Medical & Pharmaceutical Terminology (PL-127)

By Dr. Ahmed Aboulfotouh Mourad

Vision and Mission of HUE

Vision

To achieve excellence in pharmacy through innovative education, contemporary practice, and valuable scientific contributions.

Mission

The Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University, provides an exemplary pharmacy education, to prepare graduates capable of providing high quality pharmacy practice and health care to the community, and making meaningful contributions to the scientific research.

Exam Marks

Cw (40) P O F (60)

20 10 10 - - 20 40

Quiz Activity Attendance F1 (Midterm)

F2

Course contents 1- INTRODUCTION, BASIC PARTS OF THE MEDICAL TERMS A- Prefixes B- Suffixes C- Roots 2- CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TERMS 3- DIGESTIVE SYSTEM TERMS 4- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM TERMS 5- RESPIRATORY SYSTEM TERMS 6- URINARY SYSTEM TERMS 7- MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM TERMS

Basic parts of the medical terms

• There are three parts of the medical terms:

• Word root: usually the middle of the word and its central meaning.

• Prefix: comes at the beginning and usually identifies some subdivision or part of the central meaning.

• Suffix: comes at the end and modifies the central meaning.

• The root is usually the fundamental part of a word which may be:

• An organ

• Tissue

• Cell

• Fluid, etc.

Example

• Therm = heat

• Hypothermia: less heat, decreased body temperature

• Thermometer: Heat measuring tool

Myocarditis

Prefix Root Suffix

Myo= muscle card= heart itis= inflammation

Prefix change Myocarditis Inflamed heart

Pericarditis Outer layer of heart is inflamed

Endocarditis Inner layer of heart is inflamed

Suffix change Cardiologist A specialist in the heart diseases

Cardiomyopathy Disease/damage of the heart muscle

Cardiomegaly Enlargement of the heart

Silent letters and unusual pronunciations Letters Pronunciation Example

Ch K Chemistry

Dys Dis Dystrophy

Ph F Pharmacist

Pn N Pneumonia

Ps S Pseudo

Pt T Ptosis

Rh R Rheumatic

Plural endings Examples

Word ending Plural ending

(a) vertebra (ae) vertebrae

(en) lumen (ina) lamina

(is) diagnosis (es) diagnoses

(um) ovum (a) ova

(us) fungus (i) fungi

1- Prefixes pertaining to numbers Prefix Meaning Example

Primi- First Primigravida: woman pregnant for the first

time

Mono- One Monocyte: a large mononuclear leukocyte

Uni- One Unicellular: an organism with only one cell

Bi- Two, twice Biconcave: concave on both sides

Di- Two,

twice

Diplegia: paralysis affecting both sides of the

body (symmetrical)

Hemi

-

Half,

one

side

Hemiplegia: paralysis affecting one side of

the body

Diplo- Double Diplopia: double vision

Semi- Half,

partial

Semilunar: resembling a half moon

Tri- Three Triphasic: having three phases

Terti- Third Tertigravida (trigravida): women who has

been pregnant for three times

Tetra- Four Tertradactyl: presence of only four fingers in

each hand

Quadr- Fourth Quadrant: One fourth of an area

Penta- Five Pentose: A simple sugar with five carbons

Pentachromia: the ability to distinguish only

five colours of the spectrum

Multi- Many Multipara: a women who has delivered more

than one viable infant

Poly- Many,

much

Polyarthritis: inflammation which involves

more than one joint

2- Prefixes pertaining to colour Cyan- Blue Cyanosis: bluish discolouration of the skin due

to lack of oxygen

Erythr- Red Erythrocyte: red blood cell

Leuk- White or

colourless

Leukocyte: white blood cell

Melan- Black ,dark Melanin: the dark pigment that colour the skin

and hair

Xanth- Yellow Xanthoma: yellow raised area on the skin

Polio- Grey Polioencephalitis: inflammation of the gray

matter of the brain

3- Negative prefixes Prefix Meaning Example

a-, an- Not, without, lack of,

absence

Amorphous: without shape

Anemia: decrease of haemoglobin in blood

Anti- Against Antipyretic: a drug that reduces fever

Contr- Against Contraception: a process or technique for

prevention of pregnancy

De- Removal, loss, down,

without

Detoxify: to remove a poison (toxin)

Dis- Absence, removal,

separation

Disinfection: to remove infectious

organisms

In-, im- No, not Incontinence: lack of control over

secretion

Immature: Not mature

Un- Not Unconscious: not responsive

4- Prefixes pertaining to direction Prefix Meaning Example

Ab- Away

from

Abduct: to move away from the midline

Ad- Toward,

near

Adrenal: near the kidney

Dia- Through Dialysis: separation by passage through a

membrane

Per- Through Percutaneous: through the skin

Trans- Through Transfusion: introduction of blood or blood

components into blood stream

5- Prefixes pertaining to degree Prefix Meaning Example

Hyper- Over, excess, abnormally high,

increased

Hypertension: high blood pressure

Hypo- Under, below, abnormally low,

decreased

Hypoventilation: low amount of air

entering lung

Olig- Few, scanty Oligospermia: low number of sperms in the

semen

Pan- All Panplegia: total paralysis

Supra- Above, over Suprarenal: above the kidney

6- Prefixes pertaining to size and comparison

Eu- True, good, easy, normal Euthanasia: painless death

Hetero- Other, different, unequal Heterosexual: pertaining to the opposite sex

Homo- Same Homothermic: maintaining a normal body temperature

Macro- Large,

abnormally

large

Macroscopic; visible with naked eye

Mega- Large, abnormally large Megabladder: permanent enlargement of the

bladder

Micro- Small Microcephaly: small head

Neo- New Neonate: new born infant

Normo- Normal Normovolemia: normal blood volume

Ortho- Straight, correct, up-right Orthostatic: pertaining to an standing position

Pseudo- False Pesudo pregancy: false pregnancy

Re- Again, back Reabsorption: absorption again

7- Prefixes pertaining to time and/or position

Ante- Before Antenatal: before birth

Pre- Before Pre-prandial: before meal

Pro- Before, in front of Prophylaxis: prevention of a disease

Post- After, behind Postoperative: after a surgical operation

Dextro- Right Dextrocardia: location of the heart in the right side of the

chest

Syn- Together Syndactyly: fusion of two or more fingers

Sym- Together Symbiosis: living together

8- Other prefixes Con- Together, with Congenital: with birth (referring to something a

person is born with)

Epi- Above, upon Epidermis: outermost layer of the skin

Extra- Outside of Extrahepatic: outside of the liver

Mal- Bad Malignant tumor: cancerous tumor

Sub- Beneath, less

than

Subcutaneous: under the skin

Nulli- None Nullipara: a woman with no history of normal

labour

1- Suffixes that mean condition of Suffix Example Meaning

-ia Insomnia Inability to sleep

-iasis Amoebiasis Infection with amoeba

-ism Alcoholism Chronic addiction of alcohol

Suffi

x

Example Meaning

-osis Nephrosis Kidney disease

-y Atony Lack of muscle tone

2- Adjective suffixes Suffix Example Meaning

-ac Cardiac Pertaining to the heart

-al Skeletal Pertaining to the skeleton

-ar Muscular Pertaining to the muscles

-ary Urinary Pertaining to the urine

Suffix Meaning Example Definition

-logy Study of Physiology Study of function in a

living organism

-ist Specialist in a

field of

Dentist Specialist in study and

treatment of teeth and

mouth

3- Suffixes pertaining to specialities and specialists

-ian,

-ician

Practitioner Physician Practitioner of medicine

4- Other suffixes Suffix Meaning Example Definition

-algia Pain arthralgia Joint pain

-algesia Pain Analgesia Without pain

-aemia,

emia

Condition related to

blood

Leukaemia Increase in number of

leukocytes (cancerous)

-itis Inflammation Gastritis Inflammation of stomach

-megaly Enlargement Cardiomegaly Enlargement of the heart

-oma Tumor Adenoma Gland tumor

-pathy Disease Encephalopathy Brain disease

-uria Condition related

to urine

Hematuria Presence of blood in

urine

-centesis Surgical puncture

to remove fluids

Arthrocentesis Puncture of a joint to

remove a fluid

-ectomy Surgical removal Tonsillectomy Surgical removal of the tonsils

-gram Record Myelogram An X-ray picture of the spinal

cord

-graphy Process of

recording

Electrocardiography Process of recording cardiac

electric waves

-plasty Surgical repair Hernioplasty Surgical repair of hernia

-scope An instrument used for

visual examination

Arthroscope An instrument used for

visual examination of the

joint

-malacia Softening Osteomalacia Softening of the bone

-penia Decrease, deficiency Leukopenia Decrease in the leukocyte

count

-pexy Fixation, suspension Hysteropexy Fixation of the uterus

-phobia Fear Hydrophobia Fear of drinking water

-ptosis Falling Blepharoptosis Dropping of the eyelid

Root Meaning Example Definition

Aden- Gland Adenopathy Gland disease

Blephar- Eyelid Blepharoptosis Dropping of eyelid

Cerebr- Brain Cerebral Pertaining to the brain

Cerv- Neck Cervical Pertaining to neck

Chondr- Cartilage Chondritis Inflammation of the cartilage

Colo- Large

intestine

Colitis, megacolon Inflammation of the colon

(large intestine), permanent

enlargement in colon

Dacry- Tears Dacryorrhea Increased flow of the tears

Gastr- Stomach Gastritis Inflammation of the stomach

Gingiva- Gums Gingivitis Inflammation of the gum

Glosso/

linguo

Tongue Glossitis, lingual

nerve

Inflammation of the tongue, the

nerve supplying the tongue

Glycol- Sweet Glycosuria Sugar in urine

Haem-,

haemat-

Blood Haemorrhage Bleeding

Hepato- Liver Hepatitis,

hepatomegaly

Liver inflammation, enlargement of

liver

Hyster- Uterus Hysterectomy Surgical removal of the

uterus

Masto/

mammo-

Breast Mammography,

mastectomy

Process of X-ray imaging of the

breast, surgical removal of the

breast

My- Muscle Myalgia Skeletal muscle pain

Nephr- Kidney Nephropathy Kidney disease

Nephron/

rene

Kidney Nephritis, renal artery Kidney inflammation, the artery

supplying the kidney

Oophoro- Ovary Oophorectomy Surgical removal of the ovary

Ophthal

m-oculus

Eye Ophthalmitis, ocular Eye inflammation, pertaining to the

eye

Orchid- Testis Orchiditis Testis inflammation

Proct- Rectum Protoscope Visualization of the rectum

Psych- Mind Psychology Science dealing with normal mind

processes

Py- Pus Pyuria Presence of pus in urine

Thromb- Blood clot Thrombosis Clot formation

Trich- Hair Hypertrichosis Excessive growth of hair in areas

usually not hairy

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TERMS

Cephal/o Head Cephalgia (a headache)

Encephal/o Inside the head (brain) Encephalitis (inflammation of the

brain)

Mening/o Membranes surrounding the

brain and spinal cord

Meningitis (inflammation of the

membranes surrounding the brain)

Neur/o Nerve Neuritis (inflammation)

Dys Difficult, painful, abnormal Dyslexia (difficulty reading)

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

• Aphasia: condition without speech; impairment due to localized brain injury that affects understanding, retrieving, and formulating meaningful and sequential elements of language

• Delirium: state of mental confusion due to disturbances in cerebral function - there are many causes, including fever, shock, or drug overdose

• Dementia: impairment of intellectual function characterized by memory loss, disorientation, and confusion

• Alzheimer's disease: is a neurological disorder in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss and cognitive decline

• White matter: myelinated axons of neurons in CNS

• Gray matter: unmyelinated portions of neurons (cell bodies, dendrites, axon terminals), unmyelinated neurons, and neuroglia in CNS

• Epilepsy: a neurological disease characterized by seizures.

• Neurologist: a physician specialized in diseases of the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

• Brain scan: Introducing very low amount of radioactive element into the blood that can be detected by special and very sensitive instrument. Brain scan used to diagnose brain tumors.

• Cerebrovascular accident (CVA, stroke): a blood vessel in the brain may burst causing internal bleeding, or, a clot may arise in a brain blood vessel which deprives brain tissue of oxygen. The patient may suffer paralysis, loss of speech or loss of vision.

• Transient ischemic attack (TIA): Ischemia = not quite enough blood, TIA: A short period of insufficient blood supply to the brain can have the same signs and symptoms as a stroke such as weakness in an arm, a partial loss of vision, but the problem lasts less than 24 hours.

• Electroencephalography (EEG): Recording the brain`s electrical activity. EEG used to diagnose different types of seizures and brain tumors.

• Lumbar (spinal) puncture (LP): Introducing a needle between the lower bony vertebrae of the spinal column to withdraw fluid (cerebrospinal fluid, CSF) that surround brain and spinal cord. LP used to diagnose meningitis and multiple sclerosis.