all have names. Moreover, there are names for all kinds of associated terms relating to functions, conditions, diseases, pathology, and even pharmacology. It’s a whole lot, we grant you. But you are eager, right? And no amount of 50-cent words frighten you away from your goal: to become a medical terminology Zen master. You can do it, Grasshopper.
This book makes extensive use of icons – those little pictures that denote an important tidbit of information. Be on the lookout for these, as they provide even more tools for your terminology toolbox:
In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. No matter how hard you study for your medical terminology exams, you’ll likely come across a few questions where you don’t have a clue. Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/medicalterminology for more helpful medical terminology roots, prefixes, suffixes, and tongue-twisting terms.
This book also includes a handful of free online articles. Check them out at www.dummies.com/extras/medicalterminology.
By all means, if you’re feeling spunky you can jump right into this book at any point and start working on your terminology savvy. Mastering the how and why of medical terms is sometimes as important as learning the terms themselves, which is why we put those chapters first. But by all means, feel free to hunt and peck the sections that are most useful to you.
Be bold. Be brave. And, most importantly, proceed through this book with confidence. Once you get the hang of how these words are made, you’ll have no problem committing them to memory and to your daily life.
Part I
Living for Linguistics
✔ An overview of the basic building blocks of learning terminology
✔ A background dossier on terminology and its history
✔ An introduction to root words
✔ A trip through the world of multiples and plurals
✔ Tips and tricks on pronunciation and usage
Chapter 1
Scrubbing In to Master Medical Terminology
In This Chapter
▶ Getting to know the history of medical terminology
▶ Mastering the basics of word building and pronunciation
▶ Familiarizing yourself with basic parts of your anatomy
▶ Discovering the wide range of systems in the body
Did you realize that when you picked up this book, you were beginning a journey into a whole new language? Don’t worry – you haven’t grabbed Greek For Dummies by mistake – it’s all English, or at least “English.” But once you get deep into the world of medical terms, you will find that it is a whole new way of speaking. Your journey will indeed take you to ancient Greece as well as to Rome. You will meet some of the pioneers of the medical world. You will gain entrance into a whole new world: the body.
The Tale behind the Terms
Medical terminology is made up of the terms that describe human anatomy and physiology (body organs, systems, and their functions), body locations, diseases, clinical, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory testing, together with clinical procedures, surgeries, and diagnoses.
It’s important for every one of these things to have a specific name – just as it’s important that you have your own unique name – because otherwise how would medical professionals be able to communicate clearly with one another? You might be able to visit your doctor and say, “I have a pain in my shoulder,” and have him solve the mystery of what is causing that pain. But when your doc communicates that information to, say, a surgeon, it’s crucial to be more specific.
The beauty of medical terminology is that it makes such vital communication more succinct and to-the-point. A medical term usually describes in one word a disease or condition that, under normal circumstances, would take several words to describe. Appendectomy is a one-word medical term to describe “surgical removal of the appendix.” Now that saves you plenty of breath for more important things, like singing an aria or rooting for the Colts.
The foundation of medical terminology is based in both Greek and Latin origin. The Greeks were the founders of modern medicine, but Latin is the basic source of medical terms. With origins in ancient Rome, Latin quickly made its way through the world, solidifying its rep as the language of choice for medicine and science. Building on guidance from the Greek and Latin origins, medical terms began to be professionalized in the mid-1800s. The first medical dictionary appeared in the 1830s shortly after the first edition of Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language.
Making Terminology Work for You
Thankfully, there are ways to wade through the quagmire of medical terms and figure out how to pronounce and use them like a champ. But you have to start at the beginning by breaking down the parts of each word and then deciphering its meaning. Or, to put it in a fancy-schmancy way, you should use etymology. Etymology helps you find the origin and historical development of a term. You can use etymology to decipher words with Latin and Greek origins, eponyms (words named after people), and acronyms (modern language terms that stand for longer phrases).
Back to those word parts that you’ll break down. There are three you need to know: roots/combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes.
Roots are the glue that holds all medical terms together. They are the basic form around which the final word is formed. A combining form is a combining vowel (usually o or i) plus the root word, usually with a prefix or suffix added. Prefixes appear at the beginning of a word and tell the how, why, where, when, how much, how many, position, direction, time, or status. The suffix, always at the end of a word, usually indicates a procedure, a condition, or a disease. While the prefix gives you a clue into what to expect in a word’s meaning, the suffix tells you what is happening with a specific body part or system. And, usually, it either entails what is wrong with you or the procedure used to diagnose or fix it.
The breaking down of words that you will learn in this book also helps you with pronunciation. With medical terminology, sounds are not always pronounced the same as in English, and there are no steadfast rules that a combination of specific letters will always