Medical Terminology Simplified

1–50 Elements preceding a suffix can be a root or a combining form. Review

Frame 1–49 and list the combining forms preceding suffixes: __________ / _____

and __________ / _____

roots preceding suffixes: __________, __________, __________, __________,

and __________.

1–51 Analyze the following medical terms by identifying their elements. The first

is completed as an example. The vowel has no meaning of its own, but enables two

elements to be connected. Refer to Appendix A: Glossary of Medical Word

Elements, if needed.

Combining

Medical Term Form (root + o) Word Root Suffix

arthr/o/scop/ic arthr / o scop -ic

ăr-thrōs-KŎP-ĭk

erythr/o/cyt/osis /

ĕ-rĭth-rō-sī-TŌ-sĭs

append/ix /

ă-PĔN-dĭks

dermat/itis /

dĕr-mă-TĪ-tĭs

gastr/o/enter/itis /

găs-trō-ĕn-tĕr-Ī-tĭs

orth/o/ped/ic /

or-thō-PĒ-dĭk

oste/o/arthr/itis /

ŏs-tē-ō-ăr-THRĪ-tĭs

vagin/itis /

văj-ĭn-Ī-tĭs

1–52 The examples in Frame 1–51 show how medical words can be formed by

various combinations of combining forms, roots, and ____________________.

Three Rules of Word Building

There are three important rules of word building:

• Rule 1:A root links a suffix that begins with a vowel.


• Rule 2:A combining form (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant.


• Rule 3:A combining form (root + o) links a root to another root to form a compound word. (This rule holds
  true even if the next root begins with a vowel.)

10 CHAPTER 1• Introduction to Programmed Learning and Medical Word Building

arthr/o, scler/o

dent, neur, angi,

gastr, nephr

suffixes

Find answers to this

frame in Appendix B:

Answer Key, page 558.