Introduction to Veterinary Medical Terminology

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Introduction to Veterinary Medical Terminology

• Building Blocks of Words

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Its all Greek to me!

• Some may say that veterinarians speak
• Greek, they are right!
• Most terms used in veterinary medicine are based
  on Latin or Greek.
• Latin is the universal language of medicine and
  the Greeks were the founders of modern medicine.
• The following will be some common examples, be
  sure to record these terms on your worksheet.

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Latin (Scientific) Adjectives
Common Name Latin Derived Adj.
Dog Canis Canine
Cat Felis Feline
Horse Equus Equine
Cattle Bos Bovine
Sheep Ovis Ovine
Goat Capra Caprine
Pig Sus Pocine
Bird Avis Avian
Mouse Mus Murine
Rat Rattus Murine
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The Building Blocks
Suffix
Root
Prefix
Combining Form
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Word Structure

• Root Word
• Prefix
• Suffix
• Combining Vowel
• Compound Word
• The key to learning terminology is to break down
  each word into parts and learn the most common
  roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combing forms.

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Root Word

• Definition - the foundation of the word
• Gives substance to the meaning.
• Like a box car in a train, they give the train
  volume and substance.
• They come in a variety of different sizes and
  volumes.
• There can be more than one in a word.

Suffix
Root
Prefix
Combining Form
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Root Word Examples - 1

• Cardi/o Heart
• Cephalo/o Head
• Dent/o Tooth, Teeth
• Mamm/a, Mamm/o Mammary Gland
• Nas/o Nose, Nasal

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Root Word Examples - 2

• Ophthalm/o Eye
• Ot/o Ear
• Steth/o Chest
• Thorac/o Thorax
• Trache/o - Trachea

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Root Word Examples - 3

• Abdomin/o Abdomen
• Copr/o Feces
• Cyan/o Blue
• Derm/o, Dermat/o Skin
• Enter/o Intestines

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Root Word Examples - 4

• Erythr/o Red Blood Cell
• Gingiv/o Gums
• Hepat/o Liver
• Hydr/o Water
• Peritone/o Peritoneum Membrane

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Word Structure

• Root Word
• Prefix
• Suffix
• Combining Vowel
• Compound Word

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Prefix

• Word that precedes/BEFORE the root, modifying the
  roots meaning to form a new word.
• Alone they have some meaning, but they are not
  complete words without the rest of the word
  parts.

• They are like the trains engine with its
  whistle.
• Leads the train and announces the coming train.
• Without the box cars, together with the engine
  there is not a complete train.

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Prefix Examples - 1

• A-, an- Not, Without
• Anti- Opposing, Against
• Brady- Slow
• De- Away from
• Dys- Difficult

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Prefix Examples - 2

• Hyper- High, Above, Beyond
• Hypo- Low, Below, Behind
• Mal- Bad, Poor
• Poly- Many

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Prefix Examples - 3

• Ep-, Epi- On, Upon
• Eu- Normal
• Iso- Equal, Same
• Multi- Many, Much
• Neo- New

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Prefix Examples - 4

• Pan- All
• Peri- Around
• Post- After
• Pyo- Pus
• Uni- Single Celled

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Prefix

• Example
• Prefix Root Word New word
• brady cardi/a bradycardia
• slow heart slow heart (rate)

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Exercise on Prefixes

• ________ biotic (against life)
• ________ thermia (high temperature)
• ________ horn (remove the horn)

• a-, an- (without or not having)
• anti - (against)
• brady- (slow)
• contra- (against, opposed)
• de- (remove, take away, loss of)
• dys- (difficult, troubled)
• pyo - (pus)
• hyper- (high)

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Word Structure

• Root Word
• Prefix
• Suffix
• Combining Vowel
• Compound Word

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Suffix

• Written AFTER a root word to form a NEW word.
• Follows root word altering the words meaning.
• Determines if word is a noun, adjective or other
  type of word.

Like a caboose, it is always last.
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Suffix Examples - 1

• -ectomy Removal of
• -emia Blood condition
• -pnea Breathing
• -iasis Infestation or infection
• -itis Inflammation

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Suffix Examples - 2

• -ism State or condition
• -logy Study of
• -oma Tumor
• -penia Deficiency of
• -scope Instrument for exam
• -tomy Cutting, Incision

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Suffix Examples - 3

• -al ic, -ac, -ous Pertaining to
• -graphy Recording of
• -lysis- Destruction of
• -megaly Abnormally Large
• -natal Birth

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Suffix Examples - 4

• -osis Abnormal condition
• -spasm Involuntary Contraction

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Word Structure Suffix

• Example
• Root Word Suffix New word
• Tonsil -itis Tonsilitis
• -itis inflammation of Inflammation of
  the tonsils

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Exercise on Suffixes

• Hyper- adrenocortic -________ (state)
• (Adrenal cortex)
• Acar/i -________ (tick/mite infestation)
• Gastr/i-________(inflammation of the stomach
  lining)

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Word Structure

• Root Word
• Prefix
• Suffix
• Combining Vowel
• Compound Word

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Word Structure Combining Vowel

• Vowel commonly used o
• General Rule 1 If the suffix starts with a
  consonant, connect the rootword and the suffix
  with the vowel o.
• Example 1
• Root Word CV Suffix New word
• Cardi -o- -logy Cardiology
• Heart study of Study of the heart

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Word Structure Combining Vowel

• Vowel commonly used o
• General Rule 2 If the suffix starts with a vowel
  (a,e,i,o,u) DO NOT USE the vowel o.
• Just attach the suffix to the root word.
• Example 2
• Root Word Suffix New word
• Hepat/o -osis Hepatosis
• liver -disease process - disease process in
  the liver

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Word Structure Combining Vowel

• Vowel commonly used o
• General Rule 3 If the suffix begins with the
  same vowel as the root word, DO NOT
  repeat the vowel.
• Example 3
• Root Word Suffix New word
• Cardi -itis Carditis
• heart -inflammation of - inflammation
  of the heart

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Word Structure

• Root Word
• Prefix
• Suffix
• Combining Vowel
• Compound Word

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Word Structure Compound Word

• Rootword 1 CV Rootword 2 Suffix New
  word
• Heart worm Heartworm
• Medi o later -al
  Mediolateral
• Crani o caud/al -al
  Craniocaudal
• Dors o palm -ar
  Dorsopalmar

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Review Word Structure

• What is a Root Word?
• Where can you find a prefix in a word?
• Where can you find a suffix in a word?
• What is the most commonly used vowel?
• a. If first letter of suffix consonant?
• b. If first letter of suffix is vowel?
• c. If first letter of suffix last letter of
  RW?
• Create a compound word.

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Create a Word Activity

• For each group there are three dice.
• Prefix
• Rootword
• Suffix
• Each person is to take three rolls of each dice
  to create three words.
• Write out the correct notation, including
  combining vowels/words and its meaning.