Thursday, 26 April 2018 1:04 PM Lecture 1 - Medical Terminology Learning Outcomes: • Develop an understanding of how medical words/terms are formed • Decipher a range of common medical words relevant to the practice of sonography Origins of Terminology: • Most Medical Terms originate from Greek or Latin Languages Greek Origins of Medical Terminology: • It is estimated that about . of medical terminology is of Greek origin. • Greeks were founders of rational medicine in about 5th century BC • Hippocratic School, and later Galen (Greek living in Rome in 2nd century AD), formulated the theories which dominated medicine up until beginning 18th century • Hippocratics first to describe disease based on observation • Diagnosis & surgery terms are mainly Greek in origin Latin Origins of Medical Terminology: • Latin was the original universal language of the western world, and was the language of science up to the beginning of the 18th century. All medical texts were therefore written in Latin • Andreas Vesalius – De humani corporis fabrica • Anatomical terms are predominantly Latin in origin Most medical words have 3 components; prefix, root, suffix; • Each term has to contain a root = often equals an element of anatomy • A suffix or prefix are added to modify the root word and add additional meaning e.g. electrocardiogram Interpreting a new medical word: • Break it down into the three components Identify: the suffix, then the prefix, then the root words. e.g. pericarditis Other medical word examples: • Root/Suffix e.g.cardi/ac=heart/pertaining to • Prefix/Root/Suffix e.g.epi/card/ium=upon/heart/tissue • Prefix/Prefix/Root/Suffix e.g.sub/endo/card/itis=beneath/within/heart/inflammation
