Medical Terminology

Medical Terminology

Breaking down terms in health sciences

Medical & Health Sciences Terminology

Medical and health sciences terms are primarily derived from Greek and Latin roots. To understand these terms, it is best to break them down into word parts. The meaning of a word can be determined by understanding each of its parts and how they work together.

Building Blocks of Words

There are three parts to words:

Prefix: When included, usually indicates a location, direction, type, quality, or quantity.

Root: This gives the term its essential meaning. All words have a root.

Suffix: May indicate a specialty, test, procedure, function, disorder, or status. May also define whether the word is a noun, verb, or adjective.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the root of this word: aphasia

• ap

• has

• phas

• ia

Common Roots

There are common roots used in medical terminology. Here are some examples:

For more, see this resource: Intro to Med Terms

Multiple Choice

Based on the common roots you saw in the previous slide, if you saw a patient who had cranial arteritis, which part of their body is being affected?

• nose

• arteries

• brain

• aorta

Medical Abbreviations

Medical Abbreviations are also used frequently in healthcare and health sciences.

Please make a copy of this document into your Google Drive & keep it as a reference for the course this year. We will practice with it today and refer to it throughout the year: Common Medical Abbreviations

*You do not need to memorize these today.

Use the medical abbreviations sheet and the website resource to complete the activities in this lesson.

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Let's Practice

Multiple Choice

Someone is who getting their appendix removed is getting a/an-

• enterotomy

• appendotomy

• nephrectomy

• appendectomy

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has a root that means bone?

• podiatry

• osteoporosis

• thermal

• hepatitis

Open Ended

Type in at least three words that contain the root neuro.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has a prefix that means fast?

• tachycardia

• bradycardia

• retroactive

• postoperative

Multiple Choice

A patient who has been taken for a Bx is getting a/an-

• biopsy

• stool sample

• blood pressure taken

• occupational therapy

Open Ended

Type in at least three words that share the root cardi.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following abbreviations stands for both eyes?

• BM

• ENT

• OU

• NG

Multiple Choice

A tool that looks into the eye is called a-

• occulgraph

• opthalmoscope

• opthalgram

• occulectomy

Open Ended

Type in at least three medical terms that contain the prefix hypo-.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words includes a suffix that means image?

• endoscopy

• sonogram

• electrocardiograph

• otoscope

Multiple Choice

If someone asks you to measure the I&O, they're asking you to look at the-

• infectious disease volume

• intake & output

• insulin & otitis media

• intravenous outline

Open Ended

Type in at least three medical terms that contain the suffix -osis.

Multiple Choice

If a provider orders a BMP, they're asking for a-

• Basic Metabolic Panel

• Blood & Muscle Perforation

• Bowel Movement Pattern

• Biopsy of Muscle in Phalanges

Multiple Choice

A provider who states that a surgery would result in a contraindication for the patient means that-

• the surgery can be performed but with risks

• the provider does not want to perform the surgery

• the surgery would harm the patient

• the surgery would be good for the patient

Open Ended

Type in at least three words that use the root echo.

Multiple Choice

If you want to completely understand the baseline of something, you want which results?

• adverse

• diagnostic

• internal

• transferable

Multiple Choice

What abbreviation would you use for a patient who shouldn't receive any food or medicine by mouth?

• FBS

• NKA

• NPO

• a.c.