医学英语Medical Terminology

MedicalTerminologyTheWaytoDecipherMedicalTerms(EnglishVersion)MedicalTerminology•Definition:Thisisthesystematicstudyofthetermsrelatedtomedicineormedicalpractice.•Therearefourmainpartsofwordsinvolvedinbuildingmedicalterms,theseinclude;WordRoots(WR)Prefixes(P)Suffixes(S)andCombiningForm(Cf)–UsuallyavowelTheKey:Learningmedicalterminologyismucheasieronceyouunderstandhowwordpartsworktogethertoformmedicalterms.It’sjustlikeanArchitecttryingtomakeabeautifuldesignforbuilding.TheFourTypesofWordPartsFourtypesofwordpartsmaybeusedtocreatemedicalterms.Awordrootcontainsthebasicmeaningoftheterm.Thiswordpartusually,butnotalways,indicatestheinvolvedbodypart.Forexample,thewordrootmeaningstomachisgastr.Acombiningformisawordrootwithavowelattheendsothatasuffixbeginningwithaconsonantcanbeadded.Whenacombiningformappearsalone,itisshownwithaslash(/)betweenthewordrootandthecombiningvowel.Forexample,thecombiningformmeaningstomachisgastr/o.WORDPARTGUIDELINES1.Wordrootscannotstandalone.Usuallyasuffixmustbeaddedtocompleteamedicalterm.2.Therulesforcreatingacombiningformbyaddingavowelapplywhenasuffixbeginningwithaconsonantisaddedtoawordroot.3.Whenaprefixisnecessary,itisalwaysplacedatthebeginningoftheword.1.Asuffixusually,butnotalways,indicatestheprocedure,condition,disorder,ordisease.Asuffixalwayscomesattheendofaword.2.Aprefixusually,butnotalways,indicateslocation,time,number,orstatus.Aprefixalwayscomesatthebeginningofaword.DefinitionofeachWordPart3.Wordrootsactasthefoundationofmostmedicalterms.Theyusually,butnotalways,describethepartofthebodythatisinvolved.4.CombiningFormVowelsAcombiningformvowelisaddedtotheendofawordrootundercertainconditionstomaketheresultingmedicaltermeasiertopronounce.Theletter“o”isthemostcommonlyusedcombiningvowel.Whenawordrootisshownaloneasacombiningform,itincludesaslash(/)andthecombiningvowel.SUFFIXES•Asuffixisawordpartthatisaddedtotheendofawordtocompletethatterm.Inmedicalterminology,suffixesusually,butnotalways,indicateaprocedure,condition,disorder,ordisease.Forexample,tonsill/omeanstonsils.•ThesuffixthatisaddedcompletesthetermandtellswhatishappeningtothetonsilsTonsillitis(ton-sih-LYE-tis)isaninflammationofthetonsils(tonsillmeanstonsils,and-itismeansinflammation).Atonsillectomy(ton-sih-LECK-toh-mee)isthesurgicalremovalofthetonsils(tonsillmeanstonsils,and-ectomymeanssurgicalremoval).SuffixesasNounEndingsAnounisawordthatisthenameofaperson,place,orthing.Inmedicalterminology,somesuffixeschangethewordrootintoanoun.Forexample,thecranium(KRAY-nee-um)istheportionoftheskullthatenclosesthebrain(cranimeansskull,and-umisanounending).Othersuffixescompletethetermbychangingthewordrootintoanoun.Suffixesthatarecommonlyusedas“NounEndings”SuffixesMeaning“PertainingTo”Anadjectiveisawordthatdefinesordescribesanything.Inmedicalterminology,manysuffixesmeaning“pertainingto”changethewordrootintoanadjective.Forexample,thetermcardiacisanadjectivethatmeanspertainingtotheheart(cardimeansheart,and–acmeanspertainingto).SuffixesMeaningAbnormalConditionInmedicalterminology,manysuffixes,suchas-osis,mean“abnormalconditionordisease.”Forexample,gastrosis(gas-TROH-sis)meansanydiseaseofthestomach(gastrmeansstomach,and-osismeansabnormalconditionordisease).WORDROOTS/COMBININGFORMSINDICATINGCOLORcyan/omeansblue(Cyanosis)erythr/omeansred(Erythrocytes)leuk/omeanswhite(Leukocytes/Leukouria)melan/omeansblack(Melanocytes)poli/omeansgray(Poliomyelitis)Cyanosis(sigh-ah-NOH-sis)isbluediscolorationoftheskincausedbyalackofadequateoxygenintheblood(cyanmeansblue,and-osismeansabnormalconditionordisease).Anerythrocyte(eh-RITH-roh-sight)isamatureredbloodcell(erythr/omeansred,and-cytemeanscell).Aleukocyte(LOO-koh-sight)isawhitebloodcell(leuk/omeanswhite,and-cytemeanscell).Melanosis(mel-ah-NOH-sis)isanyconditionofunusualdepositsofblackpigmentinbodytissuesororgans(melanmeansblack,and-osismeansabnormalconditionordisease).Poliomyelitis(poh-lee-oh-my-eh-LYE-tis)isaviralinfectionofthegraymatterofthespinalcord(poli/omeansgray,myelmeansspinalcord,and-itismeansinflammation).RULESFORUSINGCOMBININGFORMVOWELS1.Acombiningvowelisusedwhenthesuffixbeginswithaconsonant.Forexample,whenneur/o(nerve)isjoinedwiththesuffix-plasty(surgicalrepair),thecombiningvowel“o”isusedbecause-plastybeginswithaconsonant.Neuroplasty(NEW-roh-plas-tee)isthesurgicalrepairofanerve(neur/omeansnerve,and-plastymeanssurgicalrepair).2.Acombiningvowelisnotusedwhenthesuffixbeginswithavowel(a,e,i,o,u).Forexample,whenneur/o(nerve)isjoinedwiththesuffix-itis(inflammation),nocombiningvowelisusedbecause-itisbeginswithavowel.Neuritis(new-RYE-tis)isinflammationofanerveornerves(neurmeansnerve,and-itismeansinflammation).•3.Acombiningvowelisusedwhentwoormorewordrootsarejoined.•Forexample,gastroenteritiscombinestwowordrootswithasuffix.Whengastr/o(stomach)isjoinedwithenter/o(smallintestine),thecombiningvowelisusedwithgastr/o.•Acombiningvowelisnotusedwithenter/obecauseitisjoiningthesuffix-itis,whichbeginswithavowel.•Gastroenteritis(gas-troh-en-ter-EYE-tis)isaninflammationofthestomachandsmallintestine(gastr/omeansstomach,ent