Medical Terminology - The Basics: Lesson 4

Introduction

• Focus on more modifiers
• Emphasis on location, cellular modifiers, general terms, conditions, and processes

Location Modifiers

• Axial: Relates to axial skeleton
• Cata: Means down or downward
• Eck: Means outside, e.g., ectopic
• Ventral/Vent: Toward the front (ventral surface)
• Dorsal: Toward the back (dorsum)
• Lateral/Ladder: Relating to the side
• Caudal/Cod: Means tail, applicable to both animals and humans
• Meso: Means middle, e.g., mesoderm

Cellular Modifiers

• Karyo: Refers to nucleus, e.g., karyotype
• Nucleo: Also means nucleus, e.g., nucleophagy
• Poikilo: Variation or irregularity, e.g., poikilocytes
• Reticulo: Refers to reticulocyte, an immature red blood cell
• Sphero: Refers to the shape of a sphere, e.g., spherocytes

General Terms

• Anthropo: Relates to human race, e.g., anthropology
• Corpo/Corporo: Refers to body, e.g., corporeal
• Somato/Soma: Body-related, e.g., somatic
• Organo: Means organ, e.g., organomegaly
• Visceral: Internal organs, e.g., viscera
• Chilo: Means tissue, e.g., chiloid
• Proteo: Relates to protein
• Pharm/Pharmaco: Drugs or medications, e.g., pharmacology
• Morpho: Form or structure, e.g., morphology
• Nutri/Nutrio: Nutrition-related

More General Terms

• Physio: Means nature, e.g., physiotherapist
• Lumen/Lumino: Means light, e.g., illuminate
• Nomen: Means name, e.g., nomenclature
• Nome/Nomo: Means custom or law
• Spectro: Means spectrum
• Type: Means class, e.g., somatotype
• Techno: Means skill, e.g., technique
• Vir/Viro: Means virus, e.g., virologist
• Zygote: Means union or junction, e.g., zygote

Conditions

Medical Conditions

• Myco: Means fungus, e.g., mycologist, mycosis
• Onco: Means cancer or tumor, e.g., oncology
• Poiesis: Formation, e.g., hematopoiesis
• Partum: Birth or labor, e.g., postpartum
• Sanit: Means health

General Conditions

• Calori: Means heat, e.g., calorie
• Coma: Means deep sleep
• Gymna/Gymno: Means naked
• Vito: Means life, e.g., vitality

Processes and Modifiers

• Acu: Means needle, e.g., acupuncture
• Anomalo: Means abnormal, e.g., anomaly
• Baro: Means weight or pressure, e.g., barometer
• Dinia: Means pain, e.g., allodynia
• Dynamo: Means strength or power, e.g., dynamic
• Equi: Means equal or equality
• Et/Edo: Means cause, e.g., etiology
• Iono: Relates to ions
• Labile: Means unstable or fragile
• Lyo: Means loosen or dissolve
• Radio: Means radiation, e.g., radiotherapy
• Sclero: Means hardening, e.g., sclerosis

Additional Terms

• Scuro: Means hard
• Schisto: Means fissure or split
• Schisis: Means cleft or split
• Lucent: Means light emitting, e.g., translucent
• Tumesco/Tumesc: Means swelling
• Tempo: Relates to time, e.g., temporal
• Phoria: Means feeling, e.g., euphoria
• Physis: Means growth, e.g., epiphysis
• Samo: Means sand-like quality

Practice Examples

• Anthropomorphic: Human-like characteristics
• Baroreceptor: Pressure receptor, related to blood pressure
• Dysphoria: Abnormal or negative feeling
• Radiolucent: Transparent on an x-ray
• Hematopoiesis: Formation of blood
• Scleroderma: Hardening of the skin

Conclusion

• End of lesson on medical terminology
• Encouragement to like and subscribe for more lessons