PHAROS UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ALLIED MEDICAL SCIENCE

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGYMGMT-201

Dr. Tarek El Sewedy

Department of Medical Laboratory Technology

Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences

COMMON ROOTS

SUFFIXES

AND

PRONUNCIATION

By the end of this lecture, students will learn:

Basic common roots, suffix and abbreviation guidelines

Intended Learning Outcomes

Lecture content

• Common roots used In Medical Terminology

• Common Suffixes used in Medical terminology.

• Singular and plural medical terms

• Pronunciation guidelines

Basic root wordsAdip fat

Arteri artery

Arthr joint

Cardi heart

Cephal head

Cerebr brain

Crani skull

Basic root wordsChole gallbladder

Col large intestine

Cyt cell

Derm skin

Ren, nephr kidneys

Enter small intestine

Basic root wordsGastr stomach

Ophthalm, ocul eye

Or, stomat mouth

Oste bone

Hem blood

Basic root wordsMy muscle

Nas nose

Ot ear

Pancreat

pancreas

Hepat liver

Basic root wordspneumon lung

Splen spleen

Thorac chest

Trache trachea

Ven vein

Vertebr vertebra

Viv life

Suffixes

• Suffixes are word elements that are

attached to the end of roots to add to or

change their meaning

• All medical terms have a suffix

Suffixes• Each suffix can be added to many roots

itis = inflammationappendicitis = inflamed appendix

arthritis = inflamed joint

Suffixes

• A combining vowel is used between the

root and the suffix when the suffix begins

with a consonant:

Example: cardi + o + megaly =

cardiomegaly

cardiomegaly = enlarged heart

cardi = heart, megaly = enlarged

Common suffixesPertaining to (Belonging to):

-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -iac, -ic, -ical, -ose, -ous, -tic

Examples: Cardiac (pertaining to the heart)

Cellular (pertaining to the cell)

Psychotic (pertaining to psychosis)

Corporeal (pertaining to the body)

Common suffixes-algia pain

-cide to kill, destroy

-ectomy removal of

-gram record

Common suffixes-graph Instrument used to record

-graphy process of recording

-ism condition

-itis inflammation of

-lithiasis presence of or formation of

stones

Common suffixes-logy study of

-logist person who studies it

-megaly enlargement

-oid resembling

-oma tumor

-pathy disease

-plasty surgical repair

Common suffixes-plegia paralysis

-pnea breathing, respiration

-rrhea flow

-scope examination, instrument

-scopy examination using a scope

Singular and plural

• Because many medical terms come from

Greek and Latin words, the plural forms of

the words are not made by adding an “s” as

in English

• Memorize the guidelines

• When in doubt, memorize the specific words

If the word ends in

Change it to

Examples: singular, plural

-a -ae vertebra, vertebrae-ex or -ix -ices index, indices

-is -es diagnosis, diagnoses-itis -ides arthritis, arthritides-on -a ganglion, ganglia-um -a ovum, ova-us -i alveolus, alveoli

Changing singular to plural

Pronunciation guidelines• The “soft” pronunciation of the consonant is

used when followed by e, i or y• “c” sounds like “s”

cell, circulation, cyst

• “g” sounds like “j” when followed by e, i or y

genetic, gingivitis, gestation

• “ch” sounds like “k”

chronic, chromium, psychologist

Pronunciation guidelines

• When a word ends in “i” it is pronounced like

“eye” as in

bacilli

• “x” is pronounced “z” as in

xenophobic

Pronunciation guidelinesWhen “P” is at the beginning of words followed by a

consonant: • “ph” is pronounced “f” as in

pharmacy

• “pn” is pronounced “n” (silent “p”) as in pneumonia, pneumococcus

• “ps” is pronounced “s” (silent “p”) as in psychotic,

psychosocial

psychologist

Assignments• Any student with no assignment yet is requested

to prepare a presentation (minimum of 5 slides) on any the following topics:

1. Gastrointestinal system terminology (including disease)

2. Circulatory system terminology (including disease)

3. Cancer terminology

Study questions• - Write the suffix and the meaning for the following words hat means

“condition of” in each of the following words:

• 1. egotism (exaggerated self-importance)

• 2. dysentery (intestinal disorder)

• 3. insomnia (inability to sleep)

• 4. parasitism (infection with parasites or behaving as a parasite)

• 5. thrombosis (having a blood clot in a vessel)

• 6. psoriasis (skin disease)

• 7. analgesia (absence of pain)

• 8. sclerosis (hardening)

Reference books1 – Medical Terminology an illustrated Guide by Barbara Jonson Cohen 2003

 2 – “Medical Terminology Simplified” F. A David 2009

 

3 – “Medical Terminology system : Approach Fifth Edition” Barbara A Gylys 2004