminology, including prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combining forms. It provides examples of how these elements are combined to form terms like polyarthritis, electrocardiogram, pericardial, and polyuria. The document also discusses some common suffixes like -gram, -graph, and -ectomy and provides rules for combining word roots and suffixes, with examples like sclerosis and thermometer. It concludes by outlining the three steps to define a medical term by identifying the suffix, prefix, and middle part of the word.

Uploaded by

DANIELLE MAE F CASTRO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic Elements of Medical Terms

Word Elements:
Word Elements make up the basis of medical terminology: the prefix, suffix, root, combining
vowel, and combining form. In this lesson, we will spend time learning about putting these
various aspects of medical terms together.
Polyarthritis: Inflammation of many joints

Prefix = poly (many)


Root = arthr (joint)
Suffix = itis (inflammation)
Word Roots:
Word Roots usually indicate a body part. Like the word root, the combining form usually
indicates a body part. A combining vowel is usually an "o." This is added for ease in
pronunciation.
Electrocardiogram: A record of the electrical activity of the heart.

Prefix = electro (electric)


Root = cardi (heart)
Combining Vowel = o
Suffix = gram (record)
Elements:
Not all medical terms have all elements. A medical term can contain a prefix and a root only
or a root and suffix only. A prefix is a word element located at the beginning of a word. The
prefix usually indicates a number, time, position, direction , or sense of negation. A suffix is
a word ending. Changing the suffix gives the word a new meaning. A suffix usually indicates
a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech. Here are some examples.
Pericardial: Around the heart

Prefix = peri (around)


Root = cardial (heart)

Polyuria: Excessive urination

Prefix = poly
Root = uria

Pathology: The study of disease

Root = path (disease)


Suffix = ology (study of)
Problem Areas:
Some areas which cause trouble when learning medical terms will be addressed briefly
because of the confusion that often occurs with these suffixes.
-gram (a record)
-graph (a machine)
-graphy (a process)

-ectomy (surgical removal)


-ostomy (surgical opening)
-otomy (surgical incision)
Note: The - before the term part indicates that this part is added to the end of a term. If
the - were on the other side, it would be added to the front of a term. Some parts can be
added to the front or back.
Here are basic rules of putting together medical terms.
1 - A word root is used before a suffix that begins with a vowel. Example: sclerosis

Root Word = scler (hardening)


Suffix = osis (abnormal condition)
Meaning = Abnormal condition of hardening

2 - A combining vowel is used to link a word root to a suffix that begins with a
consonant, and to link a word root to another word root to form a compound word.
Examples: thermometer, osteochondritis

Root Word + Combining Vowel = therm/o (heat)

Suffix = meter (instrument for measuring)


Meaning = Instrument for measuring heat

Root Word + Combining Vowel + Root Word = Oste/o/chondr (bone;


cartilage)

Suffix = itis (inflammation)


Meaning = Inflammation of bone and cartilage

In most instances, the combining vowel is retained between two roots even if the
second root begins with a vowel. Example: osteoarthritis

Root Word + Combining Vowel + Root Word = Oste/o/arthr (bone; joint)

Suffix = itis (inflammation)


Meaning = Inflammation of bone and joint
Defining Medical Terms:
There are three basic steps to defining medical words.
Step1: Define the suffix, or last part of the word.
Step 2: Define the prefix, or first part of the word
Step 3: Define the middle of the word
Gastroenteritis (Gastr/o/enter/itis)
Step 1: Itis = Inflammation of
Step 2: Gastro = stomach
Step 3: Enter = Intestine

This definition would then be written as:

Inflammation of stomach and intestines.

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