The Basics of Medical Terminology

Learning to understand medical terms is the first step to mastering them. This guide explains how to break down complex medical words by understanding their core parts: the prefix, the root, and the suffix.

How to Build a Medical Term

Prefixes: The Beginning
A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word. It typically specifies location, time, number, or status. Understanding prefixes is a key step in deciphering complex medical terms.

Example:

HYPERtension

In this term, 'HYPER-' is the prefix, meaning 'high' or 'excessive'. 'Tension' refers to pressure. Thus, hypertension means high blood pressure.

Root Words: The Core Meaning
The root is the core of a medical term and contains its fundamental meaning. Most medical terms are derived from Greek or Latin roots. A term can have one or more roots.

Example:

cardi/o/logy

The root word is 'card' (heart). The 'o' is a combining vowel used to connect it to the suffix '-ology' (study of). Cardiology is the study of the heart.

Combining Vowels

A combining vowel (usually 'o') is used to join a root word to a suffix or another root word. This makes the term easier to pronounce and is a fundamental rule in building medical terms.

  • Use a combining vowel when the suffix begins with a consonant (e.g., hepat/o + -logy = hepatology).
  • Do not use a combining vowel when the suffix begins with a vowel (e.g., hepat + -itis = hepatitis).
Suffixes: The Ending
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word. It often indicates a procedure, condition, disease, or disorder, modifying the root's meaning to be more specific.

Example:

hepatITIS

Here, '-ITIS' is the suffix, meaning 'inflammation'. When combined with the root 'hepat' (liver), hepatitis means inflammation of the liver.

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