Читать книгу Textbook for the Veterinary Assistant - Lori Renda-Francis - Страница 15

Medical terms are made up of many different elements. It is important for veterinary assistants to have a clear understanding of the various parts of a word. Understanding each part will aid in learning the meaning and spelling of that word. You will be expected to recognize, pronounce, spell, and utilize commonly used medical terms. It is helpful to note that there are four main parts to a word.

 Prefix

 Suffix

 Root

 Combining form of a root word

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word and consists of one or more syllables. It will modify or alter a verb, adjective, or noun, thereby creating a new word. The prefix usually indicates number, time, location, or status.

A suffix is the ending of a word and consists of one or more syllables. Similar to the prefix, a suffix is added to a root word to modify or alter its meaning. The suffix usually indicates procedure, disease, disorder, or condition.

The root is the central part of the word and is the foundation or essential meaning of a word. It may be a complete word in itself or a part of a word.

A combining form of the root word is a root with a combining vowel. The purpose of combining forms of root words is to make the resulting word easier to pronounce. Examples of the combining form of a root word are shown in the following list. The word root is in italic letters, and the combining vowel is in parentheses.

 orth(o)pedic

 bacteri(o)static

 quadr(i)plegic

When we take a root word such as “derm‐,” which means “skin,” and combine it with the suffix “‐itis,” it becomes “dermatitis.” Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin. If we take the same root word and include the prefix “pyo‐,” we create the word “pyoderma,” which is defined as bacterial infection of the skin.