Republic of Yemen

Ministry of Higher Education &

Scientific Research
National University College of
Professional Health Sciences

Fundamentals
of
Medical Terminology
All Medical Sections
Prepared and taught by:
2024 -- 2025
T. / Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Aslami

‫عبد الرمحن حممد األسلمي‬

 Medical Terminology

Medical terminology: Is the words that make up the

language of medicine.

The majority of medical terms are based on Latin or Greek.

How does medical terminology work?

Component parts of medical terminology

Any given medical term may contain one, some or

all of these parts.

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 1 Medical Terminology

 Component parts of medical terms

- It is a word beginning.
prefix - It usually indicates number, time, position, direction, color
or sense of negation.

- It is the main part or stem which contains the essential

root meaning of a word and usually derived from Latin or Greek.
- It indicates a body part.
- Most of medical terms have one or more roots.

- It is a word ending.
suffix - It indicates condition, disease, or part of speech.

Linking - It is added between roots and suffixes, or roots and other

roots, but NOT between prefixes and roots
vowel - It is used to help with pronunciation.
- The most used vowel is “o”. “i” and “a” are also used.

Examples

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 2 Medical Terminology

 Combining forms
The combining form is a word root plus a vowel, usually an “o”.

Word root +”o” combining form

- Like the word root, the combining form indicates a body part.

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 Some examples of root words and their combining forms

1- derm-, derma-, dermat-, dermot-, dermo-,

=root word for skin and its combining form

Ex. Dermatitis
dermat (skin) & -itis (inflammation) = inflammation of the skin

Ex. Dermatology
dermat (skin) & -ology(branch of knowledge or science of=Medical specialty of
diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases

Ex. Pyoderma
pyo (pus) & derma (skin) =skin infection involving pus

2- cardio-, cardi-,
= the root word for heart and its combining vowels

Ex. cardiovascular
cardio(heart)& vascular(blood vessels)
= pertaining to heart and vessels

Ex. cardiocentesis
Cardio(heart) & centesis (surgical puncture)= surgical puncture
of the heart

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 3- hem-, hema-, hemo-, haem-, and hemato-
= root word for blood and its combining forms

Ex. hematology
hemat(blood) & -ology (branch of knowledge or science of) =
science of blood & blood forming tissues

Ex. hemorrhage
hemo( blood) & -rrhage( bursting forth)
= escape of blood from tissues

4- hepat-, hepatico-, hepato-

= root word for liver and its combining forms

Ex. hepatoma
hepat(liver) & -oma(tumor or neoplasm)= tumor of the liver

Ex. hepatotoxic
hepato(liver) & -toxic (poisonous) = toxic to liver cells

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 Some common prefixes

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 6 Medical Terminology

 Some examples of root words

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 7 Medical Terminology

 Some examples of suffixes

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 8 Medical Terminology

 Plural Forms of Medical Terminology

Word ending Plural ending Singular Form Plural Form

Vertebra Vertebrae
A ae
Scapula Scapulae
ax aces Thorax Thoraces
Appendix Appendices
ex -ix- yx ices
Cortex Cortices
Stigma Stigmata
ma mata
Fibroma Fibromata
nx (anx – inx – Phalanx Phalanges
nges
ynx) Larynx Larynges
Protozoon Protozoa
on a
phenomenon phenomena
Ovum Ova
um a
bacterium bacteria
Embolus Emboli
us i
Bronchus Bronchi
analysis Analyses
sis ses
Diagnosis Diagnosis

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 Suffixes that mean Pertaining to or resembling
Adjective suffixes of Medical Terminology

Suffix Example Definition of example

-ac cardiac Pertaining to the heart

-al Skeletal Pertaining to the skeleton

-ar Muscular Pertaining to the muscles

-ary Dietary Pertaining to the diet

-form Muciform Like or resembling mucus

-ic Metric Pertaining to meter

-ical (ic+al) Anatomical Pertaining to anatomy

-ile Febrile Pertaining to fever

-oid Toxoid Resembling toxin (poison)

-ory Respiratory Pertaining to respiration

-ous Venous Pertaining to a vein

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 Activities
Medical Terminology: Examples of Prefixes

Component Meaning Examples

Size
macro-, mega(lo)- large

micro- small

Number
semi- half

hemi- half (one side)

mono-, uni- one

bi- | tri- | qua(dr/r/t)- two | three | four

equi- equal

poly- many

Level
hyper- above normal

hypo- below normal

eu- normal/good

Time or Speed
post- after

re- again

retro- back/backward

pro-, pre-, ante- before

tachy- fast

neo- new

chron- time, long time

brady-
slow

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 Component Meaning Examples
Location or Relationship
ab- away from

supra- above

peri- around

trans- across

inter- between

ex-, ec(t)- out of, outside

auto- self

dia- through, completely

con- together

ad- toward

end(o)- within, inside

Function or Quality
anti-, contra- against

mal- bad

eti- cause

auto- self

a-, de- without

dys- not working correctly

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 Medical Terminology: Examples of Root Words
A lot of medical terms get their roots from Latin and ancient Greek language, much like many
words in the English and romance languages. Here are some of the most common medical root
words healthcare providers must know

Component Meaning Examples

Head
brain enceph
ear ot, aur
eardrum tympan, myring
eye aphthalm, ocul
face faci
nose rhin
skull crani
tongue lingu
tooth odont, dent

Heart and Circulatory

aorta aort
arteries arteri
blood hem, sangu
blood vessels angi
heart cardi
veins ven, phleb

Bones and Muscles

arm brachi
back dorsa
bones oste
foot pod, ped
muscles myo
rib cost
shoulder scapul
wrist carp

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 13 Medical Terminology

 Component Meaning Examples
Digestive System
appendix append

colon col

esophagus esophag
intestine (usually
inter
small)
kidney ren, neph

liver hepat

stomach gastr

Other Common Roots

cancer carci

drug chem

electric electr

heat therm

knowledge gnos

life bi

pressure bar

returned sound echo

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 14 Medical Terminology

 Medical Terminology: Examples of Suffixes

The last ingredient in a medical term is likely the suffix, which provides more specifics about
the term’s application. Here are just a few of the most important medical suffixes to know.

Component Meaning Examples

Basic Noun and Adjective Suffixes
(noun form) -a, -e, -um, -is
causing -genic
condition -ia, -ism, -sis, -y
specialty -iatry, -iatrics, -ics
specialist -ian, -ist
structure -um, -us
study of -logy
-ac, -ar(y), -(e/i)al, -
pertaining to ic(al), -ior, -ory, -ous,
-tic
Tests and Procedures
removal of -ectomy
image/record/td> -gram
making a picture -graph(y)
cut in -otomy
viewing -scopy
opening -stomy

Pathology or Function
blood (condition of) -emia
breathing -pnea
inflammation -itis
condition or disease -osis
deficiency -penia
disease -pathy
excessive flow -rrhag(e/ia)
mass/tumor –oma

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 1-“The Alphabets”

- There are 26 alphabets (Letters) in English Language.

- These alphabets are divided to two groups as follow :-

26 Alphabets

Consonant Letters
Vowel Letters

21
5

b- c- d- f- g- h- j- k- l- m-n- p- q-
(a- e- i- o- u)
r- s- t- v- w- x- y-z
.

- There are 21 consonant letters and there are 5 vowel letters.

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 2- “Sounds”

- There are (44) Sounds in English Language.

- These Sounds are divided to two groups as follow:

44 Sounds

Consonant Vowel Sounds

Sounds

2 2
4 0

- There are 24 Consonant Sounds in English Language.

- There are 20 Vowel Sounds in English Language.

-
Vowel Sounds

20

pure vowel diphthongs

sounds vowel sounds

12 8

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 - There are 12 pure vowel Sounds .
- There are 8 diphthong vowel Sounds.
Phonetic symbols
“Consonant Sounds”
1. p as in pen / pen /

2. b as in big / bId /

3. t as in tea / ti: /

4. d as in did / dId /

5. k as in cat / kæt /

6. g as in got / got /

7. t∫ as in chin / t∫In /

8. dʒ as in June / dʒu:n /

9. f as in fall / fɔ:l /

10. v as in voice / vɔIs /

11. o as in thin / oIn /

12. ð as in then / ðen /

13. s as in so / sә ʊ /

14. z as in zoo / zu: /

15. ∫ as in she / ∫i: /

16. ʒ as in vision / vIʒn /

17. h as in how / haʊ /

18. m as in man / mæn /

19. n as in no / nәʊ /

20. η as in sing / sIη /

21. l as in leg / leg /

22. r as in red / red /

23. j as in yes / jes /

24. w as in wet / wet /

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 18 Phonetic Symbols

 Vowel Sound:-
a- pure sounds

1. i: as in see / si : /

2. I as in sit / sIt /

3. e as in ten / ten /

4. æ as in hat / hæt /

5. a: as in arm / a:m /

6. o as in got / got /

7. ɔ: as in saw / sɔ: /

8. ʊ as in put / pʊt /

9. u: as in too / tu: /

10. ʌ as in cup / kʌp /

11. ɜ: as in fur / fɜ:(r) /

12. ә as in ago / әgәʊ /

b- Diphthongs:-
13. eI as in page / peIdʒ /

14. әʊ as in home / hәʊm /

15. aI as in five / faIv /

16. aʊ as in now / naʊ /

17. ɔI as in join / dʒɔIn /

18. Iә as in near / nIә(r) /

19. eә as in hair / heә(r) /

20. ʊә as in pure / pjʊә(r) /

Prepared by :
T. Abdulrahman Al-Aslami

Abdulrahman AL-Aslami 19 Medical Terminology