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Building and Deconstructing Medical Terms

Author: Sophia
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what's covered
In this lesson, you will practice assembling and disassembling medical terms. First, you will practice medical word construction using concepts from other lessons. Then, you will practice medical word deconstruction. You will finish the lesson by reviewing advice on avoiding common errors. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

Table of Contents

1. Medical Word Construction

In this lesson, you will focus on medical word building. This is the process of forming medical terms by combining word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes). You will have a chance to practice medical word construction and medical word deconstruction.

before you start
Understanding medical word construction and deconstruction will strengthen your medical vocabulary. It will help you learn to decode unfamiliar medical terms as the word parts become more and more familiar. On a larger scale, this will help you understand diagnoses, procedures, and treatments.

As you learn more word parts and terms, you will be able to decode complex terms used in varied ways, including medical documentation, reports, patient charts, and research papers. It will become easier to learn new medical terms quickly because the components will be familiar. This will help you communicate clearly and effectively in medical settings and will reduce the risk of terminology errors. It will help you understand patient conditions and treatment plans.

Remember the basic structure of medical terms, which are built from word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. The word root is often written as a combining form. Let’s review.

The word root, often written as a combining form, identifies the body part, system, or primary meaning of the term.

EXAMPLE

Cardi/o- (heart) → Cardiology (study of the heart).

The prefix is found at the beginning of the word and modifies the root. It indicates position, number, time, size, or negation.

EXAMPLE

Tachy- (fast) → Tachycardia (fast heart rate).

The suffix is at the end of a word and modifies the root. It describes conditions, procedures, or specializations.

EXAMPLE

-itis (inflammation) → Tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils).

Remember that you will often need to use a combining vowel to produce the combining form of a word root. The combining vowel, usually "o" or "i," is used to connect word parts smoothly.

EXAMPLE

Oste/o + arthr/o + -itis → Osteoarthritis (inflammation of bone and joints).

Remember the following rules:

When the suffix starts with a vowel, drop the combining vowel.
Nephr/o + -itis → Nephritis (inflammation of the kidney)

When the suffix starts with a consonant, retain the combining vowel.
Nephr/o + -logy → Nephrology (study of the kidneys).

When joining two roots, always keep the combining vowel.
Gastr/o + enter/o + -logy → Gastroenterology (study of the stomach and intestines).

The word ‘Hypercardiomyopathy’ is shown in the center of the screen in black font inside a gray box. The word splits apart where the prefix ‘Hyper-’ is separated from the rest of the word. The remainder of the word disappears, leaving only the prefix ‘Hyper-‘, which becomes underlined by a horizontal red bracket with the words ‘Prefix: Above normal’ appearing underneath it in a red oval. The combining form ‘cardi/o’ appears to the right of the prefix ‘Hyper-‘ and becomes underlined by a horizontal blue bracket with the words ‘Combining form: Heart’ appearing underneath it in a blue oval. The combining form ‘my/o’ appears to the right of the combining form ‘cardi/o’ and becomes underlined by a blue bracket with the words ‘Combining form: Muscle’ appearing underneath it in a blue oval. The suffix ‘-pathy’ appears to the right of the combining form ‘my/o’ and becomes underlined by a horizontal purple bracket with the words ‘Suffix: Disease’ appearing underneath it in a purple oval. All four colored ovals with the words inside them fade out, leaving only the terms ‘Hyper-‘, ‘cardi/o’, ‘my/o’, and ‘-pathy’ on screen, which then merge together to form the full word ‘Hypercardiomyopathy’.

Let’s practice some word construction using multiple word parts.

Here are some examples:

Prefix + Root/Combining Form + Suffix

EXAMPLE

Dys- (abnormal) + pnea (breathing) → Dyspnea (difficulty breathing).

Root/combining form + Suffix

EXAMPLE

My/o (muscle) + -pathy (disease) → Myopathy (muscle disease).

Prefix + Root/Combining Form

EXAMPLE

Pre- (before) + natal (birth) → Prenatal (before birth).

The word ‘Gastroenterology’ appears on screen inside a grey box, along with the word ‘Otolaryngology’ underneath it, where a small ampersand (&) separates the two. The ampersand and the word ‘Otolaryngology’ fade out, leaving ‘Gastroenterology’ in the center of the screen. The following text appears underneath the word ‘Gastroenterology’: ‘The study of the stomach and intestines’. This text fades out, and the word ‘Gastroenterology’ splits up into word parts, as ‘Gastr/o’, ‘enter/o’, and ‘-logy’. The second and third word parts fade out, leaving only the root ‘Gastr/o’, which becomes underlined by a horizontal blue bracket with the words ‘Root: Stomach’ appearing underneath the bracket in a blue oval, while a basic anatomical drawing of a stomach appears above the root ‘Gastr/o’. The combining form ‘enter/o’ appears to the right of the root ‘Gastr/o’ and becomes underlined by a horizontal blue bracket with the words ‘Root: Intestine’ appearing underneath the bracket in a blue oval, while a basic anatomical drawing of the small and large intestines appears above the root ‘enter/o’. The suffix ‘-logy’ appears to the right of the root ‘enter/o’ and becomes underlined by a horizontal purple bracket with the words ‘Suffix: Study of’ appearing underneath the bracket in a purple oval, while a drawing of a textbook appears above the suffix ‘-logy’. All three images, ovals, and brackets fade out, leaving only the terms ‘Gastr/o’, ‘enter/o’, and ‘-logy’ which then merge together to form the full word ‘Gastroenterology’. This word shifts up as an ampersand and the word ‘Otolaryngology’ shift up to join it on screen. The ampersand and the word ‘Gastroenterology’ fade out and the word ‘Otolaryngology shifts to the center of the screen. The following text appears underneath the word ‘Otolaryngology’: ‘The study of the ear and throat’. This text fades out, and the word ‘Otolaryngology’ splits up into word parts, as ‘Ot/o’, ‘laryng/o’, and ‘-logy’. The second and third word parts fade out, leaving only the root ‘Ot/o’, which becomes underlined by a horizontal blue bracket with the words ‘Root: Ear’ appearing underneath the bracket in a blue oval, while a basic anatomical drawing of an ear appears above the root ‘Ot/o’. The combining form ‘laryng/o’ appears to the right of the root ‘Ot/o’ and becomes underlined by a horizontal blue bracket with the words ‘Root: Throat or voice box’ appearing underneath the bracket in a blue oval, while a basic anatomical drawing of the mouth, throat, and larynx appears, superimposed on a silhouette of a female head and neck in side profile, appear above the root ‘laryng/o’. The suffix ‘-logy’ appears to the right of the root ‘laryng/o and becomes underlined by a horizontal purple bracket with the words ‘Suffix: Study of’ appearing underneath the bracket in a purple oval, while a drawing of a textbook appears above the suffix ‘-logy’. All three images, ovals, and brackets fade out, leaving only the terms ‘Ot/o’, ‘laryng/o’, and ‘-logy’ which then merge together to form the full word ‘Otolaryngology’.

try it
Let’s try some examples.
What are the word parts in cardiomyopathy?
Combining form (cardi/o) + combining form (my/o) + suffix (-pathy).
What term means inflammation of the kidney? You will need the combining form meaning kidney and the suffix meaning inflammation.
The correct word is nephritis (nephr/o + -itis).
What term means inflammation of the heart muscle? You will need the combining forms meaning heart and muscle and the suffix meaning inflammation.
The correct word is myocarditis (my/o + cardi/o + -itis).

2. Medical Word Deconstruction

In addition to building medical terms, it’s valuable to be able to break them down to understand their parts. Medical word deconstruction is the process of breaking down a complex medical term into its components, which helps in determining meaning.

Here are steps that you can use to deconstruct medical terms, although you can choose the approach that works best for you.

step by step
1. Start with the suffix. Look to see if there is a suffix at the end.

Arthritis
-itis (inflammation)
Arthr/o- (joint)
Meaning: Inflammation of the joints.

2. Look for a prefix (if present). Remember that the prefix modifies the meaning of the word root.

Hypertension
Hyper- (excessive, high)
Tension (pressure)
Meaning: High blood pressure.

3. Determine the root word. The root (often written as a combining form) defines the main concept of the term.

Neuropathy
Neur/o (nerve)
-pathy (disease)
Meaning: Nerve disease

4. Look for common combining forms. Remember that a combining vowel is often added to the root word.

Hemat/o (blood) → Hematology (study of blood).

Dermat/o (skin) → Dermatitis (skin inflammation).

Cardi/o (heart) → Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart).

As you learn medical terms, pay particular attention to similar-looking and similar-sounding words to avoid confusion.

Oste/o (bone) vs. Ot/o (ear)

Neur/o (nerve) vs. Nephr/o (kidney)

Arthr/o (joint) vs. Ather/o (fatty plaque)

The word ‘Polyarteritis’ appears on screen in black text inside a gray box. The word fades out, leaving only the prefix ‘Poly-‘, which becomes underlined by a horizontal red bracket with the words ‘Prefix: Many’ appearing underneath the bracket in a red oval. A red branched artery appears across the top of the screen, containing a long oval section that has small circles appearing to flow through it, as if depicting contents flowing through the artery. The root ‘arter/o’ appears to the right of the prefix ‘Poly-‘ and becomes underlined by a horizontal blue bracket with the words ‘Root: Artery’ appearing underneath the bracket in a blue oval. The suffix ‘-itis’ appears to the right of the root ‘arter/o’ and becomes underlined by a horizontal purple bracket with the words ‘Suffix: Inflammation’ appearing underneath the bracket in a purple oval. As this appears, an area of the horizontal artery is highlighted with a superimposed pulsing red circle to indicate an area of inflammation. The brackets and ovals with text under each term fade out, leaving only the terms ‘Poly-‘, ‘arter/o’, and ‘-itis’ which then merge together to form the full word ‘Polyarteritis’, which becomes surrounded with a light gray box. Underneath the word in the box, smaller text appears that says ‘Inflammation of many arteries’. As this is happening, the small circles continue to flow through the horizontal branched artery near the top of the screen, and the superimposed circle over a portion of the artery continues to pulse. The words underneath the term ‘Polyarteritis’ fade out, and new words appear that say ‘Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare condition in which many blood vessels are inflamed’. These words and the horizontal blood vessel disappear, leaving only the word ‘Polyarteritis’.

try it
Let’s try some examples.
What does atherosclerosis mean? Break down the word parts. The suffix -sclerosis means hardening.
Based on the word parts, atherosclerosis means hardening due to fatty plaques (ather/o + -sclerosis). Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty plaques build up in blood vessels and cause hardening. This means that the lumen (the opening in a tubular structure like a blood vessel) is narrowed.
What does arteriosclerosis mean?
Based on the word parts, arteriosclerosis means hardening of the arteries. This condition occurs when there is a buildup in the walls of arteries that causes them to stiffen. Arteriosclerosis is a broad term that includes atherosclerosis.

The animation below shows an example of atherosclerosis. You can see that a fatty plaque has developed in the blood vessel wall, narrowing the opening (the term for an opening in a tubular structure like a blood vessel is lumen) and making it more difficult for blood to pass through. One view shows the plaque from the side. The other view is a micrograph showing a view into the tubular interior of the blood vessel. This round opening, like all tubular openings, is called a lumen. Blood travels through the lumen, inside the blood vessel walls. The plaque is partially blocking the round opening into the lumen, leaving less room for the blood to pass. Sometimes, pieces of plaque can break off and form blockages. Atherosclerosis differs from arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which is a broad term that includes atherosclerosis. 





Two different cross-sections of arteries are shown side-by-side, with both depicted as red circles, with round red blood cells floating through them as well as smaller yellow circles. In the top left corner, a visual key shows a yellow circle with the text ‘LDL Cholesterol’ to identify what the yellow circles inside the artery represent, and a red circle with the text ‘Blood cells’ to identify what the red circles inside the artery represent. The artery on the left is labeled ‘Healthy Artery’ and has smooth, red walls. The artery on the right is labeled ‘Atherosclerotic Artery’ and has walls that are covered in a layer of light yellow and light orange plaque around the inside perimeter, making the inside diameter of the artery smaller. Both artery depictions fade out, and the visual key at the top left remains. On-screen appears a diagonal cross section of an artery showing it as cylindrical with part of it cut away so that freely flowing LDL cholesterol as yellow circles and red blood cells as red circles are visible. Inside the cylindrical walls of the cylinder, a lumpy yellow layer begins to come down from the top wall and the bottom wall to create a narrowing of the artery. A text label points to this on screen with the words ‘Fatty Plaque Buildup’. The text ‘Reduced Blood Flow’ appears under this text, as the red blood cells in the artery begin to slow down as they collide with the yellow plaque on the walls and form clumps. Text appears to the top left of the artery, under the visual key, that says ‘Atherosclerosis narrows arteries and restricts blood flow’. 
















try it





Let’s try some examples. Break down the word parts in the following terms.




What does bronchopneumonia mean?
Based on the word parts, bronchopneumonia means a condition of the bronchial tubes and lungs (bronch/o + pneum/o + -ia).










What does hypoglycemia mean?
Based on the word parts, hypoglycemia means low blood sugar (hypo- + glyc/o + -emia).










What does hypokinesia mean?
Kines/o means movement. Based on the word parts, hypokinesia means having reduced movement (hypo- + kines/o + -ia).










What does arthralgia mean?
Based on the word parts, arthralgia means having joint pain (arthr/o + -algia).
























terms to know





The box below lists terms that are especially important or that may be difficult to pronounce. Audio is provided to help you learn how to say these terms.











Term


Definition


Audio






Atherosclerosis


Hardening and narrowing of arteries due to the buildup of cholesterol and other fats, known as plaque, within the lining of the arteries














 



 











3. Avoiding Common Errors


 



Whenever you practice using new terms, pay attention to possible errors. Review what you know about using combining forms and about forming plurals to help avoid errors. 



Be careful to always use a combining vowel when needed. 







EXAMPLE

Incorrect: Gastrenterology → Correct: Gastroenterology.







Be careful not to confuse similar-sounding words. 







EXAMPLE

Laryngectomy (removal of the larynx) vs. Laryngostomy (creation of an opening in the larynx).







Be careful to form plurals correctly. 







EXAMPLE

Diagnosis → Diagnoses (not Diagnosis's). 



Bacterium → Bacteria (not Bacteriums).




















try it





Let’s try some examples. 




What is incorrect in this sentence? “The surgery to repair the ligament, ligamentplasty, went well.”
A combining vowel is needed to form the term, which is “ligamentoplasty.”










What is incorrect in this sentence? “The patient’s prognosises are good.”
The plural form of prognosis is incorrect. The correct plural form of prognosis is prognoses. The sentence should read, “The patient’s prognoses are good.”











 















summary






In this lesson, you learned about medical word construction and how to properly build medical words using familiar word parts. You also learned about medical word deconstruction and practiced breaking down terms into their parts to help understand their meanings. Finally, you reviewed hints for avoiding common errors. As you learn more and more word parts, you will be able to use these approaches to build your medical vocabulary and confidently tackle new terms.











Source: THIS TUTORIAL HAS BEEN ADAPTED FROM “OPEN RN | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY – 2e” BY ERNSTMEYER & CHRISTMAN AT OPEN RESOURCES FOR NURSING (Open RN). ACCESS FOR FREE AT https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/medterm/ LICENSING: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 INTERNATIONAL. 




















Terms to Know









-sclerosis





Hardening.





Arteriosclerosis





Hardening and stiffening of arteries.





Ather/o





Pertaining to a fatty plaque.





Atherosclerosis





Hardening and narrowing of arteries due to the buildup of cholesterol and other fats, known as plaque, within the lining of the arteries.





Dermatitis





Inflammation of skin.





Hypokinesia





Reduced range of muscle motion.





Ligamentoplasty





Surgical repair of a ligament.





Lumen





An opening in a tubular structure, such as a blood vessel.





Myocarditis





Inflammation of the heart muscle.





Ot/o





Pertaining to the ear.





Prenatal





Before birth.
































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