Medical Terminology: The Basics - Lesson 4

Introduction

• Focus on modifiers in medical terminology.

Location Modifiers

• Axio: means axial (related to axial skeleton).
• Cata: means down or downward.
• Ech: means outside (related to ectopic).
• Vent: means toward the front (ventral surface).
• Dorsal: means toward the back.
• Lateral: means relating to the side.
• Caudal: means tail; used in both animal and human anatomy.
• Mes: means middle (related to mesoderm).

Cellular Modifiers

• Cario: means nucleus (related to karyotype).
• Nucleo: refers to the nucleus (nucleo pore).
• Poikil: means variation or irregularity (related to poikilocytes in zoology).
• Reticular: refers to reticulum; Reticulocyte is an immature red blood cell.
• Sphero: refers to spherical shape (sphero sites).

General Terms

• Anthropo: relating to humans (anthropology).
• Corp: means body (corporeal).
• Somato/Soma: means body (somatic).
• Organo: means organ (organomegaly).
• Visceral: means internal organs (viscera).
• Kilo: means tissue (kilo weed).
• Proteo: refers to protein.
• Pharmaco: refers to drugs or medications (pharmacology).
• Morpho: means form or structure (morphology).
• Nutri: means relating to nutrition (nutritionist).
• Physio: means nature (physiotherapist).
• Lumen: means light (lumen, illuminate).
• Nomen: means name (nomenclature).
• Norm: means custom or law.
• Spectral: means spectrum.
• Type: refers to class (somatotype).
• Techno: means skill (technique).
• Viral: means virus (viral research).
• Zygo: means union (zygote).

Medical Condition-Related Terms

• Myco: means fungus (mycologist).
• Onco: means cancer or tumor (oncologist).
• Poiesis: means formation (hematopoiesis).
• Partum: means birth or labor (prepartum, postpartum).
• Sane: means health (sanitation).

General Condition Terms

• Koulouri: means heat (calorie).
• Coma: means deep sleep.
• Gyn: means naked.
• Vito: means life (vitality).

Processes and Modifiers

• Acute: means needle (acupuncture).
• Anomal: means abnormal or irregular (anomaly).
• Baro: means weight or pressure (barometer).
• Dys: means pain (allodynia).
• Dynamo: means strength or power (dynamic).
• Epi: means equal or equality (equality).
• Eti: means cause (etiology).
• Labile: means unstable or fragile.
• Leio: means loosen or dissolve.
• Radio: means radiation (radiotherapy).
• Sclero: means hardening or thickening (sclerosis).
• Schisto: means fissure or split (schistocyte).
• Lumin: means light-emitting (translucent).
• Tum: means swelling (tumescence).
• Tempo: means time (temporal).
• Physis: means growth (epiphysis).
• Sam'l: means sand-like quality.

Practice Examples

1. Anthropomorphic: Pertaining to human characteristics.
2. Baroreceptor: Pressure receptor in the body.
3. Dysphoria: State of negative feeling.
4. Radiolucent: Light-emitting radiation (transparent on x-rays).
5. Hematopoiesis: Formation of blood.
6. Scleroderma: Condition of hardening or thickening of the skin.

Conclusion

• Lesson 4 covered various prefixes and suffixes in medical terminology.
• Encouragement to like and subscribe for further lessons.