Medical Terminology Basics - Lesson 3

Introduction

• Continuation of Lessons 1 and 2
• Focus on medical terminology related to conditions and processes
• Practice problems to reinforce learning

Condition Modifiers

• Anti: Opposed to, counteracting, relieving (e.g., antibodies, anti-inflammatory)
• Pro: Before, preceding, inducing, promoting (e.g., progenitor cells, pro-inflammatory)

Locations

• Centra: Center (e.g., centrifuge, centripetal)

Cellular Modifiers

• Fibro: Fiber (e.g., fibroblast)
• Thrombo: Clot (e.g., thrombocyte, thrombosis)
• Blasto: Stem cell (e.g., blastocyst)
• Clast: Absorbing/degradative cell (e.g., osteoclast)

Condition Modifiers (continued)

• Phagia/Phagio/Phago: To eat, consume, ingest (e.g., dysphagia)
• Dipsia: To drink (e.g., polydipsia)
• Pepsia: Digestion (e.g., dyspepsia)
• Emesis: Vomiting (e.g., hematemesis)
• Urea: Urination (e.g., polyuria)
• Sterco: Feces (e.g., stercobilin)
• Ptosis: Lowered position of an organ (e.g., ptosis of the eyelid)
• Pyre: Pus (e.g., empyema)
• Pyro: Fever or heat (e.g., pyrexia, pyrogenic)

Process Modifiers

• Noso: Disease (e.g., nosocomial)
• Chrono: Time (e.g., chronic)
• Noct/Nocti: Night or dark (e.g., nocturia)
• Iatro: Medicine or doctors (e.g., iatrogenic)
• Steno: Narrowing (e.g., stenosis)
• Thermal: Heat or temperature (e.g., thermogenic)
• Psychro: Cold (e.g., psychrometer)
• Nosa: Pain or injury (e.g., nosusceptor)
• Hernia/Hernio: Hernia
• Necro: Death (e.g., necropsy)

Suffixes for Conditions

• Praxia: Motor activity (e.g., apraxia)
• Taxi: Motor movement (e.g., ataxia)
• Lexia: Reading condition (e.g., alexia)
• Lalia/Logia: Speech conditions (e.g., echolalia, elogia)
• Algesia/Algia: Pain (e.g., analgesia, myalgia)
• Genic: Producing (e.g., pyrogenic)
• Genesis: Origin or development (e.g., embryogenesis)

Indicators and Markers

• Hydro: Water (e.g., dehydration)
• Cholesterol: Cholesterol (e.g., hypercholesterolemia)
• Lipids: Fats (e.g., hyperlipidemia)
• Hemoglobin: Hemoglobin (e.g., hemoglobinuria)
• Glyco: Glucose (e.g., hyperglycemia)
• Fructo: Fructose (e.g., fructosuria)
• Galacto: Galactose (e.g., galactorrhea)
• Steato: Fat or fatty tissue (e.g., steatosis)
• Natri/Nater: Sodium (e.g., hypernatremia)
• Cal: Potassium (e.g., hyperkalemia)
• Calci: Calcium (e.g., hypercalcemia)
• Chlor: Chlorine
• Col: Bile (e.g., cholangitis)

Additional Modifiers

• Histo: Tissue (e.g., histology)
• Hydro (I not Y): Sweating (e.g., hyperhidrosis)
• Hema/Hemo/Hemato: Blood (e.g., hematology)
• Hapto: Touch (e.g., haptic)
• Halit: Breath (e.g., halitosis)
• Proprio: Pressure touch (e.g., proprioception)
• Ger/Gero/Geronto: Old age (e.g., gerontology)
• Lith: Stone (e.g., nephrolithiasis)
• Side: Killer or killing (e.g., bactericidal)
• Scepter: Receptor or sensor

Examples and Practice

• Breakdown of complex medical terms using prefixes and suffixes:
  • Polyphagia: Excessive eating (Poly = many, Phagia = eating)
  • Dyspepsia: Indigestion (Dys = problem, Pepsia = digestion)
  • Colemesis: Vomiting of bile (Col = bile, Emesis = vomiting)
  • Hypercalciuria: High calcium in urine (Hyper = high, Calci = calcium, Urea = urination)
  • Nephrolithiasis: Kidney stones (Nephro = kidney, Lith = stone, Iasis = condition)
  • Arthralgia: Joint pain (Arth = joint, Algia = pain)

Conclusion

• End of Lesson 3
• Emphasis on understanding of terminology as a foundation for medical studies
• Encouragement to review terms and practice regularly