Analiza struktury słów medycznych | Analyzing the Structure of Medical Terms

Introduction to Medical Terminology

Medical terminology forms the foundation of effective communication within the healthcare field. Comprehensive understanding of Medical Terminology is essential for healthcare professionals to convey precise information about diseases, conditions, treatments, and anatomy.

Key Components of Medical Terms:

  1. Root Words: These are the core words that provide the basic meaning. For example, “cardio” refers to the heart.
  2. Prefixes: Added at the beginning of a root word, they modify or qualify its meaning. For instance, “pre-” means before, so “precardiac” relates to before the heart.
  3. Suffixes: Placed at the end of a root word, they can indicate a condition, disease, procedure, or part of speech. For example, “itis” denotes inflammation, so “tonsillitis” is inflammation of the tonsils.

Putting it Together:

Let’s consider the term “cardiologist”:

  • Root Word: Cardio (heart)
  • Suffix: -ologist (one who studies or specializes in)

Combining these, a “cardiologist” is a medical professional specializing in the study and treatment of heart-related conditions.

Practical Application:

Imagine a patient with “hypertension”:

  • Root Word: Tension (pressure)
  • Prefix: Hyper- (excessive)

Putting it together, “hypertension” refers to abnormally high blood pressure.

Root Word

Root Words in Medical Terminology

Most medical terms have a base called a ‘root word’ which carries the main meaning of the term. To make these terms more precise, we often add beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).

Most Common Root Words in Medical English:

Root WordMeaningExample
CardioHeartCardiovascular (related to the heart and blood vessels)
DermSkinDermatology (study and treatment of skin disorders)
GastroStomachGastroenterology (study of the digestive system)
HemoBloodHematology (study of blood and its disorders)
NeurNerveNeurology (study of the nervous system)
OsteoBoneOsteoporosis (condition of weak and brittle bones)
PneumoLungs or AirPneumonia (lung inflammation)
Carcinocancercarcinogenic (cancer causing)
RenKidneyRenal (related to the kidneys)
OpthalmEyeOphthalmology (study and treatment of eye disorders)

Prefixes

Prefixes are added at the beginning of a word, altering its meaning. For example, “anti-” means against, as seen in “antibiotic” (against bacteria).

Most Common Prefixes in Medical English:

Quantity and Number:

PrefixMeaningExample
Bi-Two; doubleBifocal
Mono/UniOne; singleMonocular
Tri-ThreeTricycle

Size and Amount:

PrefixMeaningExample
Acro-Top; extremitiesAcromegaly
Macro-LargeMacroscopic
Micro-, Micr-Tiny; smallMicroscope
Hemi-Half; half ofHemicycle

Time:

PrefixMeaningExample
Ante-BeforeAntedate
Post-AfterPostoperative
Pre-, Pro-In front of; beforePrenatal

Relations:

PrefixMeaningExample
Co-, Con-, Com-Together; withConjoined
Inter-BetweenIntercostal
Intra-Within; inIntramuscular

Direction and Position:

PrefixMeaningExample
Ab-Away fromAbduction
Ad-TowardAdduction
Ante-Before; forwardAntenatal
Anti-, Anter-Opposing; againstAntisocial
Bi-Two; doubleBifocal
Ecto-OutsideEctopic
Extra-, Extro-Beyond; outside ofExtracellular
Hyper-Above; excessive; beyondHypertension
Hyp-, Hypo-Below; beneath; deficientHypothermia
Inter-BetweenIntercostal
Intra-Within; insideIntravenous
Post-After; following; behindPostoperative
Retro-Behind; backwardRetrograde
Trans-Through or acrossTransdermal

Suffixes

Suffixes are added at the end of words to change their meaning or grammatical category. For instance, “-itis” signifies inflammation as in “bronchitis” (inflammation of the bronchial tubes).

Pertaining to

SuffixMeaningExample
-aryPertaining toPulmonary (pertaining to lungs)
-icPertaining toCardiac (pertaining to the heart)

Process/Action

SuffixMeaningExample
-ationProcessRespiration (process of breathing)
-ationProcessOvulation (process of releasing an egg)
-ingActionBreathing (action of inhaling and exhaling)
-ingActionWalking (action of moving on foot)

Condition/State

SuffixMeaningExample
-itisInflammationArthritis (inflammation of joints)
-osisConditionOsteoporosis (condition of weak bones)
-emiaConditionAnemia (condition of low red blood cells)

Person/Occupation

SuffixMeaningExample
-istPersonCardiologist (a person specialized in cardiology)
-icianPersonPediatrician (a person specialized in pediatrics)

Instrument/Device

SuffixMeaningExample
-scopeInstrumentEndoscope (instrument for internal examination)
-graphInstrumentElectrocardiograph (instrument for recording heart activity)

Pertaining to Study/Science

SuffixMeaningExample
-logyStudy/ScienceBiology (study of living organisms)
-icsStudy/SciencePhysics (study of matter and energy)

Process/Condition

SuffixMeaningExample
-phobiaConditionArachnophobia (fear of spiders)
-philiaConditionHemophilia (a medical condition)

Size/Comparison

SuffixMeaningExample
-megaLargeMegacolon (enlarged colon)
-microSmallMicroorganism (a tiny organism)

Others

SuffixMeaningExample
-pathyDiseaseNeuropathy (disease of the nervous system)
-ectomySurgical removalAppendectomy (removal of the appendix)
-plastySurgical repairRhinoplasty (surgical repair of the nose)