Overview
This lesson covers medical terminology related to medical conditions, processes, key modifiers, and common prefixes and suffixes, ending with word breakdown practice.
Condition Modifiers
- Anti- means opposing, relieving, or counteracting (e.g., anti-inflammatory).
- Pro- can mean before (precursor) or promoting/inducing (e.g., pro-inflammatory).
Location and Cellular Modifiers
- Centra- means center or central.
- Fibro- refers to fibers (e.g., fibroblast).
- Thrombo- means clot (e.g., thrombosis).
- Blasto- / -blast indicates a stem or progenitor cell.
- -clast denotes an absorbing or breaking-down cell (e.g., osteoclast).
Condition Suffixes/Prefix Examples
- -phagia: eating or consuming (e.g., dysphagia: difficulty eating).
- -dipsia: drinking (e.g., polydipsia: excessive drinking).
- -pepsia: digestion (e.g., dyspepsia: indigestion).
- -emesis: vomiting (e.g., hematemesis: vomiting blood).
- -uria: urination (e.g., polyuria: excess urination).
- Sterco-: feces.
- -ptosis: dropped/lowered organ position (e.g., eyelid ptosis).
- Pyo-: pus.
- Pyre-: fever or heat (e.g., pyrexia).
- Noso-: disease (e.g., nosocomial: hospital-acquired).
- Chrono-: time (e.g., chronic).
- Noct- / Nocti-: night or darkness (e.g., nocturia).
- Iatro-: doctor or medical cause (e.g., iatrogenic).
- Steno-: narrowing (e.g., stenosis).
- Thermo-: heat or temperature.
- Cryo-: cold.
- Noci-: pain or injury.
- Hernio-: hernia.
- Necro-: death.
Neurological and Psychological Suffixes
- -praxia / -taxia: motor activity (e.g., apraxia, ataxia).
- -lexia: reading conditions (e.g., alexia).
- -lalia / -logia: speech conditions (e.g., echolalia, alogia).
- -algia / -algesia: pain (e.g., myalgia: muscle pain).
- -genic: producing (e.g., pyrogenic: produces fever).
- -genesis: origin or development (e.g., embryogenesis).
Important Markers and Anatomical Terms
- Hydro-: water.
- Chol-: cholesterol.
- Lipid-: fat.
- Hemoglobin-: hemoglobin.
- Glyco-: glucose or sugar.
- Fructose-, Galactose-, Steato-: specific sugars or fats.
- Natri-: sodium.
- Calci-: calcium.
- Kali-: potassium.
- Chloro-: chlorine.
- Chole-: bile.
- Histo-: tissue.
- Hidro-: sweating.
- Hema-/Hemo-/Hemato-: blood.
- Hapto-: touch.
- Halito-: breath.
- Proprio-: pressure/touch sensation.
- Gero-/Geronto-: old age.
- Lith-: stone.
- -cide/-cidal: killer/killing.
- -ceptor: receptor/sensor.
Practice Word Breakdown Examples
- Polyphagia: excessive eating (poly: many, phagia: eating).
- Dyspepsia: indigestion (dys: abnormal, pepsia: digestion).
- Cholemisis: vomiting bile (chol: bile, emesis: vomiting).
- Hypercalciuria: high calcium in urine (hyper: high, calci: calcium, uria: urine).
- Nephrolithiasis: kidney stones (nephro: kidney, lith: stone, iasis: condition).
- Arthralgia: joint pain (arthro: joint, algia: pain).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Nosocomial — disease acquired in a hospital.
- Iatrogenic — condition caused by medical treatment or healthcare professionals.
- Stenosis — narrowing of a passage or vessel.
- Ptosis — abnormal lowering or drooping of an organ.
- Polydipsia — excessive thirst or drinking.
- Myalgia — muscle pain.
- Polyuria — excessive urination.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review and memorize key prefixes, suffixes, and root words from this lesson.
- Practice breaking down more complex medical terms using the modifiers discussed.
- Prepare for additional practice problems in upcoming lessons.