LESSON 1 BASIC STRUCTURE OF MEDICAL WORDS
THE FIVE WORD PARTS
Most medical terms use some or all of the five word parts. These are:
1. Prefixes. Prefixes come at the beginning of the medical word to modify the meaning.
2. Suffixes. Suffixes come at the end of the medical word to modify the meaning and to explain the state of the word root.
3. Word Root. Word roots are the main part of the medical word that usually identifies a body structure, body function or disease process as its main meaning.
4. Combining Vowel.
Combining vowels come after a prefix or word root to help in the pronunciation of the medical word. The combining vowel is usually an "o."
5. Combining Form.
Combining form is the word root and combining vowel used together for pronunciation of the word part.
Following are examples of the use of the five word parts.
Prefix and Word Root Examples
Using the word bicycle, first divide the word into its word parts:
Bi/cycle
Then define each word part:
Prefix: Bi Meaning: Two
Word Root: Cycle Meaning: Wheeled vehicle
Next, combine the two word part meanings into a term definition:
Combined Meaning: Two-wheeled vehicle
In the English language, we generally define words from the front to the back (prefix to suffix). In medical terms, we generally define the word from back to front. For example, if the word bicycle was a medical term, it would be defined as a "vehicle with two wheels" rather than as a "two-wheeled vehicle."
Other examples of prefix and word root combinations:
Tricycle Tri/cycle
Three-wheeled vehicle Three/wheeled vehicle
Prefix/Word root
Uniform Uni/form
One classification One/classify
Prefix/Word Root
Prefix, Combining Vowel and Word Root Examples
Automobile Aut/o/mobile
Self-moving vehicle Self/o/moving vehicle
Prefix/combining vowel/word root
Streptococci Strept/o/cocci
A twisted bacteria Twisted chain/o/rounded bacteria
Prefix/combining vowel/word root
Aeroplane Aer/o/plane
In air over flat surface Air/o/flat surface
Prefix/combining vowel/word root
Prefix, Combining Vowel, Word Root, and Suffix Examples
Orthodontist Orth/o/dont/ist
One who straightens teeth Straight/o/tooth/one who practices
Prefix/combining vowel/word root/suffix
Electrophrenic Electr/o/phren/ic
Mind and electricity Electricity/o/mind/related to
Prefix/combining vowel/word root/suffix
Electrotherapist Electr/o/therap/ist
One who uses electricity Electricity/o/therapy/one who practices
for therapy Prefix/combining vowel/word root/suffix
Word Root, Combining Vowel, and Suffix Examples
Photograph Phot/o/graph
Result of instrument using light Light/o/instrument
Word root/combining vowel/suffix
Angiogram Angi/o/gram
Picture of blood vessel Blood vessel/o/picture
Word root/combining vowel/suffix
Gastrologist Gastro/o/logist
One who studies stomach Stomach/o/one who studies
Word root/combining vowel/suffix
Examples of Common English Words Using the Five Word Parts
COMMON WORD / BREAKDOWN / MEANING
Electric Electr/ic Pertaining to electricity
Thermometer Therm/o/meter Measuring temperature
Dental Dent/al Pertaining to teeth
Claustrophobia Claustr/o/phobia Fear of closed spaces
Bronchitis Bronch/itis Inflammation of bronchial tubes
Brachial Brachi/al Pertaining to upper arm
Basic Bas/ic Pertaining to fundamental things
Paramedic Para/med/ic Pertaining to around medicine
Mania Man/ia Pertaining to madness
WORD PARTS FOR LESSON 1
A. Prefixes Meaning
1. a, an- not, without
2. aut- self
3. bi- two
4. carcin- cancer
5. contra- opposed, against
6. dia- through, apart, across
7. dys- bad, difficult, painful
8. em-, en- in, inside
9. end, endo, ent, ento- inner, within
10. epi-, ep- upon, on, over
11. erythr- red
12. eti- causing, cause
13. eu- good
14. hyper- excessive
15. hypo- deficient
16. gno- to know
17. lei- smooth
18. leuk- white
19. melan- black
20. meta- change
21. neo- new
22. poly- many
23. sarc- connective tissue, flesh
24. tri- three
25. uni- one
B. Suffixes Meaning
1. -algia pain
2. -dynia pain
3. -cyte cell
4. -ectomy cut out, excision
5. -gen, -genesis beginning of cause
6. -iatr one who practices medicine
7. -ician one who practices on
8. -ist one who practices
9. -itis inflammation
10. -ology study of
11. -ologist one who studies
12. -oma tumor
13. -otomy cut into, incision into
14. -plasty surgical repair, plastic repair
Additional Suffixes Meaning
1. -ac pertaining to
2. -al pertaining to
3. -ar pertaining to
4. -ary pertaining to
5. -ic pertaining to
6. -ous pertaining to
7. -ia condition, abnormal state
8. -osis condition, abnormal state
9. -tic condition, abnormal state
10. -y condition, abnormal state
C. Word Roots Meaning
1. aden gland
2. angi blood vessel
3. cheil lip
4. cyte cell
5. dactyl digit, finger, toe
6. dent, dont tooth
7. hist tissue
8. lip fat
9. mast breast
10. phleb vein
11. phob fear
12. phren mind, diaphragm
13. pleg paralysis
14. zoo animal
WORD LIST FOR LESSON 1
(A medical dictionary may be needed to define some of the terms in this word list.)
adactylia-without fingers
adenalgia-gland pain
adenodynia-gland pain
adenectomy-gland removal
adenology-gland study
adenosis-conditions of glands
analgia-without pain
analgesic-pertaining to stopping pain
angiologist-one who studies blood vessels
angioma-tumor of a blood vessel
angioplasty-repair of blood vessels
autogenic-originating in self
autoplasty-repair using own tissue
bifocal-two vision
cheiloplasty-repair of lip
cheilalgia-pain in lip
contraception-against conception
contraindication-against recommend
cytometer-measure cell
cytotoxin-poisoning cells
dactylitis-inflammation of fingers or toes
diagnosis-through knowing, to know
dysdentogenic-origination of tooth decay
dysphrenic-bad mind
empathic-pertaining to inside others diseases
endoangitis-inflammation inside blood vessel
endodontologist-one who studies inside teeth
endodontitis-inflammation inside tooth
epidermosis-condition upon skin
erthrocyte-red blood cell
etiologist-one who studies causes of disease
eubacterium-good bacteria
euadenic-good glands
euthyroid-good thyroid
histocyte-tissue and cells
histoma-tumor of tissue
hyperalgia-excessive pain
hypodermic-under the skin
hyperdontial-above the teeth
hypomastia-deficiency of breast
leukocyte-white blood cell
leukodermia-white skin
leioma-tumor of smooth muscle
lipoma-tumor of fat or fat tissue
melanosarcoma-black malignant tumor
metagenesis-origination of changing condition
neoplasty-surgical repair of new tissue
neozoology-study of new borns
neovenologist-one who studies new veins
phlebotomy-incision into the vein
phrenectomy-excision of diaphragm
phrenitis-inflammation of diaphragm
polydontia-many teeth
polyplegia-paralysis of all the body
sarcoma-malignant tumor of flesh tissue
sarcosis-condition of flesh tissue
trilogy-three studies
uniplegic-paralysis one side of body
venotomy-incision into a vein
zoophobia-fear of animals
zoology-study of animals
PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR LESSON 1
BASIC STRUCTURE OF MEDICAL WORDS
TRUE OR FALSE?
____ The combining of word parts can be made into thousands of medical terms.
____ Medical words use only Latin and Greek word elements.
____ There are currently 15,000 medical terms.
___ Prefixes come at the end of medical terms.
____ Suffixes come at the beginning of medical terms.
___ Word roots are the main part of medical terms.
____ Only one word root can be used in each medical term.
____ Combining vowel helps in spelling.
____ More than one suffix may be used in a medical term.
____ Suffixes are used to define the state of the tissue, organ, or disease.
USING A SLASH (/) DIVIDE THE FOLLOWING MEDICAL TERMS INTO THE CORRECT WORD PARTS.
an/algia
angi/o/plasty
bi/focal
contra/ception
dys/dent/o/gen/ic
em/path/ic
endo/ang/itis
eu/thyr/oid
neo/plasty
veno/tomy
poly/pleg/ic
tri/logy
uni/cellular
dento/tomy
cheir/algia
angi/oma
phren/algia
veno/pleg/ia
DEFINE THE FOLLOWING WORD PARTS:
a-, an- __________________
bi- __________________
carcin- __________________
contra- __________________
dia- __________________
dys- __________________
em, en- __________________
epi- __________________
eti- __________________
hyper- __________________
hypo- __________________
gno- __________________
lei- __________________
leuk- __________________
meta- __________________
neo- __________________
poly- __________________
uni- __________________
-cyte __________________
-ectomy __________________
-genesis __________________
-iatr __________________
-ician __________________
-ologist __________________
-itis __________________
-otomy __________________
-plasty __________________
-ac __________________
-ary __________________
-ous __________________
-tic __________________
-osis __________________
-ia __________________
cheil __________________
dent __________________
hist __________________
aden __________________
cyte __________________
mast __________________
phleb __________________
phren __________________
phob __________________
pleg __________________
DEFINITIONS: BREAK DOWN AND DEFINE EACH MEDICAL TERM
Medical Term Breakdown Definition
autogenic _________________________________________________
brachitis _________________________________________________
dysphrenia _________________________________________________
endodontitis _________________________________________________
neozoology _________________________________________________
polyplegia _________________________________________________
polyangiogenesis _________________________________________________
polyoma _________________________________________________
uniplegia _________________________________________________
dentectomy _________________________________________________
cheiloplasty _________________________________________________
cytology _________________________________________________
phrenic _________________________________________________
trilogy _________________________________________________
venotomy _________________________________________________
zoology _________________________________________________
PROVIDE THE DEFINITION OF EACH MEDICAL TERM
polyoma ________________________________
etiology ________________________________
cytalgia ________________________________
neoplasty ________________________________
phlebotomy ________________________________
venotomy ________________________________
adenoplasty ________________________________
dentist ________________________________
erythrocyte ________________________________
polycytosis ________________________________
melanocyte ________________________________
lipoma ________________________________
mastitis ________________________________
adenomastitis ________________________________
zoophobia ________________________________
dentophobia ________________________________
uniplegia ________________________________
dactylodymia ________________________________
genealogy ________________________________
tricytosis ________________________________
genetics ________________________________
phrenitis ________________________________
adenosis ________________________________
cytogenic ________________________________
dactylology ________________________________
zoogenic ________________________________
unilipoma ________________________________
MATCHING:
_____ a, an- a new
____ auto- b against
____ contra- c inside
____ dys- d one
____ endo- e three
____ eu- f self
____ neo- g many
____ poly- h good
____ tri- i without
____ uni- j difficult
MATCHING
____ -algia a incision, into
____ -cyte b tumor, growth
____ -ectomy c pain
____ -itis d cell
____ -oma e to cut out or remove
____ -otomy f inflammation
____ dactyl g vein
____ phleb h animal
____ aden i digit
____ zoo j gland
PROVIDE THE CORRECT COMBINING FORM FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING Example: fear - phob/o
Vein ___________________
Mind ___________________
Breast ___________________
Fat ___________________
Cell ___________________
Tissue ___________________
Connective tissue, flesh ___________________
Diaphragm ___________________
Blood vessel ___________________
Gland ___________________
Finger ___________________
Toe ___________________
Lip ___________________
Tooth ___________________
Paralysis ___________________
WRITE THE PREFIX FOR THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS:
Self __________
Without __________
Red __________
Cause, causing __________
Excessive __________
Deficient __________
To know __________
In, inside __________
Upon, over __________
Bad, difficult, painful __________
Through, apart, across __________
Opposed, against __________
Cancer __________
Inner, within ___________
Two, twice ___________
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Circle the letter of the most correct answer.
____ The word part that contains the basic meaning of the word is called:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ The word part that is attached to the beginning of a term is called:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ The word part that is attached to the ending of the term is called:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ In the medical term, dermatitis, itis is the:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ In the medical term, dysadenic, dys is the:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ In the medical term, cytogenic, cyt is the:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ In the medical word, adenopathy, o is the:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
____ The most common combining vowel is:
a A
b E
c I
d O
____ All medical terms must contain at least one:
a Prefix
b Suffix
c Combining vowel
d Word root
___ The combining form is made from a:
a Prefix and word root
b Word root and combining vowel
c Word root and suffix
d Combining vowel and suffix
____ In the divided medical word, hist/o/plasty, which part is the word root?
a hist
b o
c plasty
d o/plasty
____ In the divided medical term, lip/o/genic, which part is the suffix?
a ic
b o
c genic
d lip
____ In the divided medical term, poly/pleg/ia, which part is the prefix?
a poly
b plegia
c pleg
d ia
____ Hist/o is the combining form that means:
a Cells
b Organs
c Tissue
d Against
____ The combining form that means cause of disease is:
a Melan/o
b Cyt/o
c Path/o
d Eti/o
____ Lei/o is the combining form that means:
a Fat
b Smooth
c Loin
d Striated
____ The suffix that means surgical repair is:
a -plegia
b -plasty
c -phoria
d -dynia
____ The prefix that means beyond, change, after is:
a hypo-
b hyper-
c meta-
d epi-
____ The suffix that means tumor or swelling is:
a -cyte
b -plegia
c -plasty
d -oma
____ The combining form that means red is:
a leuk/o
b erythr/o
c melan/o
d sarc/o