Basic Term Components

1
Basic Term Components

• Chapter 2

2
Origins of Medical Terms

• Most medical terms have Greek or Latin origins
• Most diagnostic and surgical terms have Greek
  origins
• Most anatomical terms have Latin origins
• Medical terms have also been influenced by German
  and French languages
• Many new terms are derived from English

3
Analysis of Term Components

• Most medical terms have three components
• Root foundation or subject of the term
• Suffix ending that gives essential meaning to
  the term
• Prefix added to the beginning of a term when
  needed to further modify the root

4
Combining Vowels and Combining Forms

• A vowel, usually an o, is used to join root to
  another root or a suffix
• The letter i is the second most common
  combining vowel

5
Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms

1. A combining vowel is used to join root to root as
   well as to any suffix beginning with a consonant
2. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix
   that begins with a vowel
3. If the root ends in a vowel and the suffix beings
   with the same vowel, drop the final vowel from
   the root and do not use a combining vowel

6
Rules for Forming and Spelling Medical Terms
(continued)

1. Most often, a combining vowel is inserted between
   two roots even when the second root begins with a
   vowel.
2. Occasionally, when a prefix ends in a vowel and
   the root begins with a vowel, the final vowel is
   dropped from the prefix

7
Defining Medical Terms throughWord Structure
Analysis

• You can usually define a term by interpreting
  the suffix first, then the prefix (if present),
  then the succeeding root or roots

8
Note

• It is difficult to know the difference between
  prefixes and roots (or combining forms) because
  the root is placed first in a medical term when a
  prefix is not needed
• Memorize the most common prefixes so that you can
  recognize them when used in a term

9
Formation of Medical Terms

• Most medical terms build from the root
• Prefixes and suffixes are attached to modify its
  meaning
• Often two or more roots are linked before being
  modified
• Occasionally, terms are formed by a root alone or
  a combination of roots
• Sometimes, a term is formed from the combination
  of a prefix and suffix

10
Spelling Medical Terms

• Sometimes words sound exactly the same but are
  spelled differently and have different meanings
• Context is the clue to spelling
• Some words sound similar but are spelled
  differently and have different meanings
• When letters are silent in a term, they risk
  being omitted when spelling the word

11
Spelling Medical Terms
(continued)

• Some words have more than one acceptable spelling
• Some combining forms have the same meaning but
  different origins that compete for usage

12
Types of Suffixes

• Simple form basic terms
• For example
• -ic (pertaining to)
• -ium (structure or tissue)
• -y (condition or process of)

13
Types of Suffixes
(continued)

• Compound uses a combination of basic term
  components to modify a term
• For example
• -tomy
• -y tom (root meaning to cut), refers to a
  process of cutting (incision)
• -ectomy
• -ec (prefix meaning out) tom (to cut) -y
  refers to a process of cutting out (excision or
  removal)

14
Four Categories of Suffixes

• Symptomatic suffixes describe the evidence of
  disease
• Diagnostic suffixes provide the name of a
  medical condition
• Operative suffixes describe a surgical treatment
• General suffixes have a general application

15
Root/Suffix

• cardi / ac heart / pertaining to
• (pertaining to the heart)

16
Prefix/Root/Suffix

• epi / card / ium upon / heart / tissue
• (tissue upon the heart, i.e.,external lining of
  the heart)

17
Prefix/Root/Suffix
(continued)

• sub / endo / cardia / al beneath / within / hear
  t / pertaining to
• (pertaining to beneath and within the heart)

18
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix

• cardi / o / logyheart / / study
• (study of the heart)

19
Root/Combining Vowel/Root/Suffix

• cardi / o / pulmon / ary heart / / lung / perta
  ining to
• (pertaining to the heart and lungs)

20
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix(symptomatic)

• cardi / o / dynia heart / / pain
• (pain in the heart)

21
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix(diagnostic)

• cardi / o / rrhexis heart / / rupture
• (a rupture of the heart)

22
Root/Combining Vowel/Suffix(operative)

• cardi / o / rrhaphy heart / / suture
• (a suture of the heart)

23
Exceptions Root Alone

• ductroot
• (to lead)

24
Exceptions Combination of Roots

• ovi / duct root / root egg / to lead
• (Oviduct refers to the uterine tube)

25
Exceptions Prefix and Suffix

• meta / stasis prefix / suffix beyond,
  after, / stop or stand or change
• (Metastasis refers to the spread of a
  disease,such as cancer, from one location to
  another)