Medical Terminology Lecture 1-Dr.Rafal

Medical Terminology

Medical Terminology is a Word-building System, to understand the meanings of Medical words, or to determine the meaning of complex medical terms by putting the smaller parts together.
The Current medical Terms includes terms built from Greek and Latin word parts,in addition to terms from modern language.
Basic Elements of a Medical Word
1. Word Root
2. Combining Form
3. Suffix
4. Prefix



1) Word root: The main part of a word which contains the basic meaning and usually refer to part of body e.g.: Cardi-Heart, Osteon-Bone
2) Combining Forms = is a Combining Vowel; (usually an “O”) that enable two parts to be connected.
• Used to connect a word root ---to--- a suffix
• Used to connect a word root --- to --- a word root
• Don’t use when suffix begins with a vowel (e.g. dermat/itis)
• Use if suffix begins with a consonant (e.g. rhin/o/plasty)
3) Prefixes = add at beginning of word root
4) Suffixes = add at end of word root (usually with combining vowel)










? Prefixes
• Word parts placed at the beginning of word root to alter its meaning or create a new word.
• Usually indicates location (direction), number, or time
• Often not need a combining vowel with Prefix
Meta = after or beyond (direction)
Trans = through (direction)
Intra = within (direction)
Contra = against (direction)
A- Mast -ia
without breast condition
hyper- therm -ia
excessive heat condition
intra- muscul -ar
within muscle relating to
Pre- (before) Preoperative
Post- (after) Postoperative
Homo- (same) Homocystinuria
Hypo- (below) Hypotension
under







Prefixes
Prefixe Meaning
a without
ab Away from
ambi around
ana toward
ante before
anti Against
aut(o Self
brachy Short
brady slow
contra Against
dys abnormal; difficult
hemi Half
hyper Above normal
hypo below normal
inter between
iso equal; same
mal bad; inadequate
meta after
micr(o) small
olig(o) few; little
peri around; about; near
pro before
re Again
retro Behind, backward
semi Half
supra Above
tachy Fast
un Not