University:
West Coast University
Course:
HA 100 | Medical Terminology
Academic year:

2022
Views:

210

Pages:

2
Author:

Michael Haley

Word Parts -algia pain, suffering dys- bad, difficult, or painful -ectomy surgical removal, cutting out hyper- excessive, increased hypo- deficient, decreased -itis inflammation -osis abnormal condition, disease -ostomy the surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface -otomy cutting, surgical incision -plasty surgical repair -rrhage bleeding, abnormal excessive fluid discharge -rrhaphy surgical suturing -rrhea flow, discharge -rrhexis rupture -sclerosis abnormal hardening The four types of word parts used to create many medical terms are word roots, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes. 1. A word root contains the basic meaning of the term. In medical terminology, this word part usually, but not always, indicates the involved body part. For example, the word root meaning stomach is gastr-. 2. A combining form is a word root with a combining vowel added at the end, used when two word roots are combined or when a suffix beginning with a consonant is added. When a combining form appears alone, it is shown with a back slash (/) between the word root and the combining vowel. For example, the combining form of the word rood gastr is gastr/o. Note: a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y are vowels. All the other letters in the alphabet are consonants. 3. A suffix usually, but not always, indicates the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease. a. A suffix always comes at the end of the word. b. You’ll know a word part is a suffix when it is shown with a hyphen (-) preceding it. For example, the suffix -itis means inflammation. 4. A prefix usually, but not always, indicates location, time, number, or status. a. A prefix always comes at the beginning of a word. b. You’ll know a word part is a prefix when it is shown followed by a hyphen (-). For example, hyper- means excessive or increased. Suffixes Meaning “Pertaining to” -ac -eal -ior -al -ical -ory -an -ial -ous -ar -ic -tic -ary -ine Suffixes Meaning “Abnormal Condition” -ago -iasis -osis -esis -ion -ia -ism