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span
style=3D'mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Ve=
rdana'>Introduction
to Medical Terminology
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![](3D"IntroductiontoMedicalTerminology_files/image001.gif")
What is Medic=
al
Terminology?
Medical terminology refers to the words and phrases, w=
hich
have been developed to describe the procedures, medications, instruments,
anatomical structures, etc. used in the field of medicine. It is, in a very
real sense, the language of medicine.
Medical terminology has a long and rich history. Most medical terms
derive from Latin or Greek. So if at first it medical terminology appears t=
o be
a foreign language - well... that's because it is! But don't despair. Like =
any
language, the language of medicine adheres to a set of fairly simple rules.=
The Structure=
of
Medical Terminology
It may seem like an impossible task to commit the spel=
ling
and meaning of 100,000 different medical terms to memory - and in fact, for
most of us it is. Fortunately, it is not necessary. The fact is that most
seemingly complex medical terms are simply combinations of much smaller sub=
sets
of word parts. This is a critically important concept to understand.
It is not unreasonable to expect to memorize several hundred prefixe=
s,
suffixes and root words in a relatively short period of time. Then, once th=
ese
word parts are learned, they can be combined to form literally thousands of
complex medical terms.
How are Medic=
al
Terms Constructed?
Most medical terms consist of one or more parts. These
word parts may include one or more of the following:
1.&n=
bsp;
Root
Words
2.&n=
bsp;
Prefixes
3.&n=
bsp;
Suffixes
4.&n=
bsp;
Combining
Vowels
To help you better understand how this works; let's look at an examp=
le.
Consider the word cholecystectomy. At first glance, this word
seems quite complex. Cholecystectomy, which means excision (removal)=
of
the gall bladder, is really a combination of four different word parts. Let=
's
break it down into its sub parts and see if we can figure out why it means =
what
it means.
chol - e -=
cyst –
ectomy
chol is a root word meaning bile or gall e
is a combining vowel (described in more detail below)
Therefore, we can see that cholecystectomy is a combination of words,
which translate to mean surgical removal of the gall bladder.
Each of these word parts will be seen over and over in medical langu=
age.
For example, the suffix ectomy is seen in such common terms as
tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils) and appendectomy (removal of the
appendix). It is not hard to see that as you begin to commit these sub-term=
s to
memory, you will be able to decipher more complex terms because you will
recognize and understand their component parts.
Medical terms always contain at least one root word. And as we saw w=
ith
cholecystectomy, they may have more than one root word. The root is the par=
t of
the word that comprises the primary meaning of the term. In the example of
tonsillectomy, the root word is tonsil. The suffix is ectomy. The root word=
tonsil
is capable of standing alone. The suffix ectomy, (meaning surgical
removal) requires the root word tonsil to confer relevance. Prefixes and
suffixes cannot stand-alone. Medical terms may have, but are not required to
have, a prefix and/or a suffix.
Combining Vow=
els
Combining vowels are sometimes used to create a more f=
luid
transition between word parts and to make medical terms easier to pronounce.
For example, the term splenomegaly means enlarg=
ement
of the spleen. It is a combination of the root word
The vowel used most often to combine medical words is "O",=
but
other vowels are also sometimes used. It should be noted that combining vow=
els
may be used between two root words, or between a root word and a suffix, but
they are never used between prefixes and root words.