Download MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY and more Lecture notes Medical Sciences in PDF only on Docsity! 1 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY The Language of the Health Profession ORIGIN OF MEDICAL TERMS Hippocrates was a Greek physician and is known as the “father of medicine.” 75% of medical terms are based on either Greek or Latin words. ROOT WORDS A root is the foundation or basic meaning of a word. May appear with a prefix or suffix, or between a prefix or suffix. cardi - root for heart hepat- root for liver neur - root for nerve nephr - root for kidney cyt- root for cell PREFIX Pre - prefix means before peri- prefix means around hemi - prefix means half micro - prefix means large neo- prefix means new The prefix is a part of the word that precedes the word root and changes its meaning. Often indicates location, time, or number. SUFFIX A suffix is the word ending that follows the word root and changes its meaning. Often indicates the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease. -itis - suffix means inflammation -ology - suffix means the study of - ectomy- suffix means surgical removal-plast- suffix means surgical repair Cardiology Cardi - root means heart. -ology - suffix means the study of. Cardiology - the study of the heart. 2 Nephritis Nephr - root words means kidney -itis suffix means inflammation Nephritis means inflammation of the kidney Break down and define the following medical terms. pericarditis leukocyte hepatitis neuroplasty pericarditis Pericaridits Peri- means around -cardi- means the heart -itis means inflammation leukocyte leuko- prefix means white cyte - root word means cell leukocyte means white cell hepatitis hepat - root word means liver -itis - suffix means inflammation hepatitis - means inflammation of the liver neuroplasty neuro - root word means nerve or nerves -plasty - suffix means surgical repair neuroplasty means surgical repair of the nerve
