Medical Terminology

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Medical Terminology

• Class 3

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Medical Terminology

• Do page one of your medical terminology
  worksheet. Take a break when you are finished.

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Prefixes a word element at the beginning of the
word to alter its meaning. A prefix can not stand
alone it must be combined with a root word

• A-, an-Without or not Intro-Into within Ab-Away
  from
• Leuk-White Ad-Toward Macro-Large
• Ante-Before, forward Mal-Bad, illness, disease
  Anti-Against
• Mega-Large Auto-Self Micro-Small
• Bi-Double, two Mono-One, single Circum-Around
• Neo-New Contra-Against, opposite Non-Not
• Para-Abnormal Per-By, through Peri-Around
• Poly-Many, much Ecto-Outer, outside Post-After,
  behind
• En-In, into, within Endo-Inner,
  inside Pro-Before, in front
• Epi-Over, on Re-Again Eryth-Red
• Retro-Backward Ex-Out, out of Semi-Half
• Hemi-Half Sub-Under Hyper-Excessive
• Super- Above, over Hypo-Under, decreased Supra-Abo
  ve, over
• In-In, into, within, not Trans-Across Inter-Betwe
  en
• Uni-One Intra-Within

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Root words provide the fundamental meaning of a
term. Combinations of rootwords, prefixes and
suffixes form medical and scientific terms. A
vowel, called a combining vowel, often is added
when two root words are combined or a suffix is
added to a root word the combining vowel is
usually an o or an i.

• Abdomin (o)Abdomen Neur (o)Nerve Aden (o)Gland
• Ocul (o)Eye Adren (o) gland Orth (o)Straight,
  normal
• Angi (o)Vessel Oste (o)Bone Arterio (o)Artery
• Ot (o)Ear Arthr (o)Joint Ped (o)Child, foot
• Broncho (o)bronchi Cardi (o)Heart Phleb (o)Vein
• Cephal (o)Head Pnea Breathing Chondr
  (o)Cartilage
• Pneum (0)Lung, air, gas Col (o)Colon Proct
  (o)Rectum
• Cost (o)Rib Psych (o)Mind Crani (o)Skull
• Pulm (o)Lung Cyan (o) Blue Py (o)Pus
• Cyst (o)Bladder, cyst Rect (o)Rectum Cyt (o)Cell
• Rhin (o)Nose Derma Skin Sten (o)Narrow,
  constriction
• Duoden (o)Duodenum Stran (o)Sternum Encephal
  (o)Brain
• Stomat (o)Mouth Enter (o)Intestines Therm
  (o)Heat
• Fibro (o)Fiber, fibrous Thorac (o)Chest Gastr
  (o)Stomach
• Thromb (o)Clot, thrombus hyr (o)Thyroid Toxic
  (o)Poison, poisonous
• Hepat (o)Liver Trache (o)Trachea Hydr (o)Water
• Hyster (o)Uterus Ile (o), ili (o)Ileum Urin
  (o)Urine
• Uter (o)Uterus Mamm (o)Breast Vas (o)Blood
  vessel, vas deferens
• My (o)Muscle Ven (o)Vein Myel (o)Spinal cord,
  bone marrow

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Suffixes a word element placed at the end of a
root word to alter the meaning of the word.
Suffixes, like prefixes, can not stand alone,
they must accompany a root word. The suffix
should be the starting point when interpreting
medical terms.

• -algiaPain -megalyEnlargement
• -omaTumor -celeHernia
• -osisCondition -cyteCell
• -pathyDisease -ectasisDilation
• -phasiaSpeaking -plegiaParalysis
• -gramRecord -graphyMaking a record
• iasisCondition of -scopeExamination instrument
• -ismCondition -scopyExamination using a scope
• -it isInflammation -logyStudy of
• -lysisDestruction of -uriaCondition of the urine

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Abbreviations shortened form of words or
phrases. A. Used as written communication to
save time and space B. When using abbreviations,
provide an abbreviation key

• AbdAbdomen IBWIdeal Body Weight
• Ad libAs desired idThe same
• ligligament alt noctAlternate nights
• AMMorning medsMidline
• MLMedicationns nNormal
• ApproxApproximately NANonapplicable

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Terms Related to Dx and Dz

• Indication a condition for which an approach
  would be beneficial for health enhancement,
  treatment of a particular condition, or support
  of a treatment modality other than massage
• Contraindication a condition or factor that may
  make an approach harmful.
• Contraindications may be subdivided by severity
• 1. General avoidance of application do not
  massage
• 2. Regional avoidance of application avoid a
  particular area
• 3. Application with caution requires
  supervision from medical or
• supervising personnel massage but carefully
  select types of methods
• to be used, duration of application, frequency
  and intensity of massage.

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Terminology of Location and Position

• Directional Terms used to describe the way one
  body part relates to another
• 1. Superior / cranial or cephalad
• 2. Inferior / caudal
• 3. Anterior / ventral
• 4. Posterior / dorsal
• 5. Proximal
• 6. Distal
• 7. Lateral
• 8. Medial

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Terminology of Location and Position

• B. Anatomic Planes
• 1. Transverse plane
• 2. Frontal/coronal plane
• 3. Medial/sagittal plane

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Terminology of Location and Position

• C. Positional Terms
• 1. Anatomic position stance of the body when
  erect, arms hanging at the sides, palms facing
  forward
• 2. Erect position the body in a standing
  position
• 3. Supine position the body lying in a
  horizontal position with face up
• 4. Prone position the body in horizontal
  position with face down
• 5. Laterally recumbent position the body lying
  horizontally on either the right or left side

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The EndLets review terms
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Medical Terminology

• Tissue a collection of similar cells acting
  together to form a particicular function
• Epithelial closely packed single or stratified
  layer of cells (skin) covering the body and
  lining its cavities with the exception of blood
  and lymph vessels
• Connective tissue that supports and binds other
  tissue and parts
• Muscular tissues that are contractible 3
  types cardiac, smooth muscle and skeletal
• Nervous CNS brain and spinal cord
• PNS cranial and spinal nerves
• ANS nerves in thoracic, lumbar, cranial and
  sacral segments of the Spinal cord

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Medical Terminology

• Histo - tissue
• Histology study of microscopic anatomic and
  physiologic characteristics of tissues and cells
  therein
• Organ structural part of a system of the body
  that is composed of tissue and cells that enable
  it to perform a particular function
• Bone a dense, hard and somewhat flexible
  connective tissue
• Os, ossa, oste, osteo having to do with bone

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Medical Terminology

• Tendon any one of the white, glistening bands
  of dense, fibrous connective tissue that attaches
  muscle to bone
• Ligament shiny white flexible bands of fibrous
  tissue binding joints together and connecting
  articular bones and cartilages to facilitate
  movement
• Cartilage a nonvascular dense supporting
  connective tissue composed of ground substance
• Hyaline cartilage a type of elastic connective
  tissue composed of Specialized cells in a
  translucent, pearly blue matrix covering
  articulating ends of bones
• Fibrocartilage Cartilage that consists of a
  dense matrix of white collagenous fibers.

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Medical Terminology

• Joint any one of the articulations between
  bones
• Articulation movements of joints
• Bursae a fibrous sac between certain tendons
  and the bones beneath them. The bursae acts as a
  small cushion that allows the tendons to move
  over the bone as it contracts and releases
• Osteoblasts a bone forming cell during early
  development of the skeleton, differentiates from
  a fibroblast to function in the formation of bone
  tissue
• Osteoclasts a large type of multinucleated bone
  cell with a large amount of acidophilic cytoplasm
  that functions to absorb and remove osseos tissue

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Medical Terminology

• Manubrium most anterior of the 3 bones of the
  sternum
• Xiphoid Process the smallest of 3 parts of the
  sternum
• Malleolus a rounded bony process such as each
  side of the ankle
• Process a natural growth that projects from a
  bone
• Crest a narrow, elongated elevation

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Medical Terminology

• Trochanter one of the two bony projections on
  the proximal end of the femur that serve as a
  part of the attachment for various muscles
• Tuberosity an elevation or protuberance
  especially of the bone
• Acute beginning abruptly with marked intensity
  or sharpness, then subsiding after a relatively
  short period of time
• Ambulatory able to walk
• Anomoly deviation from what is regarded as
  normal

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Medical Terminology

• Flaccid weak, soft and flabby lacking muscle
  tone
• Hyperkinisia too much erratic or rhythmic
  movement
• Hypertonicity excessive tone, tension, activity
• Insertion the place where a muscle attaches to
  a bone for movement
• Origin the more fixed or proximal attachment of
  two points of a muscle

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Medical Terminology

• Hyperemia an excess of blood in a part of the
  body, caused by increased blood flow, as in an
  inflammatory response, local relaxation of
  arterioles or obstruction of blood flow from an
  area. Skin overlaying a hyperemic area usually
  becomes reddened and warm
• Spastic pertaining to spasms or other
  uncontrolled contractions of skeletal muscles
• Myalgia diffuse muscle pain, usually
  accompanied by malaise
• Spasm an involuntary muscle contraction of
  sudden onset such as habit spasms, hiccups,
  stuttering or a tic
• Fracture to break - a traumatic injury to the
  bone in which the continuity of the bone tissue
  is broken

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Medical Terminology

• Osteoarthritis joint inflammation - a form of
  arthritis in which one or many joints undergo
  degenerative changes
• Osteochondritis bone cartilage inflammation. A
  disease of epiphyses or bone forming centers of
  the skeleton that begins with necrosis and tissue
  fragmentation and is followed by repair and
  regeneration
• Osteochondrosis a disease of the epiphyses, or
  bone-forming centers of the skeleton, that begins
  with necrosis and tissue fragmentation and is
  followed by repair and regeneration.
• Osteoporosis a disorder characterized by
  abnormal loss of bone density and deterioration
  of bone tissue, with an increased fracture risk.
• Spondylitis an inflammation of any of the
  vertebrae, usually characterized by stiffness and
  pain.

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Medical Terminology

• Atrophy a wasting or decrease in size or
  physiologic activity of a part of the body
  because of disease or other influence.
• Benign noncancerous and therefore not an
  immediate threat.
• Chronic persisting for a long period, often for
  the remainder of a persons lifetime.
• Clinical pertaining to a clinic, to direct
  bedside medical or nursing care, to materials or
  equipment used in the care of a sick person.
• Diagnosis identification of a disease or
  condition by a scientific evaluation of physical
  signs, symptoms, history, laboratory test
  results, and procedures.

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Medical Terminology

• Local pertaining to a small circumscribed
  area of the body
• Malignant tending to become worse and to cause
  death.
• Metastatic the process by which tumor cells
  spread to distant parts of the body.
• Prognosis a prediction of the probable outcome
  of a disease based on the condition of the person
  and the usual course of the disease as observed
  in similar situations.
• Sign an objective finding as perceived by an
  examiner, such as fever, rash.

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Medical Terminology

• Symptom a subjective indication of a disease
  or a change in condition as perceived by the
  patient.
• Syndrome a complex of signs and symptoms
  resulting from a common cause or appearing, in
  combination, to present a clinical picture of a
  disease or inherited abnormality.
• Systemic pertaining to the whole body rather
  than to a localized area or region of the body.
• Bacterial of or pertaining to bacteria.
• Cancer a neoplasm characterized by the
  uncontrolled growth of anaplastic cells that tend
  to invade surrounding tissue and to metastasize
  to distant body parts.

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Medical Terminology

• Congenital present at birth, as in anomaly or
  defect
• Degenerative pertaining to or involving
  degeneration or change to a lower or
  dysfunctional form.
• Epidemic affecting a significantly large number
  of people at the same time.
• Exacerbation an increase in the seriousness of
  a disease or disorderas marked by greater
  intensity in the signs and symptoms of the
  patient being treated
• Idiopathic without a know cause

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Medical Terminology

• Infectious the invasion of the body by
  pathogenic microorganisms that reproduce and
  multiply, causing disease by local cellular
  injury, secretion of a toxin or antigen/antibody
  reaction in the host.
• Trauma physical injury caused by violent or
  disruptive action or by the introduction into the
  body of a toxic substance
• Viral of or pertaining to a virus
• Aponeurosis a strong flat sheet of fibrous
  connective tissue that serves as a tendon to
  attach muscles to bone or as fascia to bind
  muscles together or to other tissues at their
  origin or insertion.
• Belly the fleshy central bulging portion of a
  muscle

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Medical Terminology

• Clonus an abnormal pattern of neuromuscular
  activity, characterized by rapidly alternating
  involuntary contraction and relaxation of
  skeletal muscle
• Contracture a abnormal, usually permanent
  condition of a joint, characterized by flexion
  and fixation
• Cramp a spasmodic and often painful contraction
  of one or more muscles
• Fascia the fibrous connective membrane of the
  body that can be separated from other structures,
  such as tendon.s