Medical terminology is a broad term for the language associated with the medical field. Doctors spend many years getting fluent with the amazing variety of terms that describe a patient's condition, as well as any procedure performed on the patient to treat that condition. It is important for patients who may be curious to learn about their medical treatment to learn the terms that are known as medical terminology. In order to learn these terms, patients may turn to the form of decoding they learned in grade school, which is to break a word apart by the prefixes, suffixes and root words. A good part of any research plan into scholarships grant information for a health care career should include terminology.
One aspect of terminology that might lead some to find it to be like a foreign language is that because in most cases it is. Terms in medicine are derived from Greek and Latin words. The Roman and Greek civilizations contributed much towards the advancement of Western civilization and indeed, many of their ideas are in place today. Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and root words are the keys to unlocking the mysteries of medical terminology. Once there is a working knowledge of these elements it becomes easier for those who are confused to decode the language that is medical jargon. This is a natural extension of the elements that are needed for health care education and a career in the field; many start with scholarship program possibilities.
Greek prefixes are the part of a medical term that appears before the root word. There are many different Greek prefixes, but some of the most common Greek prefixes are di- (two), prot(o)- (brand new, the first), top(o) (having to do with physiological location), and sclera(o)- (having to do with hardness).
Greek suffixes are numerous due to the age of the language and that these suffixes are likely the most enduring forms of describing what is happening to a root word. There are many famous Greek suffixes, and some of the most prominent are -rrhage (bursting forth), -tomy (cutting or making an incision), -trophy (concerned with nourishment), and -plasty (surgical reconstruction, e.g., rhinoplasty).
Latin prefixes have the same functionality as their Greek brethren. There are many different prefixes from the Latin language, but the most used are probably bi- (double or two), retro- (backward), ante- (in front of) and post- (behind).
Latin suffixes also serve a similar purpose as the Greek suffixes. They illuminate the situation occurring with regard to the root word. Some Latin suffixes are -y (simply a condition), -al (related to), -ad (in the direction of).
There are numerous root words in Greek and Latin that are used to express a certain part of the body. Examples of these include opthamal (Greek: eye), dors- (Latin: back), capit- (Latin: head), cardi(o) (Greek: heart) and nephr(o) (Greek: kidney). These terms can be combined with all the prefixes and suffixes to form many of the medical terms used daily.
One aspect of terminology that might lead some to find it to be like a foreign language is that because in most cases it is. Terms in medicine are derived from Greek and Latin words. The Roman and Greek civilizations contributed much towards the advancement of Western civilization and indeed, many of their ideas are in place today. Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and root words are the keys to unlocking the mysteries of medical terminology. Once there is a working knowledge of these elements it becomes easier for those who are confused to decode the language that is medical jargon. This is a natural extension of the elements that are needed for health care education and a career in the field; many start with scholarship program possibilities.
Greek prefixes are the part of a medical term that appears before the root word. There are many different Greek prefixes, but some of the most common Greek prefixes are di- (two), prot(o)- (brand new, the first), top(o) (having to do with physiological location), and sclera(o)- (having to do with hardness).
Greek suffixes are numerous due to the age of the language and that these suffixes are likely the most enduring forms of describing what is happening to a root word. There are many famous Greek suffixes, and some of the most prominent are -rrhage (bursting forth), -tomy (cutting or making an incision), -trophy (concerned with nourishment), and -plasty (surgical reconstruction, e.g., rhinoplasty).
Latin prefixes have the same functionality as their Greek brethren. There are many different prefixes from the Latin language, but the most used are probably bi- (double or two), retro- (backward), ante- (in front of) and post- (behind).
Latin suffixes also serve a similar purpose as the Greek suffixes. They illuminate the situation occurring with regard to the root word. Some Latin suffixes are -y (simply a condition), -al (related to), -ad (in the direction of).
There are numerous root words in Greek and Latin that are used to express a certain part of the body. Examples of these include opthamal (Greek: eye), dors- (Latin: back), capit- (Latin: head), cardi(o) (Greek: heart) and nephr(o) (Greek: kidney). These terms can be combined with all the prefixes and suffixes to form many of the medical terms used daily.
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There is much to learn in the world of medical terminology. While it may not come easy, learning all the prefixes and suffixes in combination with the root words can lead to a rewarding knowledge base and allow the patient to really understand their course of care. Students looking to a health care career should seek out scholarship programs to help reach their goals.
