Medical Terminology

Memorizing Medical Terms

Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

When looking at medical terminology the easiest way to help with memorizing or learning the terms is to break the medical words down. In medical Terminology each term can be broken down into the following parts:

• Beginning is the Prefix: The descriptive part of the term
  • Example: Amount / number, size, quantity, location, color etc.

• Middle of the term when prefix is present is the Root: this describes the subject of the term
  •  Example: relating to the part of the body or system

If there is no prefix, then the root will form the beginning of the word.

Some medical terms may also have more than one root combined together.

• The ending is known as the suffix: This describes the condition of the term
  • Example: pertaining to the procedure or process, amount, location, disease, disorder, condition, specialty, test, or status etc.

For example the word neuroblastoma

neuro- means nerve

blast- relates to immature cells

-oma means tumour

Therefore by breaking down a complex word we can see that neuroblastoma literally means a tumour made up of immature nerve cells.

Another way to help with Memorization is to use visual pictures. The key is to use a visual representation to represent a medical term and the definition and combining the two pictures together within your mind.