MEDICAL ENGLISH
WORD BUILDING
TERMS PERTAINING TO THE BODY
AS A WHOLE
1ST YEAR HANDOUTS
1
BASIC WORD STRUCTURE OF A MEDICAL TERM
Yesterday morning, I woke up with cephalalgia and an onset of laryngitis. I sent my boy
out to play, but soon he came bach lacrimating, with ambilateral abrasions on his
patellae, and a large hematoma on the frontal portion of his cranium.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CEPHALalgia
LARYNGitis
ambiLATERal
abRASION
HEMAToma
PREFIX
WORD ROOT
SUFFIX
1.
2.
3. = both
4. = away from
5.
= head
= voice box
= side
= scratch
= blood
= pain
= inflammation
= adj. ending
•
= tumor, mass
CYT + O + LOGY : cyt = cell
o = COMBINING VOWEL (necessary when the suffix
starts with a consonant)
logy = study of
word root + combining vowel = COMBINING FORM
BASIC RULES:
1. A word root provides the basic meaning of the term.
2. A prefix appears before the word root to change/modify its meaning.
3. A suffix appears at the end of the word providing some additional information.
4. A combinig vowel – usually an o – connects a word root to a suffix.
5. A combining form consists of a word root and a combining vowel.
6. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix starting with a vowel, but it is used
between two roots in compound words (e.g. gastrointestinal).
7. The meaning of a medical term can usually be determined by starting with the suffix
and moving back to the beginning of the word.
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COMBINING FORMS: BODY PARTS AND TISSUES
head
= CEPHALO (cephalalgia, hydrocephalus)
skull
= CRANIO (craniotomy)
brain
= CEREBRO, ENCEPHALO (cerebral, electroencephalogram)
mind
= PSYCHO, PHRENO (psychology, schizophrenia)
eye
= OPHTHALMO (ophthalmoscope), OCULO (periocular)
ear
= OTO (otitis)
nose
= RHINO (rhinoplasty), NASO (nasal, nasogastric)
mouth
= ORO (oral)
tongue
= GLOSSO, LINGUO (glossoscopy, sublingual)
lip
= LABIO (nasolabial)
neck
= CERVICO (cervical)
vertebra, spin. col. = SPONDYLO (spondylosis)
breast
= MAMMO, MASTO (mammography, mastectomy)
chest
= THORACO (thoracic)
abdomen
= ABDOMINO, LAPARO (laparoscope)
heart
= CARDIO (electrocardiogram)
lung
= PULM(ON)O (pulmonal, pulmonary, pulmonic)
stomach
= GASTRO (gastritis, gastralgia)
intestine (small) = ENTERO (enterovirus)
intestine (large) = COLO(NO) (colonoscopy, colostomy)
liver
= HEPATO (hepatitis)
kidney
= RENO, NEPHRO (renal calculi, nephropathy)
urinary bladder
= CYSTO (cystitis, cystoscopy)
uterus
= UTERO, HYSTERO, METRO (uterocervical, hysterectomy,
metrorrhagia)
arm
= BRACHIO (brachiocephalic)
foot
= PEDO (orthopedics) (also:PEDO= child – pediatrics)
finger (toe)
= DACTYLO (dactylospasm)
bone
joint
vessel
nerve
gland
cartilage
muscle
skin
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
flesh
blood
bile,gall
b. marr., sp. cord
clot
cell
=
=
=
=
=
=
OSTEO (osteoporosis)
ARTHRO (arthritis)
ANGIO, VASO (angioplasty, angiography, vasodilation)
NEURO (neurology, neuralgia)
ADENO (adenoneural, adenoma)
CHONDRO (chondroma)
MYO (myoma, myalgia)
DERM(AT)O (dermatitis, dermatosis;
dermal/dermic=CUTANEOUS)
SARCO (sarcoma)
HEM(AT)O (hematology, hemogram=CBC)
BILI, CHOLO/E (bilirubinemia, choledochus)
MYELO (myeloma)
THROMBO (thrombocyte)
CYTO (cytology)
3
ADDITIONAL COMBINING FORMS
cut
= CISO, SECTIO, TOMO (incision, C-section,
tomography)
secrete
= CRINO (endo-, exocrine)
tumor
= ONCO (oncogenesis)
disease
= PATHO (pathology, pathogenic)
nature
= PHYSIO (physiology)
X-rays
= RADIO (radiologist, radiographer)
4
SUFFIXES
1. SUFFIXES DENOTING STATES / DISORDERS / SYMPTOMS
-ALGIA, -DYNIA
= pain (gastralgia, gastrodynia)
-CELE
= hernia, protrusion (enterocele)
-ECTASIS
= dilation, expansion (angiectasis)
-EMIA
= pres. of subst. in blood (proteinemia,
hyperbilirubinemia)
-IASIS, -OSIS, -PATHY = diseased condition, formation (lithiasis, dermatosis,
nephropathy) (lith=stone)
-LYSIS
= destruction, breaking down (hemolysis)
-MALACIA
= softening (osteomalacia)
-MEGALY
= enlargement (hepatomegaly,acromegaly)
-PENIA
= deficiency, decrease (leukopenia)
-PHOBIA
= fear (hydrophobia, acrophobia, xenophobia)
-PLEGIA
= paralysis, stroke (paraplegia)
-PTOSIS
= downward displacement (nephroptosis)
-RRHAGE/-RRHAGIA
= abnormal/excessive flow (hemorrhage)
-RRHEA
= flow, discharge (diarrhea, amenorrhea)
-RRHEXIS
= rupture, break (angiorrhexis)
-SCLEROSIS
= hardening (arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis)
-SPASM
= involuntary contraction, convulsion, cramp
(enterospasm)
2. SUFFIXES DENOTING DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
-GRAM
-GRAPH
-GRAPHY
= record (angiogram)
= recording instrument (electroencephalograph)
= recording procedure (electrocardiography)
-METER
-METRY
= measuring instrument (thermometer)
= measuring procedure ( spirometry)
-SCOPE
= viewing/examining instrument (endo/cysto/laryngo/
ophthalmo/laparoscope)
= procedure of visual examination (endo/cysto/laryngo/ophthalmo/
laparoscopy)
-SCOPY
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3. SUFFIXES DENOTING SURGICAL PROCEDURES
-CENTESIS
= puncture (amniocentesis)
-CLASIA
= to break (osteoclasia)
-DESIS
= binding, fusion (arthrodesis)
-ECTOMY
= surgical removal (tonsill-,nephr-, hyster-, gastr-, mastectomy)
-PEXY
= surgical fixation/fastening in position ( nephropexy,
orchidopexy)
-PLASTY
= surg. reconstruction ( mastoplasty, osteoplasty, rhinoplasty,
labioplasty)
-RRHAPHY
= suture, stitching ( ureterorrhaphy, colorrhaphy)
-TRIPSY
= crushing, friction (lithotripsy)
-STOMY
= creating an artif. opening ( tracheostomy, colostomy)
-TOMY
= cutting, incision (craniotomy, tracheotomy)
4. SUFFIXES DENOTING DIMINUTIVE FORMS (noun endings)
-ICLE
e.g.
particle, ventricle, testicle, auricle, ossicle, vesicle
-OLE
e.g.
arteriole
-ULE/-ULA e.g.
venule, venula
5. SUFFIXES DENOTING ADJECTIVAL ENDINGS ( pertaining to / resembling)
-AC
e.g.
cardiac
-TIC
-AL
e.g.
dorsal
-EAL e.g. laryngeal
-AR
e.g.
lumbar (lumbo=loins)
-OSE e.g. adipose (adipo=fat)
mammary
-OUS e.g. mucous (muco=mucus)
-ARY e.g.
-IC
e.g. asthmatic
e.g. hepatic
-OID e.g. lipoid (lipo= fat)
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PREFIXES
1. PREFIXES DENOTING POSITION - LOCATION - DIRECTION (place &
time)
before, in front
≠
ANTE(RO): antenatal, anterolateral
POST(ERO): postmortal,
posterolateral
RETRO: retroflexion, retropharyngeal
PRE: precancerous, preaortic
PRO: prodrome, procurvation
outside
≠
EC(TO): ectocytic, ectocardia
EXTRA: extracellular, extrahepatic
EXO: exocrine
≠
EPI: epinephrine, epigastric
SUPER: superacidity, supercilia
SUPRA: suprarenal
ULTRA: ultrasonic
under, beneath
INFRA: infracolic, infracostal
SUB: subpatellar, subcutaneous
≠
AB: abnormal, abscess
EX: excision
right
inside, within
ENDO: endocrine, endoscope
INTRA: intravenous, intracranial
above, over, excessive
(away) from
after, behind
to(ward)
AD: adrenal, admedial
≠
DEXTRO: dextrocardia
left
SINISTRO: sinistrocerebral
surrounding, around - PERI: periarterial, perinatal
CIRCUM: circumocular, circumcision
between - INTER: intercostal, intercerebral
middle - MEDI: medial
MESO: mesonasal
near, beside, beyond, apart, abnormal - PARA: paracellular, pararenal,
parapsychology
through, across - DIA: diameter, diarrhea
TRANS: transcutaneous, transmucosal
(on) both (sides) - AMBI: ambilateral
AMPHI: amphicranial
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2.
PREFIXES DENOTING COLOR
white
= ALB-, ALBUMINO- (albinism, albuminuria)
= LEUKO- (leukocyte, leukoderma, leukoplakia)
yellow
= CIRRHO- (cirrhosis)
= XANTHO- (xanthocyte)
= LUTEO- (corpus luteum, macula lutea)
= FLAVO- (flavobacterium)
red
purple
= ERYTHRO- (erythrocyte, erythema)
= RUBEO- ( rubeosis= redness, rubeola=measles/morbilli, rubella)
(= ospice)
(=rubeola)
= PURPURO- (purpura)
green
= CHLORO- (chloroma)
blue
= CYANO- (cyanosis)
gray
= GLAUCO- (glaucoma)
= POLIO- (poliomylelitis)
black
= MELANO- (melanoma)
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3. MISCELLANEOUS PREFIXES
ANTI-
= against, opposite (antibiotic, antiseptic, anticoagulant)
CONTRA- =
“
(contraindication, contraceptive)
BRADY-
= slow (bradycardia, bradypnea)
≠
DYS-
= poor, bad (dyspepsia, dysfunction)
≠
MAL-
=
“
TACHY-
EU-
= fast, rapid
= good, easy
(malformation, malnutrition)
HETERO- = different (heterogeneous)
≠
HOMO-
= same (homogeneous)
HIDRO-
= sweat (hidrosis)
HYDRO-
= water (hydrophobia, hydrocephalus)
JUXTA-
= near, adjoining (juxtaposition)
META-
= after, beyond, change (metastasis, metacarpals, metatarsals)
PSEUDO- = false (pseudomeningitis)
SYM-
= together, union (symbiosis, symphysis)
SYN-
=
“
(syndactyly, synchondrosis)
CON-
=
“
(congenital, contact, contamination)
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4. PREFIXES DENOTING NEGATION / NUMBER / MEASUREMENT / SIZE
0
=
=
=
=
AANIMIN-
(apnea, aphasia, aphagia, arrhythmia)
(anesthesia)
(immature, imbalance, immobilize, immedicable)
(insomnia, inactivity, incurable)
½
= HEMI= SEMI-
1
= MONO- (mononuclear, monobrachia, monocardian)
= UNI(unilateral, uniceps, uninephric)
1st
= PRIMI-
2
= BI-
(biarticular, bipolar)
= DI-
(diplegia, diovulatory)
(hemiplegia, hemicolectomy)
(semiflexion, semicomatose)
(primipara)
3
= TRI-
(trigone, triceps, trigeminus)
4
= QUAD(RI)- (quadriceps, quadrisection, quadrant)
= TETRA-
many
= MULTI= POLY-
(tetraplegic,tetradactyly)
(multipara, multiple)
(polyphobia, polymenorrhea)
all
= PAN- (pancytopenia, panarthritis)
large
= MACRO- (macrocephaly, macrophage, macrorhinia)
small
= MICRO- (microgastria, microdontia, microglia)
over,
= HYPER- (hypertension, hyperplasia, hypertrophy, hyperglycemia)
above, excessive
under,
= HYPO- (hypothyroidism, hypodermic)
below, deficient
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TERMS PERTAINING TO THE BODY AS A WHOLE
1. Structural organization of the body
CELLS
key words:
membrane
nucleus
chromosomes
genes
DNA
karyotype
cytoplasm
mitochondria
endoplasmic reticulum
ribosomes
catabolism
anabolism
metabolism
TISSUES
key words: histology
parenchymal vs stromal tissue
ORGANS AND ORGAN SYSTEMS
key words: viscus / viscera
integumentary
musculoskeletal
gastrointestinal (digestive / alimentary)
urinary
female reproductive
male reproductive
system
“
“
“
“
“
respiratory
lymphatic
cardiovascular
endocrine
nervous
sense organs
(see MEDICAL ENGLISH WORKBOOK pp 10-12)
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2. Body cavities
key words: cranial
thoracic (mediastinum, pleural)
diaphragm
spinal
abdominal (peritoneum)
pelvic
3. Abdominopelvic regions and quadrants
key words: hypochondriac (left and right)
epigastric
lumbar
(left and right)
umbilical
inguinal
(left and right)
hypogastric
RUQ
LUQ
RLQ
LLQ
4. Anatomical division of the back
key words: spinal / vertebral column (backbone)
vertebra, -ae
spinal cord
intervertebral spaces
disk / cartilage pad – slipped disk (discus hernia)
division: cervical (C1-C7)
thoracic (T1-T12)
lumbar (L1-L5)
sacral (S – 5 fused bones)
coccygeal (coccyx - 4 fused bones)
5. Positional and directional terms
key words: anterior (ventral)
posterior (dorsal)
deep
superficial
proximal
distal
inferior (caudal)
superior (cephalic)
medial
lateral
supine
prone
afferent
efferent
6. Planes of the body
key words: frontal (coronal)
sagittal (lateral)
transverse (cross-sectional)
anatomical position
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