Chapter 1

Basic Word Structure

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Learning Objectives

• Divide medical terms into component

parts
• Analyze, pronounce, and spell medical
terms using common combining forms,
suffixes, and prefixes

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Word Analysis

Important Word Parts:

• Root: the essential meaning of the term
• Suffix: word ending
• Prefix: small part added to the beginning of
the term
• Combining vowel: connects roots to suffixes
and roots to other roots
• Combining form: the combination of the root
and the combining vowel
Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Word Analysis (cont’d.)

General rules:
1. Read the meaning of medical terms from
the suffix back to the beginning of the
term and then across
2. Drop the combining vowel before a suffix
beginning with a vowel:
gastritis not gastroitis
3. Keep the combining vowel word roots:
gastroenterology not gastrenterology

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Word Analysis (cont’d.)

Example:

ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM means record of

electricity in the heart

ELECTR: root
O:combining vowel
CARDI: root
O:combining vowel
GRAM: suffix
Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Word Analysis (cont’d.)

Example:

SUB/GASTR/IC means pertaining to under

the stomach

SUB: Prefix (under)

GASTR: Root (stomach)
IC: Suffix (pertaining to)
Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Combining forms

Examples:

aden/o: gland
cardi/o: heart
gastr/o stomach
gnos/o: knowledge
psych/o: mind
cerebr/o: cerebrum, largest part of the brain

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Functions of the Cerebrum

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The Urinary Tract

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 Location of Small and Large
Intestines in the Abdominal Cavity

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Blood Cells

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Suffixes

Examples:
- al pertaining to
- ectomy cutting out; removal, excision
- ia condition
- sis state of
- tomy process of cutting into; incision

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Prefixes

Examples
a-, an- no, not
dia- complete, through
endo- within
hypo- below, less than normal
pro- before, forward
trans- across, through

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Pronunciation of Terms

The capitalized letters in boldface are the

accented syllable.
• AR-thro-gram = arthrogram
• seh-FAL-jah = cephalgia
• DIS-en-teh-re = dysentery
• e-lek-tro-en-SEF-ah-lo-gram =
electroencephalogram
• gas-TROS-ko-pe = gastroscopy

Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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 Pronunciation of Terms
(cont’d.)
• hep-ah-TO-mah = hepatoma
• lap-ah-ROS-ko-pe = laparoscopy
• nu-RAL-jah = neuralgia
• os-te-I-tis = osteitis
• ri-NI-tis = rhinitis
• sub-heh-PAT-ik = subhepatic
• trans-u-RE-thral = transurethral
Copyright © 2009, 2005, 2003, 1999, 1991 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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