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Chapter 1Chapter 1

Basic Word Structure

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Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Divide medical terms into component parts

• Analyze, pronounce, and spell medical terms using common combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes

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Word AnalysisWord Analysis

Important Word Parts:• Root: the essential meaning of the term• Suffix: word ending• Prefix: small part added to the beginning of

the term• Combining vowel: connects roots to suffixes

and roots to other roots• Combining form: the combination of the root

and the combining vowel

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Word Analysis (cont’d.)Word Analysis (cont’d.)

General rules: 1. Read the meaning of medical terms from

the suffix back to the beginning of the term and then across

2. Drop the combining vowel before a suffix beginning with a vowel: gastritis not gastroitis

3. Keep the combining vowel word roots: gastroenterology not gastrenterology

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Word Analysis (cont’d.)Word Analysis (cont’d.)

Example:

ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM means record of electricity in the heart

ELECTR: rootO: combining vowelCARDI: rootO: combining vowelGRAM: suffix

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Word Analysis (cont’d.)Word Analysis (cont’d.)

Example:

SUB/GASTR/IC means pertaining to under the stomach

SUB: Prefix (under)GASTR: Root (stomach)IC: Suffix (pertaining to)

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Combining formsCombining forms

Examples:

aden/o: glandcardi/o: heartgastr/o stomachgnos/o: knowledgepsych/o: mindcerebr/o: cerebrum, largest part of the brain

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Functions of the CerebrumFunctions of the Cerebrum

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The Urinary TractThe Urinary Tract

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Location of Small and Large Intestines in the Abdominal Cavity

Location of Small and Large Intestines in the Abdominal Cavity

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Blood CellsBlood Cells

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SuffixesSuffixes

Examples:- al pertaining to

- ectomy cutting out; removal, excision

- ia condition

- sis state of

- tomy process of cutting into; incision

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PrefixesPrefixes

Examplesa-, an- no, not

dia- complete, through

endo- within

hypo- below, less than normal

pro- before, forward

trans- across, through

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Pronunciation of TermsPronunciation of Terms

The capitalized letters in boldface are theaccented syllable. • AR-thro-gram = arthrogram• seh-FAL-jah = cephalgia• DIS-en-teh-re = dysentery• e-lek-tro-en-SEF-ah-lo-gram =

electroencephalogram• gas-TROS-ko-pe = gastroscopy

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Pronunciation of Terms (cont’d.)

Pronunciation of Terms (cont’d.)

• hep-ah-TO-mah = hepatoma

• lap-ah-ROS-ko-pe = laparoscopy

• nu-RAL-jah = neuralgia

• os-te-I-tis = osteitis

• ri-NI-tis = rhinitis

• sub-heh-PAT-ik = subhepatic

• trans-u-RE-thral = transurethral