1
(Textbook pg.: xviii-xxii)
Outcomes:
• Define common terminology associated with the study of disease
• Differentiate between signs and symptoms of disease
• Differentiate between a diagnosis and a prognosis
• Correctly apply with the common prefixes & suffixes used in anatomy, physiology
+ pathology
LEARNING ACTIVITY FROM LEARNER GUIDE:
• Pathology = study of the structural and functional changes in cells, tissues, and
organs of the body that cause or are caused by disease.
• Disease = an interruption, cessation or disorder of a body system or organ
structure that is characterised usually by a recognized etiologic agent or agents,
an identifiable group of signs and symptoms, or consistent anatomic alterations.
• Anatomy = a scientific field concerned with the identification and description of
the bodily structures of humans, animals, and other living things
• Physiology = the study of how the human body works
• Medicine = the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
disease
• Medical terminology = language used to describe anatomical structures,
procedures, conditions, processes, and treatments
• Aetiology = the cause, set of causes, or the manner of causation of a disease or
condition
• Epidemiology = the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related
states + events
• Symptom = Symptoms are objective and can only be perceived by the person
affected
• Sign = are objective, can be seen/measured
• Silent = not exhibiting the normal signs or symptoms of the disease/condition
e.g. Aneurism
• Syndrome = a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and
characterize a particular abnormality or condition e.g. AIDS, acute radiation
• Acute = rapid onset of a disease e.g. heart attack
• Chronic = slow onset and progress of disease (rarely cured, more controlled)
e.g. Alzheimer’s
• Local = Having reference or confined to a limited part
• Systemic = Affecting the whole body, not just one organ or body part
• Genetic = caused by a defective gene
• Congenital = a condition of trait present at birth
Notes by Gabriella Adolphe
2
• Acquired = a condition or trait that is not present at birth
• Idiopathic = disease with no identifiable cause
• Functional = symptom with no known medical cause (abnormal function without
abnormal structure) e.g. psychiatric conditions
• Organic (morphologic) = associated with structural abnormality
• Diagnosis = the identification of the nature of an illness or another problem by
the examination of the signs + symptoms
• Prognosis = prediction of the course + outcome of a specific disease
• Morbidity = an unhealthy state of an individual
• Mortality = pertaining to death
• Complication = secondary disorder following an existing disease
• Therapy = the treatment of disease with the aim of achieving a cure
SYMPTOMS VS SIGNS
SYMPTOM SIGNS
• Feeling of illness experienced by • Abnormalities visible to an
the patient (pain, giddiness) observer (pallor, rise in body
temp)
• Cannot be seen • Can be seen
DIAGNOSIS VS PROGNOSIS
DIAGNOSIS PROGNOSIS
• The identification of an illness • Prediction of the course + outcome
of an illness
Notes by Gabriella Adolphe
3
PTY01Y1 Worksheet
PREFIXE
Meaning + Example
▪ a- = not, lacking, without, away from e.g., achroma
▪ ab- = away from e.g. abduction, abnormal
▪ ad- = to, toward e.g. adduction
▪ ambi- = both, double e.g. ambidextrous
▪ angio- = relating to blood vessels e.g. angiography
▪ ankyl- = stiffened, hooked e.g. ankylosis
▪ ante- = forward, before e.g. anterior
▪ anti- = preventing, against, opposed to e.g. antibiotic
▪ arterio- = relating to arteries e.g. arteriovenous
▪ auto- = self, same e.g. autoimmune
▪ bi- = double, twice e.g. bilateral
▪ chole- = bile, gall e.g. cholecystic
▪ contra- = opposite e.g. contraindication
▪ cyano- = blue e.g. cyanosis
▪ cyst(o)- = bladder e.g. cystoscopy
▪ dys- = painful, difficult, abnormal, defective
▪ end(o)- = within, inner e.g. endometriosis
▪ eryth- = red, red blood cell e.g. erythema
▪ gyn- = woman, female e.g. gynecologist
▪ haem- = blood e.g. hemorrhage
▪ hemi- = half, partial, on one side of the body e.g. hemiplegia
▪ hepato- = liver e.g. hepatotoxicity
▪ hydro- = water, watery e.g. hydrocephalus
▪ hyper- = above, over, beyond normal e.g.
hyperglycemia/hydrothorax (fluid in the lungs)
▪ hypo- = deficient, under, below normal e.g. hypoglycemia
▪ intra- = within e.g. intravenous
▪ inter- = between e.g. intercostal
▪ lympho- = lymph e.g. lymph node
▪ macro- = (abnormally) large or long e.g. macrocephalus
▪ mal- = disease, abnormal or defective e.g. malformation
▪ micro- = (abnormally) small e.g. microsomia
▪ mega- = (abnormally) large or long e.g. megacephaly
▪ myo- = muscle e.g. myocyte
▪ neo- = new, young e.g. neonatal
▪ nephro- = kidney e.g. nephrolith
▪ oligo- = few e.g. oligodactyly
▪ para- = parallel, alongside, abnormal e.g. paraplegic
▪ peri- = surrounding, around e.g. pericardial
▪ phlebo- = vein e.g. phlebitis, phlebolith (calcification in the
vein)
▪ pneumo- = air, gas, lung e.g. pneumonia
▪ poly- = many, excessive e.g. polydactyly
▪ post- = following, after, behind e.g. posterior
▪ pseudo- = false e.g. pseudo pregnancy
Notes by Gabriella Adolphe
4
▪ psych- = mind e.g. psychologist
▪ pyo- = pus e.g. pyoderma
▪ reno- = kidney (see also nephro) e.g. renal failure
▪ retro- = backward, back, behind e.g. retrolental
▪ sub- = under, below, less than normal e.g. subclavian
▪ supra- = above e.g. suprascapular
▪ trans- = through, across e.g. translucent/trans-abdominal
▪ uni- = one e.g. unilateral
SUFFIXES
Meaning + Example
▪ -algia = pain, sensitivity to pain e.g. cephalgia
▪ -ectomy = outside of, away from e.g. appendectomy
▪ -gram(ph) = a record, write, photo e.g. electrocardiogram
▪ -lysis = destruction/deterioration, break down
e.g. hemolysis
▪ -natal = or, relating to, or accompanying birth e.g.
natal injuries
▪ -ology = science of e.g. pathology
▪ -oma = tumor, disease e.g. myeloma
▪ -osis = state or condition e.g. endometriosis
▪ -ostomy = a new opening e.g. colostomy
▪ -otomy = cutting into e.g. laparotomy
▪ -pathy = suffering or disease e.g. neuropathy
▪ -penia = deficiency e.g. leukopenia
▪ -plasty = form, develop e.g. angioplasty
▪ -pnoea = breath e.g. apneoa
▪ -ptosis = downward displacement e.g. ptosis of the
eyelids
▪ -rrhoea = flow, discharge e.g. logorrhea/diarrhea
▪ -scope = observe e.g. stethoscope
▪ -uria = related to urine e.g. anuria
Notes by Gabriella Adolphe
