Medical Terminology

Class #3

Medical Terminology

• Do page one of your medical terminology worksheet. Take a break when you are finished.

Prefixes – a word element at the beginning of the word to alter its meaning. A prefix can not stand alone; it must be combined with a root word

A-, an-Without or not Intro-Into; within Ab-Away fromLeuk-White Ad-Toward Macro-LargeAnte-Before, forward Mal-Bad, illness, disease Anti-AgainstMega-Large Auto-Self Micro-SmallBi-Double, two Mono-One, single Circum-AroundNeo-New Contra-Against, opposite Non-NotPara-Abnormal Per-By, through Peri-AroundPoly-Many, much Ecto-Outer, outside Post-After, behindEn-In, into, within Endo-Inner, inside Pro-Before, in front Epi-Over, on Re-Again Eryth-RedRetro-Backward Ex-Out, out of Semi-HalfHemi-Half Sub-Under Hyper-ExcessiveSuper- Above, over Hypo-Under, decreased Supra-Above, overIn-In, into, within, not Trans-Across Inter-BetweenUni-One Intra-Within

Root words – provide the fundamental meaning of a term. Combinations of rootwords, prefixes and suffixes form medical and scientific terms. A vowel, called a combining vowel, often is added when two root words are combined or a suffix is added to a root word; the combining vowel is usually an o or an i.

Abdomin (o)Abdomen Neur (o)Nerve Aden (o)GlandOcul (o)Eye Adren (o) gland Orth (o)Straight, normalAngi (o)Vessel Oste (o)Bone Arterio (o)ArteryOt (o)Ear Arthr (o)Joint Ped (o)Child, footBroncho (o)bronchi Cardi (o)Heart Phleb (o)VeinCephal (o)Head Pnea Breathing Chondr (o)CartilagePneum (0)Lung, air, gas Col (o)Colon Proct (o)RectumCost (o)Rib Psych (o)Mind Crani (o)SkullPulm (o)Lung Cyan (o) Blue Py (o)PusCyst (o)Bladder, cyst Rect (o)Rectum Cyt (o)CellRhin (o)Nose Derma Skin Sten (o)Narrow, constrictionDuoden (o)Duodenum Stran (o)Sternum Encephal (o)BrainStomat (o)Mouth Enter (o)Intestines Therm (o)HeatFibro (o)Fiber, fibrous Thorac (o)Chest Gastr (o)StomachThromb (o)Clot, thrombus hyr (o)Thyroid Toxic (o)Poison, poisonousHepat (o)Liver Trache (o)Trachea Hydr (o)WaterHyster (o)Uterus Ile (o), ili (o)Ileum Urin (o)UrineUter (o)Uterus Mamm (o)Breast Vas (o)Blood vessel, vas deferensMy (o)Muscle Ven (o)Vein Myel (o)Spinal cord, bone marrowVertebr (o)Spine, vertebrae Nephr (o)kidney

Suffixes – a word element placed at the end of a root word to alter the meaning of the word. Suffixes, like prefixes, can not stand alone, they must accompany a root word. The suffix should be the starting point when interpreting medical terms.

-algia=Pain -megaly=Enlargement-oma=Tumor -cele=Hernia-osis=Condition -cyte=Cell-pathy=Disease -ectasis=Dilation-phasia=Speaking -plegia=Paralysis-gram=Record -graphy=Making a recordiasis=Condition of -scope=Examination instrument-ism=Condition -scopy=Examination using a scope-it is=Inflammation -logy=Study of-lysis=Destruction of -uria=Condition of the urine

Abbreviations – shortened form of words or phrases.A. Used as written communication to save time and spaceB. When using abbreviations, provide an abbreviation key

Abd=Abdomen IBW=Ideal Body Weight

Ad lib=As desired id=The same

lig=ligament alt noct=Alternate nights

AM=Morning meds=Midline

ML=Medicationns n=Normal

Approx=Approximately NA=Nonapplicable

Terms Related to Dx and Dz Indication – a condition for which an approach would be beneficial for

health enhancement, treatment of a particular condition, or support of a treatment modality other than massage

Contraindication – a condition or factor that may make an approach harmful.

Contraindications may be subdivided by severity:1. General avoidance of application – do not massage2. Regional avoidance of application – avoid a particular area3. Application with caution – requires supervision from medical or

supervising personnel – massage but carefully select types of methodsto be used, duration of application, frequency and intensity of massage.

Terminology of Location and Position

Directional Terms – used to describe the way one body part relates to another

1. Superior / cranial or cephalad2. Inferior / caudal3. Anterior / ventral4. Posterior / dorsal5. Proximal6. Distal7. Lateral 8. Medial

Terminology of Location and Position

B. Anatomic Planes

1. Transverse plane

2. Frontal/coronal plane

3. Medial/sagittal plane

Terminology of Location and Position

C. Positional Terms1. Anatomic position – stance of the body when

erect, arms hanging at the sides, palms facing forward

2. Erect position – the body in a standing position3. Supine position – the body lying in a horizontal

position with face up4. Prone position – the body in horizontal position

with face down5. Laterally recumbent position – the body lying

horizontally on either the right or left side

The End

Lets review terms

Medical Terminology

Tissue – a collection of similar cells acting together to form a particicular function

Epithelial – closely packed single or stratified layer of cells (skin) covering the body and lining its cavities with the exception of blood and lymph vessels

Connective – tissue that supports and binds other tissue and parts

Muscular – tissues that are contractible – 3 types: cardiac, smooth muscle and skeletal

Nervous – CNS – brain and spinal cord PNS – cranial and spinal nerves

ANS – nerves in thoracic, lumbar, cranial and sacral segments of the Spinal cord

Medical Terminology

Histo - tissueHistology – study of microscopic anatomic and

physiologic characteristics of tissues and cells therein

Organ – structural part of a system of the body that is composed of tissue and cells that enable it to perform a particular function

Bone – a dense, hard and somewhat flexible connective tissue

Os, ossa, oste, osteo – having to do with bone

Medical Terminology

Tendon – any one of the white, glistening bands of dense, fibrous connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone

Ligament – shiny white flexible bands of fibrous tissue binding joints together and connecting articular bones and cartilages to facilitate movement

Cartilage – a nonvascular dense supporting connective tissue composed of ground substance

Hyaline cartilage – a type of elastic connective tissue composed of Specialized cells in a translucent, pearly blue matrix covering articulating ends of bones

Fibrocartilage – Cartilage that consists of a dense matrix of white collagenous fibers.

Medical Terminology

Joint – any one of the articulations between bonesArticulation – movements of jointsBursae – a fibrous sac between certain tendons and the

bones beneath them. The bursae acts as a small cushion that allows the tendons to move over the bone as it contracts and releases

Osteoblasts – a bone forming cell during early development of the skeleton, differentiates from a fibroblast to function in the formation of bone tissue

Osteoclasts – a large type of multinucleated bone cell with a large amount of acidophilic cytoplasm that functions to absorb and remove osseos tissue

Medical Terminology

Manubrium – most anterior of the 3 bones of the sternum

Xiphoid Process – the smallest of 3 parts of the sternum

Malleolus – a rounded bony process such as each side of the ankle

Process – a natural growth that projects from a bone

Crest – a narrow, elongated elevation

Medical Terminology

Trochanter – one of the two bony projections on the proximal end of the femur that serve as a part of the attachment for various muscles

Tuberosity – an elevation or protuberance especially of the bone

Acute – beginning abruptly with marked intensity or sharpness, then subsiding after a relatively short period of time

Ambulatory – able to walkAnomoly – deviation from what is regarded as

normal

Medical Terminology

Flaccid – weak, soft and flabby; lacking muscle tone

Hyperkinisia – too much erratic or rhythmic movement

Hypertonicity – excessive tone, tension, activity

Insertion – the place where a muscle attaches to a bone for movement

Origin – the more fixed or proximal attachment of two points of a muscle

Medical Terminology

Hyperemia – an excess of blood in a part of the body, caused by increased blood flow, as in an inflammatory response, local relaxation of arterioles or obstruction of blood flow from an area. Skin overlaying a hyperemic area usually becomes reddened and warm

Spastic – pertaining to spasms or other uncontrolled contractions of skeletal muscles

Myalgia – diffuse muscle pain, usually accompanied by malaise

Spasm – an involuntary muscle contraction of sudden onset such as habit spasms, hiccups, stuttering or a tic

Fracture – to break - a traumatic injury to the bone in which the continuity of the bone tissue is broken

Medical Terminology

Osteoarthritis – joint inflammation - a form of arthritis in which one or many joints undergo degenerative changes

Osteochondritis – bone cartilage inflammation. A disease of epiphyses or bone forming centers of the skeleton that begins with necrosis and tissue fragmentation and is followed by repair and regeneration

Osteochondrosis – a disease of the epiphyses, or bone-forming centers of the skeleton, that begins with necrosis and tissue fragmentation and is followed by repair and regeneration.

Osteoporosis – a disorder characterized by abnormal loss of bone density and deterioration of bone tissue, with an increased fracture risk.

Spondylitis – an inflammation of any of the vertebrae, usually characterized by stiffness and pain.

Medical Terminology

Atrophy – a wasting or decrease in size or physiologic activity of a part of the body because of disease or other influence.

Benign – noncancerous and therefore not an immediate threat.

Chronic – persisting for a long period, often for the remainder of a persons lifetime.

Clinical – pertaining to a clinic, to direct bedside medical or nursing care, to materials or equipment used in the care of a sick person.

Diagnosis – identification of a disease or condition by a scientific evaluation of physical signs, symptoms, history, laboratory test results, and procedures.

Medical Terminology

Local – pertaining to a small circumscribed area of the body

Malignant – tending to become worse and to cause death.Metastatic – the process by which tumor cells spread to

distant parts of the body.Prognosis – a prediction of the probable outcome of a

disease based on the condition of the person and the usual course of the disease as observed in similar situations.

Sign – an objective finding as perceived by an examiner, such as fever, rash.

Medical Terminology

Symptom – a subjective indication of a disease or a change in condition as perceived by the patient.

Syndrome – a complex of signs and symptoms resulting from a common cause or appearing, in combination, to present a clinical picture of a disease or inherited abnormality.

Systemic – pertaining to the whole body rather than to a localized area or region of the body.

Bacterial – of or pertaining to bacteria.Cancer – a neoplasm characterized by the uncontrolled

growth of anaplastic cells that tend to invade surrounding tissue and to metastasize to distant body parts.

Medical Terminology

Congenital – present at birth, as in anomaly or defectDegenerative – pertaining to or involving degeneration or

change to a lower or dysfunctional form.Epidemic – affecting a significantly large number of people

at the same time.Exacerbation – an increase in the seriousness of a

disease or disorderas marked by greater intensity in the signs and symptoms of the patient being treated

Idiopathic – without a know cause

Medical Terminology

Infectious – the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms that reproduce and multiply, causing disease by local cellular injury, secretion of a toxin or antigen/antibody reaction in the host.

Trauma – physical injury caused by violent or disruptive action or by the introduction into the body of a toxic substance

Viral – of or pertaining to a virusAponeurosis – a strong flat sheet of fibrous connective

tissue that serves as a tendon to attach muscles to bone or as fascia to bind muscles together or to other tissues at their origin or insertion.

Belly – the fleshy central bulging portion of a muscle

Medical Terminology

Clonus – an abnormal pattern of neuromuscular activity, characterized by rapidly alternating involuntary contraction and relaxation of skeletal muscle

Contracture – a abnormal, usually permanent condition of a joint, characterized by flexion and fixation

Cramp – a spasmodic and often painful contraction of one or more muscles

Fascia – the fibrous connective membrane of the body that can be separated from other structures, such as tendon.s