Class LM.1

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Yes, this is an actual word. What does it mean?

Biology can be filled with words that sometime seem incomprehensible. By "dissecting" these words into discrete units, even the most complex terms can be understood.

To perform our bio-word dissection, we'll need to proceed carefully.

First, we come to the prefix (pneu-), or (pneumo-)which means lung.

Next, is ultra, meaning extreme, and microscopic, meaning small.

Now we come to (silico-), which refers to silicon, and (volcano-) which refers to the mineral particles that make up a volcano.

Then we have (coni-), a derivative of the Greek word konis meaning dust.

Finally, we have the suffix (-osis) which means abnormal condition. Now lets rebuild what we have dissected:

Considering the prefix (pneumo-) and the suffix (-osis), we can determine that the lungs are affected with something. But what?

Breaking down the rest of the terms we get extremely small (ultramicroscopic) silicon (silico-) and volcanic (volcano-) dust (coni-) particles.

Thus, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a disease of the lungs resulting from the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust. That wasn't so difficult, now was it?

Artery - The study of fine paintings.

Barium - What you do when CPR fails.

Benign - What you are after you be eight.

Coma - A punctuation mark.

Morbid - A higher offer.

Urine - opposite of you’re out.

Tablet - A small table.

Enema – Not a friend.

G.I. Series – Army baseball.

Impotent – Distinguished, well known.

Terminal Illness – Airport sickness.

Varicose - Nearby.

Seizure – Roman Emperor.

Outpatient – Person who has fainted.

Medical Terminology Concerto

1. Identify the five skills of medical language communication.

2. Describe the origins of medical language.

3. Recognize common Latin and Greek singular nouns and form their plurals.

4. Describe characteristics of combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes.

5. Give the medical meaning of common word parts.

6. Build medical words from word parts and divide medical words into word parts.

• Medical language

• The language of the healthcare profession

• Medical words

• The tools of the trade

• Learning medical language

• Key to a successful career in the healthcare field

• Communication in any language consists of five language skills.

• These same five language skills are important in medical language.

• Reading

• Listening

• Thinking, analyzing, and understanding (including abbreviations)

• Writing and spelling

• Speaking/pronouncing

• Etymology is the study of word origins

• Many words come from other languages

• Many medical words come from the ancient Latin or Greek language

• Some medical words are identical to Latin or Greek words

• Some medical words are similar (but not identical) to Latin or Greek words

• Some medical words are similar to old English, Dutch, and French words

Medical Word Language of Origin

Nucleus Latin nucleus

Pelvis Latin pelvis

Sinus Latin sinus

Paranoia Greek paranoia

Thorax Greek thorax

Identical to Latin or Greek

Medical Word Language of Origin

Artery Latin arteria

Muscle Latin musculus

Vein Latin vena

Phobia Greek phobos

Sperm Greek sperma

Similar to Latin or Greek

Medical Word Language of Origin

Bladder English blaedre

Heart English heorte

Drug Dutch droog

Physician French physicien

Similar to old English, Dutch, or French

• Latin

Singular Ending

How to Form thePlural

Example

-a Change –a to –ae vertebra vertebrae

-us Change –us to –i bronchus bronchi

-um Change –um to –a bacterium bacteria

-is Change –is to –es testis testes

-ex Change –ex to –ices apex apices

• Greek

Singular Ending

How to Form thePlural

Example

-is Change –is to –ides iris irides

-nx Change –nx to –nges phalanx phalanges

-oma Change –oma to –omata fibroma fibromata

-on Change –on to –a ganglion ganglia

• Medical language contains medical words

• Most medical words contain word parts

• Word parts are puzzle pieces that, when fit together, build a medical word

Overview of four main word parts:

1. The word root is the foundation of the word

2. A prefix is at the beginning of the word

3. A suffix is at the end of the word

4. The combining vowel is a vowel (usually o) that links the word root to another word root or a suffix

• Foundation of medical term; provides general meaning of word

• May indicate body system or part of body, such as cardi for heart

• May be action, such as cis, which means to cut (as in incision)

• Term may have more than one word root; osteoarthritis combines word root oste (bone) and arthr (joint)

• Makes it possible to pronounce long medical terms and to combine several word parts

• Most often the vowel o

• Utilized in two places: (1) between word root and suffix or (2) between two word roots

• When placed between word root and suffix, look at suffix; • if begins with vowel, do not use combining vowel;

• if suffix begins with consonant, then use combining vowel;

• arthroscope needs combining vowel and arthritis does not

• Keep between two word roots, even if second word root begins with vowel;

• Gastroenteritis not gastrenteritis

• Combining form – used when writing a word root by itself;

• consists of word root and combining vowel;

• written in word root/vowel form;

• cardi/o

• Added to front of term

• Frequently gives information about location of an organ, number of parts, or time (frequency)

• Not every term will have a prefix

• When written alone, followed by hyphen

• Attached to end of term

• Adds meaning, such as condition, disease, or procedure

• Every medical term must have a suffix

• Terms can be built from suffix added directly to prefix, without word root;

• Dystrophy is built from prefix dys- and suffix –trophy

• Preceded by hyphen when written alone

• The medical language is logical in that most terms, whether complex or simple, can be broken down into basic parts and then understood.

For example, consider the following term:

HEMATOLOGY

HEMAT/O/LOGY

root combining vowel suffix

• It is useful to read the meaning of medical terms starting from the suffix back to the beginning of the term.

• Thus the term hematology means study of blood.

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM

ELECRA/O/CARDIO/O/GRAM

root root suffix

combining vowel

• The root electra means electricity.

• The root cardi means heart.

• The suffix –gram means record.

• The entire word means record of the electricity in the heart.

GASTRITIS

GASTR/ITIS

root suffix

• The root gastr means stomach

• The suffix –itis means inflammation.

• The entire word, reading from end of the term (suffix) to the beginning, means inflammation of the stomach.

Consider the following term:

GASTROENTEROLOGY

GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY

root root suffix

combining vowel

• The root gastr means stomach.

• The root enter means intestines.

• The suffix –logy means study of.

• The entire term means study of the stomach and intestines.

SUB/GASTR/IC means pertaining to under the stomach

prefix root suffix

(under) (stomach) (pertaining to)

TRANS/GASTR/IC means pertaining to across the stomach

prefix root suffix

(across) (stomach) (pertaining to)

EPI/GASTR/IC means pertaining to above the stomach

prefix root suffix

(above) (stomach) (pertaining to)

Medical Terminology Rap

http://phobialist.com/

Let’s look at some pronunciation of terms.

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/resources/pronunciations/index/a.html

With a partner, write the meaning of the medical terms that follow in the spaces provided.

Finish writing the meanings of the medical terms provided.

http://ec.hku.hk/mt/