Medical

The Basic
Terminology

Structure and
Analysis of
Medical Terms
By
E. Suryadi
Madarina Julia

Medicine as an
information- intensive
domain
One million articles are published
every year in scientific journals
Medical terminologies (UMLS =
unified medical language system)
consist of more than 250.000
concepts and more than 540.000
different terms

ONCOLOGY: Cervix
Sarcoma
Sarcoma of the cervix therapy
Sarcomas of the cervix show a variable and generally
poor response to radiotherapy. If possible therefore,
surgical removal is indicated if the disease is localized to
the pelvis. This may vary from simple hysterectomy to
total pelvic exenteration. Chemotherapy has not proved
effective in these tumor
The signs and symptoms of recurrent malignant disease
are:
1. Positive cytologic examination
2. Palpable tumor in pelvis or abdomen
3. Ulceration of cervix or vagina
4. Unilateral lower extremity edema
5. Supraclavicular lymphadenopathy

Medical Terminology
Our sessions :
The structure and analysis of
medical terms
Roots, prefix and suffix in
medical terms
The basic of medical
terminology
And two practical sessions

History
a vocabulary from ancient
Greek and Latin
Ancient doctors, e.g.
Hippocrates:
epilepsy, dysentery, diarrhea

New advances in medical

science new terms derived
from everyday vocabulary,
e.g. cyt kytos (hollow

Why do we need to
learn medical
terminology
?
To speak
and to write exactly

Health professional around the world

use medical vocabulary to speak and to
write exactly
International language, efficiency and
effective learning
Medical sciences and Technology
development are followed by new
medical terms
New sciences/technology = New

How do we learn
medical
terminology?
like learning other languages:
memorize the vocabulary!!
logical language:
most terms can be broken
down into its basic component
parts and understood
basic word structure

Basic Word Structure

PANCYTOPENIA
PREFIX
COMBININ
WORD G VOWEL
ROOT
SUFFI
X
COMBINING
FORM

Medical
Terminology

Commonly Used:
Roots,
Prefix and
Suffix

Anatomy terms
construction
Simple
word
Root
Prefix-root
Root-suffix
Prefix-root-suffix
Root-root
Complex word
Noun-noun
Noun-adverd
Noun ajective- adverd

cephal
encephalon
cephalgia
encephalitis
cephalofacial

vertebra cervicalis
phalanx distalis
m. flexor hallucislongus
a. collateralis ulnaris inferior
Apertura superior canaliculi tympanici

WORD ROOT
FOUNDATION OF THE
WORD

GASTER
=GASTROS
ROOT
(stomach
)

PREFIX
WORD BEGINNING

EPIGASTRIC
PREFIX
(above)

SUFFIX
WORD ENDING

GASTRITIS
SUFFIX
(inflammation)

COMPOUND WORD
TWO OR MORE WORD
ROOTS

ELECTROCARDIOGRA
M
GASTROENTERITIS
WORD ROOTS

LEUKOCYTE
LEUKOCYTOSIS
LEUKOCYTOPENIA
SUFFIX or
COMPOUND SUFFIX
FORM

Correlate an
understanding of a word
with basic anatomy,
physiology, and disease
process of the human
PANCYTOPENIA
body
PAN : all
CYT : cell
PENIA : deficiency

DEFICIENCY OF ALL CELLS

(deficiency of all types of
blood cells)

LEUKEMIA
LEUK (root): white
EM (root): blood
IA (suffix): state (noun)
EMIA (compound-suffix
form): state of blood
white blood
malignancy of white blood
cells

The origin of
a medical term
Greek noun or adjective
Greek verb
Latin noun or adjective
Latin verb
Influence how it was used in
modern medical term

Tissue

Tissues may have different

terms in normal and
diseased states
NORMAL: LATIN WORD

DISEASED/ ABNORMAL:
GREEK WORD

normal
TESTIS
UTERUS
VAGINA
OVARIU
M
TUBA
NASUS
ORIS
HEPAR

and
abnormal
orch/o
orchitis
metr/o
colp/o
oophor/o
salphynx
rhin/o
stomat/onep
hepat/o

endometrit
s
colpitis
vaginitis
Oophoritis
salphyngit
s
rhinitis
Stomatitis

normal
REN
COR
PULMO

and
abnormal
nephr/o
cardi/o
pneum/o

nephritis
carditis
pneumoniti
s
pneumonia
CORNEA
kerat/o
keratitis
AURIS
ot/o
otitis
CEREBRUM encephal/o
encephaliti
s

Tissue latin and

Greek
ADIPOSE TISSUE
Fascia adiposa
LIP/O
: FAT
Lipolysis
Lipogenesis
Lipodystrophy
lipoma

Tissue latin and

Greek
OSSEUS/OS
Os femur, os radius, os
pallatum, medulla
osseum
OSTE/O - : BONE
Osteogenesis
imperfecta
Osteoblast
Osteomyelitis

Tissue latin and

Greek
NERVUS
Nernus ischiadicus, n.
axillaris
NEUR/O : NERVE
neuralgia
neuropathy
neuritis

Tissue latin and

Greek

MUSCULUS
Musculus pectoralis major,
m. rectus abdominis
MY/O
MYS/O: MUSCLE
myopathy
myositis
Myoglobin
Myofibra
Myocardium
Myometrium

Tissue latin and

Greek
CARTILAGO
Cartilago thyreoidea, cartilago
septi nasi
CHONDR/O : CARTILAGE
chondrodysplasia
Achondroplasia
Osteogenesis enchondralis
Chondrogenesis

Tissue latin and

Greek

CUTIS
CUTANE/0
Intracutane, subcutane
DERMIS
DERMAT/O : SKIN
dermatitis
leukoderma
epidermis
dermatology

Tissue latin and

Greek

VASA
VASCUL/O
vascularisation,
avascular
ANGI/O : BLOOD VESSEL
angiopathy/ vasculopathy
angiography
Angiogram
angioma
Vasculitis

Tissue latin and

Greek

SANGUIS; SANGUINIS
HEM/O =HAIMA
EM
HEMAT/O: BLOOD
hematology
hematopoiesis
anemia
cholesterolemia
hemoglobin

Greek nouns and

adjectives (1)
Root of a noun or an
adjective is found by
dropping the ending (os,
on, e, s, ys)
nephros nephritis
neuron neuritis
leukos leukemia
tachys tachypnea
glykys -- glycemia

Greek nouns and

adjectives (2)
when a suffix begins with a
consonant attached to a root
ends with a consonant, a
combining vowel (CV) is
needed
consonant-consonant need CV:
leukocyte
neurogenic
nephroblast

sodrop the combining

vowel before a suffix
beginning with a vowel
Vowel-vowel CV drop
GASTRIC, and not GASTROIC
LEUKEMIA, and not LEUKOEMIA

but retain the

combining vowel
between two roots in a
word
Vowel-vowel R need CV
GASTROENTERITIS
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM

Greek nouns and

adjectives (3)
Some words may come in two
combining forms:
derma,
dermatos

hypodermic,
dermatology

soma, somatos macrosomia,

somatotroph
haima,
haimatos

hemoglobin,
hematology

stoma,
stomatos

tracheostomy,
stomatitis

Greek Verbs
gignesth
ai

gen(e) pathogenesis
- gen
hematogen

lyein

ly(s)-

hemolysis

tome

tom-

cholecystoto
my

graphein graph- cardiograph

rhein

rhe-

diarrhea,
leukorrhea

Latin Nouns
Combining form of a noun is
found by dropping the ending
(a, um)
fistula fistulectomy
vagina vaginoplasty
lympha lymphogen
ileum ileostomy
cerebrum cerebrovascular
palatum palatorrhaphy

Latin and Greek Color

Putih
hitam
Merah
Biru
kuning
hijau
Abu-abu

white
black
red
blue
yelow
green
grey

latin
albus
fuscus
rubrum
Glaucus
Luteus
Cloasma
griseus

greek
leuko
melano
erythro
cyano
Xantho
Cloro
Polyo

Latin and Greek Color

LEUK/O : ALBUS :
WHITE
ALBINO,
CORPUS ALBICAN
LINEA ALBA
LEUKOCYTE
LEUKOCYTURIA
LEUKOCYTOSIS
LEUKEMIA
LEUKODERMA
LEUKODYSTROPHY
LEUKOPLAKIA
LEUKORRHEA
FLUOR ALBUS

Latin and Greek

Color
MELAN/O :
FUSCUS : BLACK
MELANOCYTE
MELANOBLAST
MELANOMA
MELANURIA
MELANIN
MELENA

Latin and Greek

Color

ERYTHR/O : RUBRO :
RED
CORPUS RUBRUM
NUCLEUS RUBER

ERYTHROBLAST
ERYTHROCYTE
ERYTHROCLAST
ERYTHEMA
ERYTHREMIA
ERYTHRODERMA

Latin and Greek

Color
CYAN/O: BLUE
CYANOTIC
CYANOSIS
CYANOPHIL
CYANOPSIA
CYANOLABE
glaucos : bluish green
Griseus : bluish grey

Latin and Greek

Color

CHLOR/O:CHLOASMA
: GREEN
CHLOROMA
CHLOROPHYL
CHLOROPSIA
CHLOROLABE

Latin and Greek Color

GRISEUS = POLIOS =
PHAIOS =GREY
Substantia grisea
Poliomyelitis

Latin and Greek

Color
XANTH/O: FLAVUS:
LUTEUS: YELLOW
CORPUS LUTEUM
XANTHOCHROMIC
XANTHOCHROMIA
XANTHOMA
XANTHOPSIA

Body activities
Osme = bromo = to smell
Audio = acouo =
to
Mnena =
to memory
hear
to touch
Opsia /opia = blepo =to Palpo =
see
Kineo= moveo = to move
Phagien =
to eat Gustatus = geuma = to taste
Dipsa =
to
Hypnos /somnus/sopor=to sleep
drink
Glutio =
to swallow
Phrasis =
to
Defaecatio/chezo = to defaecate
speech
Laleo =
to
talk
Gradior =
to
walk
Halo = pneu = to
breathe

Qualitative Measurement
Major= magnus
= mega = great
Minor/parvus=sm
all
Breve = short
Longus = long
Durum = hard
Lepto/pia = thin

Mollis = soft
Bradys = tardus=slow
Tachys = celer =fast
Poly = multi = many
Oligos = few = rare
Sthenia = strong
Asthenia = weak

prefix
Location
supra/super /
retr/o

ultra
epi

par/a
peri

end/o
ento en
eso
intra
infra/ sub

extra
ect/o
exo
ec

prefix
Location
INTER/TRANS

mes/o
Circum/peri

Position

Ante = before; Post = after

Meta = behind = dibalik
Trans = beyond, to the other side
Inter = between, among
Dia = complete = through
Per = through, over
Ana = upon, upwards
Cata = downward; de = go down
Ab = away from; Re = to back; ascend=
keatas: descend = menurun; afferen =
menuju; efferen = meninggalkan
Ad = to ward; Syn/sym = to connect

Position
Ante = before;
Post = after
Meta = behind = dibalik
Trans = beyond, to the other
side
Inter = between, among
Dia = complete = through
Per = through, over
Ana = upon, upwards
Cata = downward;

de = go down
Ab = away from;
Ad = to ward;
Re = to back;
ascend= keatas:
descend = menurun;
afferen = menuju;
efferen = meninggalkan
Syn/sym = to connect/
together

prefix Location
examples:
ectopic pregnancy
ectoderm, mesoderm,
endoderm
encephalitis
endometrium vs.
parametrium
endotoxin vs. exotoxin
Periosteum, pericardium
Circumoral, circumductio

prefix - number
nol

a/ an / nulli

setengah Semi/ hemi

satu

Mono / uni

dua

Di / bi / diplo

tiga

tri

empat

tetra

banyak

Poli / multi

pertama

primus

prefix - number

A/AN
NULLI

WITHOUT
LACKING
DEFICIENT

ANEMIA
APLASTIC ANEMIA
ANALGESIA
NULLIPARA


hemi
semi

prefix number
HALF
PARTIAL

HEMIPARESIS
HEMIPLEGIA
HEMIHYPERTROPHY
SEMICOMATOSE

prefix number

uni - mono

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY
MONOPARESIS
MONONUCLEAR CELLS
UNICELLULAR
UNILATERAL

st

primi

prefix number

PRIMIPARA, PRIMIPAROUS
PRIMIGRAVIDA
PRIMITIVE
PRIMORDIAL GERM CELLS

prefix number

BI DI(PLO)
BICUSPID VALVE
BICEPS
BIFURCATIO
DIPLOCOCCUS
DIPLOID

prefix
MULTI MANY
:

MULTIPARA,
MULTINUCLEAR
number
GIANT CELLS,
MULTIGRAVIDA

3 - TRI :
TRICUSPIDALIS, TRI IN DIE

4 - TETRA :
TETRAPARESES,
TETRAPLEGIA

5 - PENTA : PENTAMER

negative sense
ANTI (ANT):
CONTRA = OPPOSED

ANTIBIOTIC
ANTIHISTAMINE
ANTITOXIN

MAL = BAD
Malnutrition, malaria
A, AN = ABSENCE OF SOMETHING,
DEFICIENT
Anaerobe, anemia,
anhidrosis

negative sense

dys :
difficult, painful,
abnormal
DYSMENORRHEA
DYSPEPSIA
DYSTROPHY
(DUCHENNE
MUSCULODYSTROPHY)

hyper and hypo

hyper : beyond normal, excessive,
over
hypo: under, deficient, below
normal
HYPOGLYCEMIA
HYPERGLYCEMIA
HYPOTHYROIDISM HYPERTHYROIDIS
M
HYPOTENSI
HYPERTENSI
HYPODERMIC

tachy and brady

tachy: rapid, fast
brady: slow
tachycardia
tachypnea

bradycardia
bradypnea

suffix noun
a, ia, y, sia,
sis, asia, asis,
esis, ema,
ism, us:
dyspnea,
rhinorrhea
anemia,
osteomalacia
hypertrophy
ectasia
arteriosclerosis

state,
condition
nephrolithiasis
erythema
hyperchromasi
a
diuresis
synergism
hydrocephalus

suffix noun
itis
oma
,ma
oophoritis
endometritis
colitis ulcerosa
hepatitis
carditis

inflammation
tumor, disease

fibroadenoma
adenocarcinoma
glioma
edema
lymphoma

Suffix
NOUN - ADJECTIVE
NOUN

ADJECTIVE

cyanosis
anemia
nervus
sclerosis
stenosis
paralysis

cyanotic
anemic
nervous
sclerotic
stenotic
paralytic

SUFFIXES

-ALGIA =
PAIN
-CELE =
HERNIA
-CENTESIS =SURGICAL PUNCTURE TO REMO
A FLUID
-PENIA =
DECREASE
-DYNIA =
PAIN
-LYSIS =
DESTRUCTION = BREAKDOWN
-MALACIA = SOFTENING
-OPSY =
TO VIEW
-POIESIS = FORMATION
-PLASIA = DEVELOPMENT
-sclerosis = hardening
gen
= cause = penyebab =asal mula
in =
protein ; ase = enzim

SUFFIXES
-OSIS = ABNORMAL CONDITION
-PATHY = DISEASE
-PEXY = FIXATION
-STASIS =STOPPING. CONTROLING
-SCOPE = INSTRUMENT FOR
EXAMINATION
-PTOSIS =DROPPING

Rules for commonly forming

plurals
ending

change to

is
um
us
a
ex/ix

es
a
i
ae
ices

Examples of plurals

is to es
SINGULAR

PLURAL

anastomosis
metastasis
epiphysis
prosthesis

anastomoses
metastases
epiphyses
prostheses

Examples of plurals

um to a
SINGULAR

PLURAL

bacterium
diverticulum
ovum

bacteria
diverticula
ova

Examples of plurals

us to i
SINGULAR
calculus
bronchus
bronchiolus
nucleus

PLURAL
calculi
bronchi
bronchioli
nuclei

Examples of
plurals

a to ae
SINGULAR
vertebra
bursa
bulla

PLURAL
vertebrae
bursae
bullae

Examples of plurals

ix or ex to ices
SINGULAR

PLURAL

apex
varix

apices
varices

diminutive suffix (1)

culus
venter ventriculus,
ventricle
vasa vasculus
vesica vesiculus, vesicle
olus
arteria arteriole
alveus -- alveolus

diminutive suffix (2)

ulus
calcis calculus
globus globulus,
globule
illa
fibril -fibrilla
ellum
cerebrum - cerebellum

What are we going to

discuss in this session?
ABREVIATIONS IN
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
CLINICAL TERMS/
PHRASES
etc.

Abbreviations
1. Measurements
2. Chemical
3. Diagnoses
4. Procedures
5. Health Professions
6. Charting

Abbreviations

Measurements
g or
gm
mcg
tsp
kcal
mMol/L
g/dL
mg%
BMI

gram
microgram
teaspoon
calorie
mMol per liter
gram per deciliter
miligram percent
body mass index

Abbreviations

Chemical
O2 (oxygen)
CO2 (carbon dioxide)
NaCl (sodium
chloride)
RL (Ringer Lactate)
K (potassium,
kalium)

Abbreviations

Diagnoses
CP (cerebral palsy)
AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome)
ALL (acute lymphoblastic
leukemia)
CVA (cerebrovascular accident)
CVD (cardiovascular disease)
DHF (Dengue Haemorrhagic

Abbreviations

Procedures (1)
radiology
IVP: intravenous pyelography
ECG: electrocardiography
USG: ultrasonography
MRI: magnetic resonance
imaging
CT-SCAN (CAT-SCAN):
computerized axial tomography
scanning

Abbreviations

Procedures (2)
laboratory
2 hr pp (2 hour post
prandial blood glucose)
LDH (lactic dehydrogenase)
CK (creatine kinase)
LFT (liver function test)
RFT (renal function test)

Abbreviations

Health professions
MD (medical doctor)
ENT (ear, nose,
throat)
OB (obstetry)
GYN (gynecology)

Abbreviations

Charting
ex/ exam (examination)
Dx (diagnosis)
Tx (treatment)
Rx (prescribe)
BP (blood pressure)
iv (intravenous)
OS (oculus sinister, left eye)
tid (tri in die, thrice a day)

Clinical Terms/ Phrases

anamnesis: history of
symptoms
examination:
physical examination
of signs
diagnosis
therapy/ treatment
prognosis

diagnosis/diseases (1)
related to organ system/
tissue
inflammation: rhinopharyngitis,
cystitis
tumor/ cancer: hepatocellular
carcinoma, osteosarcoma, melanoma
maligna, neurofibromatosis
condition: mitral stenosis,
arteriosclerosis, nephrolithiasis,
dysenteri, hemothorax
syndrome: nephrotic syndrome,

diagnosis/diseases (2)
related to the causing
factors
organism:
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF)
Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS)
Chikungunya Fever
Diphteria (C. diphteriae)
Tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis)

toxin:
tetanus (tetanin C. tetani)
botulism (botulinum C. botulinum)

diagnosis/diseases (3)
named after the person
who
found
it
signs:
Turner syndrome
Biot respiration
Spleen Schuffner 1-8

disease:
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Becker muscular dystrophy
Hashimoto disease
Graves disease
Neurofibromatosis von
Recklinghausen

therapy/
treatment
Causative/ Curative: address the
cause of the disease aimed at curing
the disease
Symptomatic/Palliative: address
the symptoms of the disease aimed
at making the patients feel better
Ex juvantivus: a try out

surgical
procedures

tomy (to cut): pyloromyotomi,

osteotomi
stomy (to make an opening):
tracheostomy, nephrostomy,
ileostomy
ectomy (resection= to cut out):
nephrectomy, splenectomy,
gastrectomy
rraphy (to sew): herniorrhaphy,
palatorraphy

prognosis
dubia ad malam = bad
preference
dubia ad bonam= good
preference
five years survival rate of 80%
fatality rate %
remission rate %
cure rate .%

other
terms

acute vs. chronic

degree of consciousness:
compos mentis, lethargy, stupor,
sopor, soporocomatous, coma
shock
headache/ cephalgia: tension
headache, cluster headache,
migraine, vertigo

Aware of spelling and

pronunciation problem
4 pronounced alike different
spelling
4 may give wrong diagnosis

CYSTITIS vs. CYTOSIS

Endometritis
vs.Endometriosis

ILEUM vs.
ILIUM

HEPATOMA vs.
HEMATOMA

Aware of spelling and

pronunciation problem
similar pronunciation

URETER vs. URETHRA

ureteritis
urethritis

How do we analyze a
medical terms?
break it down into its
component part
find the meaning of every part
Read the meaning from the
suffix back to the first part of
the word

PANCYTOPENIA
PAN (prefix): all
CYT (root): cell
PENIA (suffix-form): deficiency
DEFICIENCY OF ALL CELLS
(deficiency of all types of blood
cells)

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
ELECTR (root): electricity
CARDI (root): heart
GRAM (suffix): record
The record of the electricity of
the heart

GASTROENTERITIS
GASTR (root): stomach
ENTER (root): intestines
ITIS (suffix): inflammation
Inflammation of the stomach
and intestines

Read the meaning of

medical terms from
the suffix back to the
first part of the word

PANCYTOPENIA
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
GASTROENTERITIS

ASYNERGY
A (prefix): without
SYN (prefix): together
ERG (root): working
Y (suffix): noun-suffix
without synergy
without working together

OSTEOSARCOMA
OSTEO (combining form):
bone
SARCOMA (suffix-form):
tumor of the tissue
SARC (root): tissue
OMA (suffix): tumor

tumor of bone tissue

lymphosarcoma, liposarcoma,
chondrosarcoma, etc.

RETROPERITONEAL
RETRO (prefix): behind
PERITONEUM (root
peritonaion): to stretch over
AL (suffix): adjectival suffix
behind the peritoneum
Peritoneum is a serous sac that lines
the abdominal cavity

Further Readings
Chabner DE. The Language of
Medicine. W.B. Saunders
Company, 1981
Dunmore CW, Fleischer RM.
Medical Terminology.
Exercises in Etymology, 2nd
ed. F.A Davis Company, 1985
Dennerll JT. Medical
Terminology. A Programmed
Text, 5th ed. John Wiley &
Sons, Inc., 1988
Suryadi. E. Buku saku

(Adopted from: Gordon

Reeves & Ian Todel. 1996:
Lecture Notes on
Immunology.pp: 258)
1. Abnormal proliferation of the cells of
the immune system takes many forms,
e.g. leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma,
macroglobulinemia and heavy chain
diseases.
Cryoglobuminemia and amyloidosis are
also associated with the abnormal
production of proteins involved in the
immune respons.

2. The monoclonal gammopathies are

caused by the uncontrolled proliferation of a
single clone of plasma cells (in
myelomatosis) or B Lymphoblasts (in
macroglobulinemia).
In macroglobulinemia the excess production
of pentameric IgM is associated with
hyperviscosity and cryoglobulinemia.
In myeloma the monoclonal
immunoglobuline can be of class IgG, IgA,
IgD, IgM, or monomeric IgM.
Decalcification, hypercalcemia and bone
pain is mediated by cytokine release
initiated by the abnormal plasma cells and
agents that inhibit IL-6 are under
investigation for treatment of