The Language Of

Medicine
10 edition
th

Davi-Ellen Chabner
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

Chapter 1
Basic Word Structure

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

Chapter Goals
Identify basic objectives to guide
your study of the medical language.
Divide medical words into their
component parts.
Learn the meanings of basic
combining forms, prefixes, and
suffixes of the medical language.
Use these combining forms, prefixes,
and suffixes to build medical words.
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

Chapter 1
Lesson 1.1

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

Objectives in Studying
The Medical Language
Analyze words by dividing them
into component parts.
Relate the medical terms to the
structure and function of the
human body.
Be aware of spelling and
pronunciation problems.
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

QUICK QUIZ:
1. All
A.
B.
C.
D.

medical terms have:

a combining vowel
two roots
a suffix
a prefix

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

QUICK QUIZ: (contd)

2. Which element appears at the
beginning of a medical term?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Suffix
Prefix
Combining vowel
Combining form

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

Word Analysis

HEMAT/O/LOGY

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Word Analysis (contd)

HEMAT/O/LOGY

root

suffix
combining vowel

hemat means blood

-logy means process of
study
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

Word Analysis (contd)

Important elements:
Root: foundation of the term
Suffix: word ending
Prefix: word beginning
Combining vowel: vowel (usually o)
that links the root to the suffix or the root
to another root and aids pronunciation
Combining form: combination of the
root and the combining vowel

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Word Analysis (contd)

ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRA
M

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Word Analysis (contd)

ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM

root

root suffix
combining vowels

electr means electricity

cardi means heart
-gram means record
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Word Analysis (contd)

GASTR/ITIS

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Word Analysis (contd)

GASTR/ITIS

root

suffix

gastr means stomach

-itis means inflammation
Note: Drop combining vowel when
suffix starts with a vowel (as in itis)
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

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Word Analysis (contd)

GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOG
Y

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Word Analysis (contd)

GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY

root

root suffix
combining vowels

gastr means stomach

enter means intestines
-logy means process of study
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Word Analysis (contd)

THREE General Rules:
1. Read the meaning of medical terms
from the suffix back to the
beginning of the term and across
2. Drop the combining vowel (usually
o) before a suffix beginning with a
vowel: gastritis not gastroitis
3. Keep the combining vowel between
two roots: gastroenterology not
gastrenterology
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Word Analysis (contd)

HYPO/GASTR/IC

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Word Analysis (contd)

HYPO/GASTR/IC

prefix

root

suffix

hypo- means below

gastr means stomach
-ic
means pertaining to

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

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Word Analysis (contd)

EPI/GASTR/IC

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Word Analysis (contd)

EPI/GASTR/IC

prefix root

suffix

epimeans above
gastr means stomach
-ic
means pertaining to
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Combining Forms
Combining Form

Meaning

aden/o _________
arthr/o _________
bi/o _________
carcin/o_________
cardi/o _________
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

aden/o

gland

arthr/o

joint

bi/o life
carcin/o cancerous, cancer
cardi/o

heart
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QUICK QUIZ:
3. Which term means
inflammation
of the gland?
A. Arthritis
B. Adenitis
C. Adenoma
D.Cephalic
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Combining Forms
Combining Form

Meaning

cephal/o

_________

cerebr/o

_________

cis/o

_________

crin/o

_________

cyst/o

_________
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

cephal/o

head

cerebr/o

cerebrum

cis/o

to cut

crin/o

to secrete

cyst/o

urinary bladder
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

cyt/o

Meaning

_________

derm/o or dermat/o _________

electr/o _________
encephal/o _________
enter/o

_________
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

cyt/o

cell

derm/o or dermat/o skin

electr/o

electricity

encephal/o brain
enter/o

intestines
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QUICK QUIZ:
4. Which term means study of
cells?
A. Cystoscopy
B. Cystitis
C. Cytology
D.Hematology

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Combining Forms
Combining Form

Meaning

erythr/o

_________

gastr/o

_________

glyc/o

_________

gnos/o

_________

gynec/o

_________

hemat/o or hem/o _________

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Combining Forms
(contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

erythr/o

red

gastr/o

stomach

glyc/o

sugar

gnos/o

knowledge

gynec/o

woman, female

hemat/o or hem/o blood

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Combining Forms
(contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

hepat/o _________
iatr/o

_________

leuk/o

_________

log/o

_________

nephr/o _________
neur/o

_________
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

hepat/o liver
iatr/o

treatment, physician

leuk/o

white

log/o

study of

nephr/o kidney
neur/o

nerve
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

onc/o

Meaning

_________

ophthalm/o _________
oste/o _________
path/o _________
ped/o

_________
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

onc/o

Meaning

tumor

ophthalm/o eye
oste/o bone
path/o disease
ped/o

child
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

psych/o _________
radi/o

_________

ren/o

_________

rhin/o

_________

sarc/o

_________
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

psych/o mind
radi/o

x-rays

ren/o

kidney

rhin/o

nose

sarc/o

flesh
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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

sect/o

Meaning

_________

thromb/o
ur/o

_________

_________

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Combining Forms (contd)

Combining Form

Meaning

sect/o

to cut

thromb/o

clot, clotting

ur/o

urinary tract,

urine

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Suffixes
Combining Form

Meaning

-ac _________
-al _________
-algia

_________

-cyte

_________

-ectomy

_________
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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-ac pertaining to
-al pertaining to
-algia

pain

-cyte

cell

-ectomy

excision, removal
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QUICK QUIZ:
5. Which suffix means to cut out
or remove?
A.-ectomy
B.-scopy
C.-itis
D.-opsy

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

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Suffixes
Combining Form

Meaning

-emia

_________

-genic

_________

-globin _________
-gram

_________

-ic, ical _________

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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-emia

blood condition

-genic

produced by or in

-globin protein
-gram

record

-ic, ical pertaining to

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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-ion_________
-ist _________
-itis_________
-logy

_________

-oma

_________
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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-ionprocess
-ist specialist
-itisinflammation
-logy

process of study

-oma

tumor, mass, swelling

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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-opsy

_________

-osis

_________

-pathy _________
-scope _________
-scopy _________
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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-opsy

process of viewing

-osis

condition, usually abnormal

-pathy disease condition

-scope instrument to visually examine
-scopy process of visually examining
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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-sis

_________

-tomy

_________

-y
_________

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Suffixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

-sis state of; condition

-tomy
-y

process of cutting, incision

process, condition

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Prefixes
Combining Form

Meaning

a-, an-

_________

aut-, auto
dia-

_________
_________

end-, endo-

_________

epi-

_________

ex-, exo-

_________
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Prefixes (contd)
Combining Form

a-, an-

Meaning

no, not, without

aut-, auto-

self, own

dia- complete, through

endo-

within

epi- above, upon

ex-, exo- out, outside of, outward
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Prefixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

hyper-

_________

hypo-

_________

in-

_________

peri-

_________

pro- _________
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Prefixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

hyper-

excessive, above, more than normal

hypo-

deficient, below, under, less than

normal
in-

into, in

peri-

surrounding, around

pro-

before, forward
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Prefixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

re-

_________

retro-

_________

subtrans-

_________
_________
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Prefixes (contd)
Combining Form

Meaning

re- back, backward, again

retro-

behind

sub-

below, under

trans-

across, through

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Pronunciation of Terms
When is above a vowel, the sound is
long. For example:
as in pe
as in pen

When is above a vowel, the sound is

short. For example:
as in pple
as in pt

The capitalized syllable is accented.

Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

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Pronunciation of
Terms (contd)
Examples:
adenitis

d--N-ts

biology

b-OL--j

cephalic se-FL-k
iatrogenic i-t-r-JN-k
resection r-SK-shn
Copyright 2014, 2011, 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.

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