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Chapter 1 – " The Structure of Medical Language"
Just as the English language is made up of smaller words, medicine as a language is made up of smaller medical terms. The "roots" of medical terminology are based on the Latin spoken by ancient Greeks and Romans. We continue to use Latin for many of our medical terms because it is considered a "dead" language; in other words, there aren’t any "new" words or new meanings being added as it isn’t routinely spoken. For example, think of the word "web." Twenty years ago, you might have thought of a spider; today, the word "web" probably conjures up images of the internet and the "world wide web." Latin is also considered the "root" language for the "romance languages" (French, Italian, Spanish). If you speak any of these, you may find learning some of the terms slightly easier and familiar.
Suffixes
Building Medical Words: Combining Forms and Suffixes
If the suffix begins with a consonant
See Figure 1-4, Figure 1-5, p. 12 Pronouncing Medical Words: Combining Forms and Suffixes Review "Pronouncing Medical Words Exercise", p. 20 Prefixes
Building Medical Words: Prefixes, Combining Forms, and Suffixes
Defining Medical Words: Prefixes, Combining Forms, and Suffixes Here's a tip for breaking down medical terms into their meanings. Standard forms (like driver's license or job applications) often require us to fill out information using our "last name," "first name," and "middle initial." Medical terms can often be broken down the same way. Think of the suffix as a "last name," the combining form as the "first name," and the prefix as the "middle initial." In the above example of hypoglycemia, we can break it down like this: 1. Last name: -emia (a condition of the blood) 2. First name: glyc/o (combining form for sugar, i.e. glucose) 3. Middle initial: hypo (a prefix meaning low). Using this tip, we can think of the meaning of hypoglycemia as "a condition of the blood in which glucose is lower than normal" or simply "low blood sugar." Here's another: Microhematuria 1. Last name: -uria (condition of the urine) 2. First name: hemat/o (blood) 3. Middle initial: -micro (small, not visible to the naked eye) We can think of the meaning of microhematuria as "a condition of the urine in which small amounts of blood are present" or simply, "small (or invisible) amounts of blood in the urine." Note! Some medical terms contain more than one combining form Review" Medical Word Singular and Plural Nouns" p. 8For this chapter, you are responsible for the following terms / word parts AND their meanings: Combining Forms Suffixes
Prefixes
The word parts found on the above pages make up the foundation of medical language. These are the basics…your future success in this course is dependent on your mastery of this initial vocabulary. Abbreviations p. 25 Abbreviations are used whenever possible. As you will soon discover, many terms are long, difficult to pronounce, and harder to spell. Medical professionals use abbreviations also as a time saving tool for managing increasingly large patient loads. HOWEVER – medical abbreviations are standardized. You cannot shorten words as you see fit. You may use abbreviations as long as they are medically recognized and universally accepted. During this course, you will be responsible for memorizing common abbreviations that apply to the specialty being discussed. Chapter 2 – " The Body in Health" Body Planes A plane is an imaginary line used to better describe locations within or on the surface of the body.
Directional Opposites For every movement the body is capable of making…the opposite movement must also be possible. Example:
Make a muscle (like Popeye the Sailorman). To perform this movement, you had to bend your arm at the elbow. However, you cannot keep your arm in this position indefinitely (how would you be able to drive a car, eat a sandwich, or tie your shoes?). Now straighten out your arm. To perform this movement, you had to unbend your arm at the elbow. When using directional opposites, you are describing a relationship of one body part or position to another.
My bellybutton in anterior to my heels. My backbone is posterior to my breastbone.
When laying on your stomach – you are prone. When laying on your back – you are supine.
My nose is medial to my ears. My arms are lateral to my chest.
My eyes are superior to my thighs. My feet are inferior to my knees.
My toes are distal to my knee. (The hip is the beginning point of the leg – the toes are further away from the hip compared to the knee)
My fingers are distal to my elbow. (The shoulder is the beginning point of the arm – the fingers are further away from the shoulder compared to the elbow)
My forearm is proximal to my wrist. (The shoulder is the beginning point of the arm - the forearm is closer to the shoulder compared to the wrist)
My hip is proximal to my ankle. (The hip is the beginning point of the leg – the hip is the beginning and therefore must be closer compared to the ankle)
My skin is superficial to my bones. My brain is deep to my skull.
The hair on my head is external. My body organs are internal.
Body Cavities A cavity is a hollow space within the body that holds internal organs. The cavities are supported and protected by membranes, muscles, and/or bone. See Figure 2-14, p. 42
¨¨ NOTE: Because the abdominal cavity has no distinct separation from the pelvic cavity – the two are often jointly referred to as the abdominopelvic cavity ¨¨
Quadrants and Regions Because medicine needs to be as precise as possible when describing locations, the abdominopelvic cavity is further subdivided into quadrants and regions.
Example:
Walter complains that his tummy hurts. His mommy rubs it for him, asks does he need to use the restroom (he says no), makes him some chicken soup, and sends him to bed to lie down.
After the pain worsened significantly through the night, Walter’s mom takes him to the doctor’s office first thing in the morning. She tells the nurse that Walter’s stomach has been hurting. The nurse, understanding how many organs are located within the abdomen, asks Walter to point to where his tummy is bothering him. Walter points to the lower right portion of this abdomen.
Using her knowledge of medical anatomy, the nurse recognizes that the appendix is located in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen (RLQ) and pain in this area may signal a medical emergency – if the appendix ruptures, bacteria will invade the cavity and bloodstream placing a patient is at serious risk for infection, which if not caught early and left untreated will cause death.
Walter is taken to the radiology department for an x-ray. The films show that Walter’s appendix is extremely enlarged and likely to burst at any moment. He is rushed to the operating room for surgery and Walter’s appendix is removed.
You are not responsible for the Body Systems Approach – we will be studying the individual body systems throughout the course of this class. I encourage you to review pp. 45 – 51 as they are a preview of future class material. Vocabulary Vocabulary is an essential element of understanding Medical Terminology. Not all words can be broken apart and defined by their smaller word parts. You will be responsible only for the vocabulary terms discussed and listed in your study guides. However, you should be able to recognize and define vocabulary words that include a previously studied prefix or suffix. If that term contains a combining form, you are not responsible for knowing that word part – but the more you know, the easier medical terminology will be! Some chapters will have long vocabulary lists, others will have shorter lists. You should be sure to study the Vocabulary Review sections located in each chapter. Here you will find the vocabulary term, it’s combining form and definition, as well as a description. In addition to studying word structure and definition, in this course we also emphasize spelling. Incorrectly spelling a term may change the entire meaning of the term.
Example: uvula – the small piece of tissue that hangs in the rear portion of the throat vulva – the female external genitalia In the above example, the terms look similar…but are two VERY different body parts!
The following vocabulary terms represent the basic terminology used in medicine. The terms in this chapter are essential to your later success with understanding and comfortably using medical terminology to describe body systems, organs, and movements associated with each.
Anatomical position Anatomy Health Macroscopic Mediastinum Microscope Physiology Viscera Body in Disease
You are responsible for all of the vocabulary terms found on pp. 62 – 65 Healthcare Professionals and Healthcare Settings
Suffixes
Abbreviations
Lesson 1: Introductions Tell us about yourself. Include the following: your major, your educational goals, and what you hope to achieve in this course, and also include where you live (city and state are fine). Lesson 1: Quiz Don't forget to take the quiz by clicking the button below between the dates/times stated on the homepage of the course. Remember the quiz is timed!
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