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Medical terminology is a language all its own.Understanding the roots of medical terminology makes medical reading easier.In a way, medical terminology is a distinct language. And like all languages, there are specific rules that must be followed. Like every other language, medical terminology has changed over time, but the majority of terms are based on Latin or Greek words.Most medical terminology can be broken down into one or more word parts. For simplicity in explanation, let's say there are four possible word parts, and that any given medical term may contain one, some, or all of these parts:
An example medical terminology with three of the above parts is the medical term pericarditis, which means inflammation of the outer layer of the heart. Pericarditis can be divided into three parts:
Hence, pericarditis is an inflammation of the layer surrounding the heart, anatomically known as the pericardium. Medical terminology always consists of at least one root, although it may contain more. A prefix or suffix only adds to the specificity of the medical term, and is not required. An example of this medical terminology is sternocleidomastoid, which is a muscle that has attachments at the sternum, the clavicle, and the mastoid. The term sternocleidomastoid can be divided into three parts: stern - o - cleid - o - mastoid. Notice that there are vowels between the three roots. These are linking or combining vowels, which serve to make some medical terminology easier to pronounce. |
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