Understanding Medical Terminology: Combining Forms, Suffixes, Prefixes, and Word Formation, Study notes of Classical Philology

Download Understanding Medical Terminology: Combining Forms, Suffixes, Prefixes, and Word Formation and more Study notes Classical Philology in PDF only on Docsity! MED TERMINOLOGY 1/14/10 Combining forms  The stem of most scientific terminology is often shortened form of a Greek or Latin word. This form, called a combining form, is used in combination with other word parts to create our medical world o –Greek: arthron = joint  Combining form = arthr-  Arthritis = arthr + itis = inflammation of a joint Suffixes  Added to the end of combining forms o Arthr + itis o Ize = makes verbs, to do, to make  Indicates part of speech (noun, adjective, or verb) o Itis, iium, ma, sis = nouns o ize= verbs o ac, itic , otic = adjectives Prefixes  Added to the front of the combining form  Modify or qualify in some way the meaning of the word o Ex: hypo = under, deficient, below normal o Syn/sym = together, with, joined o Hemi = half, partial o Hypothermia, sympathy, hemisphere Formula  Prefix + Combining Form + Suffix = Medical Word o Hypo/chondr/iac o Peri + cardi + ium = pericardium = membrane surrounding heart o Peri = around, surrounding o Cardi= heart o Ium= membrane Compare with medical definition: The membranous fibroserous sac enclosing the heart and the bases of the great vessels ALL  All= other, divergence, difference from o Alloplasia = The development of tissue at a location where that type of tissue would not normally occur o Allotype = Any one of the genetic variants of protein that occur in a single species Angi- and arteri-  Angi- vessel, duct o Endangiitis = inflammation of the innermost layer of a blood vessel  Arteri = artery o Arteritis = inflammation of an artery Cephal- and encehphal  Cephal- = head o Cephalic= pertaining to the head  Encephal = brain Erythr- and luek-  Erythr = red, red blood cells o Erythrogenesis= development of red blood cells Leuk = white, white blood cells  Leukotoxin = something poisonous to white blood cells  Leukoderma = abnormal condition of whiteness (pigment deficiency) of the skin Oste-  Oste- = bone o Osteitis= inflammation of the bone o Do not confuse with os- (mouth)  Arthr-oste-itis  Angiostenosis