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Navigating the Study Packet Table of Contents | Overview | Framework | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5 | Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9 | Lesson 10 | Authors/Acknowledgements | Appendix A | Appendix B | Appendix C | Appendix D | Appendix E | Appendix F | Download PDF Version The Table of Contents has longer descriptions of these links.

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Lesson 3: Using Latin and Greek

Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• State the Latin or Greek root work for anatomical structures related to pregnancy and child birth,
• Translate lay terms to medical terms, and
• Build complex medical terms.

Step 1: Learn Root Words and Suffixes

Medical terminology can seem like Greek! That’s because it is often Greek…or Latin. Medical terminology is simple once you know the system. Each medical term has one or more root words from the Latin or Greek language, a combining form, and a suffix. (Medical terms can also have prefixes, but we will focus on terms with suffixes in this lesson.) One you are probably familiar with is “hysterectomy.” You know this means to remove the uterus, but do you know what ‘hyster’ means? Or whether a hysterectomy means that the fallopian tubes and ovaries are also removed? In the word ‘hysterectomy,’ ‘hyster’ means uterus, ‘hystero’ is the combining form, and ‘ectomy’ means the removal of the uterus. Let’s explore how this all works.

Activity: Learning Roots and Suffixes

Below is a list of anatomical structures. You should create one using your list from Lesson 2. We’ll put that list on the left side of our table. In the center column, put the Greek or Latin root word for that structure, and then the combining form following a ‘/.’                       

Structure	Root word/combining form	Meaning if unfamiliar
bladder	cyst/o
breast(s)	mamm/o
cervix	cervic/o	Neck of the uterus (Can also mean the neck)
endometrium	end/o + metr/o	The lining of the uterus
fallopian tube	salping/o
nipple(s)
ovary	oophor/o
pancreas	pancreat/o
thyroid gland	thyroid/o, thyr/o	Produces thyr/o/xin
uterus	hyster/o
ureter	ureter/o	Goes from the kidneys to the bladder
urethra	urethra/o	Goes from the bladder to outside the body
vagina	colp/o    OR    vagin/o
vulva
women	gynec/o

Note:  the combining form ‘o’ is not used if the suffix to follow begins with a vowel.

Now we will add a list of suffixes that refer to people, conditions, or actions.

Suffix	Meaning
-ectomy	removal of, excision of
-gram	Picture
-itis	inflammation of
-logist	one who specializes in
-otomy	incision into
-ostomy	making a new opening
-scopy	procedure used to look into an organ or body cavity
-rraphy	to stitch or suture

Here are some examples of medical terminology built from the root words and the suffixes using the combining forms.

Lay term or Procedure	Root word / combining form	Suffix	Medical Term
Women’s doctor	gynec/o	+  logist	=  gynecologist
Vaginal inflammation	vagin/o	+  itis	=  vaginitis
Making a new opening between the ureter and the bladder	ureter/o + cyst/o	+ ostomy	= ureterocystostomy

Reminder: Drop the combining form vowel if the suffix begins with a vowel.

See how easy it is!  Now you try some.

Lay term or Procedure	Root word(s)/combining form	Suffix	Medical Term
To stitch the uterus
To suture the vagina
To remove the cervix
To look into the bladder
Removal of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes
Your Email (if you want answers sent to you)

Medical Terminology Resource

If you find this useful and interesting, you can purchase a medical vocabulary book and learn all the medical terms.  One option is Medical Terminology: A Programmed Systems Approach Text/Tape Package, Eighth Edition (Plastic Comb) by Genevieve Love Smith, Phyllis E. Davis, Jean Tannis Dennerll, published by Delmar Publishers Inc. in New York.  It’s self-paced and easy to follow.  Medical terminology books can also be found at the bookstore of any college or university that offers medical-related coursework.

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