RT CORE 1 Cervic/o Cervix

Medical Terminology Crani/o Skull

Medical Terminology is made up of the terms that Cubit/o Elbow

describe the human anatomy and physiology, body
Dactyl/o Fingers/toes
locations, diseases, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory
testing, together with clinical procedures, surgeries, and Derm/a Skin
diagnoses.
Dors/I Back/posterior
The foundation of medical terminology is based in both
Greek and Latin origin. The Greeks were the founders of Faci/o Face
modern medicine, but Latin is the basic source of Gingiv/o Gums
medical terms.
Gloss/o Tongue
Medical Word Elements:
Inguin/o Groin
Word root Irid/o Iris of the eye
The word root is the main part or foundation, of a word. Labi/o Lips
It usually specifies the body part. All medical words
have at least one root. Lapar/o Abdomen

Examples: Lingu/o Tongue

Alcoholic - a person addicted to alcohol Mamm/o Breast

Thyroidectomy- excision of the thyroid gland Mast/o Breast

Divided into two categories: Exterior root words, Nas/o Nose

describes the exterior of the body. Interior root words, Occipit/o Back of the head
deal with the inside.
Ocul/o Eye
Exterior Root What it Means
Odont/o Teeth
Acr/o Extremities
Omphal/o Umbilicus
Amb/I Both sides
Ophthalm/o Eyes
Anter/oFront
Or/o Mouth
Aut/o Self
Ot/o Ear
Axill/o Armpit/Axilla
Papill/o Nipple
Blephar/o Eyelid/Eyelash
Phall/o Penis
Brachi/o Arm
Pil/o Hair
Bucc/o Cheek
Rhin/o Nose
Canth/o Where eyelids meet
Somat/o Body
Carp/o Wrist
Steth/o Chest
Caud/o Tail/downward
Stomat/o Mouth
Cephal/o Head
Tal/o Ankle
Tars/o Foot Iatr/o Treatment

Thorac/o Chest Ile/o Ileum

Trich/o Hair/hairlike Ili/o Ilium

LacrimaTears

Interior Root What it Means Laryng/o Larynx

Abdomi/o Abdomen Leuk/o White

Acanth/o Spiny/thorny Lipid/o Fat

Acetabul/o Acetabulum Lith/o Stone

Acromi/o Acromium Lymph/o Lymph vessels

Aden/o Gland Melan/o Black

Adip/o Fat Men/o Menstruation

Alveol/I Air sac Mening/o Meninges

Angi/o Vessel Metr/a Uterus

An/o Anus My/o Muscle

Aort/o Aorta Myel/o Bone marrow

Arteri/oArtery Myring/o Eardrum

Aspir/o To breathe in Nat/o Birth

Encephal/o Brain Necr/o Death

Enter/o Intestine Nephr/o Kidney

Erythr/o Red Neur/o Nerve

Esophag/o Esophagus Oophor/o Ovary

Fibr/o Fibers Orchid/o Testis

Galact/o Milk Osse/o Bone

Glyc/o Sugar Palat/o Roof of mouth

Gynec/o Female Path/o Disease

Hemat/o Blood Peritone/o Peritoneum

Hepat/o Liver Pharmac/o Drug

Heter/oDifferent Phleb/oVein

Hist/o Tissue Phren/o Diaphragm

Hom/o Same/alike Pleur/o Pleura

Hydr/o Water Pneum/o Lungs

Hyster/o Uterus Proct/o Rectum

Pulm/o Lungs A prefix appears at the beginning of a word and
Py/o Pus
tells the how, why, where, when, how much, how
many, position, direction, time, or status.
Pyel/o Pelvis of kidney
Prefix What it Means
Rect/o Rectum
A-, an Lack of, w/o, not
Ren/o Kidney
Ante- Before, in front
Sacr/o Sacrum
Anti- Opposing or against
Salping/o Fallopian tube

Sacr/o Flesh
Bi- Double, two, both

Scapul/o Scapula Co- Together or with

Sept/o Infection Di- Twice or two

Splen/o Spleen Dia-, Trans Through; acrros

Spondyl/o Vertebra Extra- Beyond, outside of

Stern/o Sternum Homo- Same
Tend/o Tendon Hemi-, semi- Half, half of
Testicul/o Testis Hyper- Above, excessive, beyond
Therm/o Heat Hypo- Below, beneath, deficient
Thym/o Thymus
Infra- Below or beneath
Thyr/o Thyroid
Inter- Between
Trache/o Trachea
Intra- Within, inside
Tympan/o Eardrum
IMacro- Large
Ur/ea Urine
Micro- Tiny, small
Ureter/o Ureter
Mono-, Uni- One
Urethr/o Urethra
Ortho- Straight, erect
Uter/o Uterus
Post- After or following
Vas/o Vas deferens
Pre-, pro- Before, preceding
Vas/o Vein

Vesic/o Bladder Retro- Behind, backward

Viscer/o Internal organs Semi- Half

Trans- Through or across

Prefixes Tri- Three

Ultra- Excessive, beyond
Copycats and Opposites -graphy Process of recording

Some prefixes might look very different but have -it is Inflammation
the same meaning. Here are some examples: -ologist One who studies, specialist
Anti- and Contra- mean against. -logy Study of
Dys- and Mal- mean bad or painful. -oma Tumor
Hyper-, Supra-, and Epi- all mean above. -lysis Separation, destruction
Hypo-, Sub-, and Infra- all mean below. -pathy Disease process
Intra- and Endo- mean within. -phobia Morbid fear of
However, other, more troublesome prefixes mean -scope Visually examine
the opposite of each other even though they look
or sound similar. These are contentious prefixes: -scopy Process of visual exam

Ab- means away from, but ad- means toward. Diagnostic Suffixes
Ante-, Pre-, & Pro- mean before, but Post- means -gram Picture; record
after.
-graph Instrument for recording
Hyper-, Supra-, & Epi- mean above, but Hypo-,
Infra-, & Sub- mean below. -graphy Process of recording

Tachy- means fast, but Brady- means slow. -meter Instrument for measuring

Hyper- also means excessive, yet Hypo- also -metry Process of measuring
deficient. -scope Instrument for examining
-scopy Visual examination

Suffixes
The suffix, always at the end of a word, usually Procedure Suffixes
indicates a procedure, or a disease. Suffix What it Means
Suffix What it Means -ectomy Excision; removal
-algia Pain -centesis Surgical puncture to remove fluid
-cele Hernia, swelling -graphy Process of producing a picture or
-dynia Pain record

-ectasis Dilatation, expansion -plasty Surgical repair

-emia Blood -scopy Visual examination

-gen Beginning, producing -stomy Forming an opening

-gram Picture, record -tomy Incision

-graph Instrument for recording -tripsy Crushing

Pathological Suffixes -rrhaphy Gastrorrhaphy
Suffix What it Means Surgical suturing to close a wound and includes the
use of sutures, staples, or surgical glue.
-algia, -dynia Pain, suffering
-rrhea Diarrhea
-cele Hernia, swelling
Flow or discharge; refers to the flow of most body
-ectasis Dilatation, expansion
fluids.
-emesis Vomiting
-rrhexis Myorrhexis
-emia Blood condition
Rupture
-iasis Abnormal condition
Combining Forms
-it is Inflammation.
A combining form is a word root with a combining
-lith Stone vowel attached.
-malacia Abnormal softening A combining vowel (a, e, I, o, u) is added to the end
of a word root under certain conditions to make
-megaly Enlargement
the resulting medical term easier to pronounce.
-oma Tumor
When a combining form appears alone, it is shown
-osis Abnormal condition with a slash (/) between the word root and the
combining vowel.
-pathy Disease
For example, the combining form meaning
-penia Deficiency; decrease
stomach is gastr/o.
-phobia Fear
RULES FOR COMBINING VOWELS
-plegia Paralysis
1. When connecting a prefix and a word root,
-Ptosis Dropping, prolapse combining vowel is not used.

-sclerosis Abnormal hardening Example: Ante/brachium = Antebrachium

-stenosis Abnormal narrowing Epi/condyle =

Epicondyle
-sclerosis Hardening
Hemi/thorax = Hemithorax
-toxic Poison
Intra/venous = Intravenous
-trophy Nourishment; development
Supra/orbital = Supraorbital
2. When connecting a word root and a suffix,
Double “rr” Suffixes combining vowel is usually not used if the
Suffixes beginning with “rr,” can be particularly suffix begins with a vowel.
confusing. Example:
-rrhage and –rrhagia Hemorrhage Arthr/o/algia = Arthralgia
Bleeding; most often used to describe sudden, Diverticul/o/osis = Diverticulosis
severe bleeding.
 Hepat/o/ic = Hepatic Acetabulum; Acetabula
Lith/o/asis = Lithiasis Antrum; Antra
Oste/o/it is = Osteitis Atrium; Atria
3. When connecting a word root and a suffix, Labium; Labia
combining vowel is used if the suffix begin
Medical Rule 3: Change the us ending to i
with a consonant.
The I at the end is pronounced “eye.”
Example:
Alveolus; Alveoli
Angi/o/graphy = Angiography
Bronchus; Bronchi
Cardi/o/megaly = Cardiomegaly
Embolus; Emboli
Esophag/o/gram = Esophagogram
Glomerulus; Glomeruli
Hem/o/rrhage = Hemorrhage
The exceptions to this rule include the following:
Lapar/o/scopy = Laparoscopy
Corpus; Corpora
4. When connecting two word roots,
combining vowel is usually used even if Meatus; Meatus
vowels are present at the junction.
Plexus; Plexuses
Example: Esophag/o/gastr/o/ic =
Viscus; Viscera
Esophagogastric
Medical Rule 4: Change the is ending to es
Cholecyst/o/ith/o/tripsy =
Cholecystolithotripsy The es is pronounced “eez.”
Cyst/o/urethr/o/graphy = Analysis; Analyses
Cystourethrography
Metastasis; Metastases
Hyter/o/salping/o/graphy =
Prognosis; Prognoses
Hysterosalpingography
Testis; Testes
Oste/o/arthr/o/it is = Osteoarthritis
The exceptions to this rule include the following:
Rules for Forming Plurals
Epididymis; Epididymides
Medical Rule 1: Change the a ending to ae
Medical Rule 5: Change the oma ending to mata
By adding the e to the plural, the “aah” sound
ending pronunciation becomes “eh.” Carcinoma; Carcinomata
Axillla; Axillae Condyloma; Condylomata
Bursa; Bursae Leiomyoma; Leiomyomata
Conjunctiva; Conjunctivae Medical Rule 6: When a term ends in yx, ax, or ix,
change the x to c and add es
Medical Rule 2: Change the um ending to a
Appendix; Appendices
The a at the end is pronounced “aah.”
Calyx; Calyces
Calix; Calices
Medical Rule 7: When a term ends in nx, change
the x to g and add es
Larynx; Larynges
Phalanx; Phalanges
English Rule 1: Add s
Bronchoscope; Bronchoscopes
Disease; Diseases
Finger; Fingers
Vein; Veins
English Rule 2: When a term ends in s, x, ch, or sh,
add es
Crutch; Crutches
Distress; Distresses
Patch; Patches
English Rule 3: When a term ends in y after a
consonant, change the y to I and add es
Artery; Arteries
Ovary; Ovaries
Therapy; Therapies