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1. Identify the roles of the four types of word parts used in forming medical terms. 2. Use your knowledge of word parts to analyze unfamiliar medical terms. 3. Describe the steps in locating a term in a medical dictionary. 4. Define the commonly used word roots, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes introduced in this chapter. 5.
Most medical terms contain at least one root, and they may also contain one or more prefixes or suffixes. This handout will describe how word parts create meaning to provide a strategy for decoding medical terminology and unfamiliar words in the English language.
Medical terms are built from word parts. Those word parts are prefix, word root, sufix, and combining form vowel. When a word root is combined with a combining form vowel, the word part is referred to as a combining form. Make sure you understand key parts of medical terminology. Fill in the blanks using the following words:
In medical terminology, a suffix usually indi- cates a procedure, condition, disease, or part of speech. A commonly used suffix is -itis, which means “inflammation.” When this suffix is paired with the prefix arthro-, meaning joint, the resulting word is arthritis, an inflammation of the joints.
When you complete this section, you’ll be able to identify word parts and write medi-cal terms properly. SIMPLIFIED MEDICAL LANGUAGE The building block for most medical terms is the word root, or the primary body of a word. At times, a medical term can be made up of compound words. A compound word may
medical words from the right, instead of from the left like we are accustomed to when reading English. The most important rule in analyzing medical terminology is to begin at the end! To determine the meaning of a term, look at the parts in this order: 1. Suffix 2. Prefix 3. Root(s) Some commonly used prefixes and suffixes, and their meanings.
How Does Medical Terminology Work? Most medical terms can be broken down into one or more word parts. For simplicity in explanation, let's say that there are four possible word parts, and any given medical term may contain one, some, or all of these parts: • Roots • Prefixes • Suffixes • Linking or combining vowels An example of a word ...
