Learning The Ins And Outs Of Medical Terminology

Visiting your doctor can at times feel like you have traveled to a foreign country in which you need a pocket translator to figure out how to ask where the bathroom is. However, by learning how to decipher some of the basics, the definitions are revealed. These are used when describing bodily functions and the many problems that can be present including solutions for the illnesses encountered. It does not have to be an exclusive club that only allows physicians and other health care providers to join. With a basic knowledge of how each term is formed, we can be enlightened as to what is being said about our own diagnosis and prognosis.

The beginning of society recording all the many disease processes and their treatment occurred in the year 400, when war between the Romans and the Greeks resulted in a merging of both languages. They also shared data with each other in regards to different management of sicknesses and other discoveries made about the human body. All of their facts were recorded into the first journals of medicine and medical terminology.

To begin understanding the term in question, it is necessary to break it down into three parts; the base or root, the beginning or prefix and of course the ending or suffix. Each has a definite purpose, and in itself is an area of study called "Etymology", that looks at how these terms were formed. The base or root mostly portrays a body part or organ, and usually has been derived from either Greek or Latin. Although, many times both languages have their own word for the same organ, such as the Greek word, "nephr(os)", and the Latin word "ren(es)", both dealing with the kidneys. The Latin version is used in renal failure; where as the Greek word is used in nephritis. One thing to remember is, unlike English, the base or root will not mean anything unless a prefix or suffix is applied.

Once we understand the base or root, the definition of the prefix should be examined. An illustration of this is, "supra", meaning higher than, and when joined with renal, it turns into supra-renal or higher than the kidney.

Lastly, researching the meaning of the ending of the medical terminology or suffix will provide us with the condition of the base or root. Such as in the phrase, "nephritis", again, "nephr" is the Greek word for kidney, and "itis" is the suffix meaning inflammation. Combined it is telling us that there is inflammation of the kidney.

Another rule to keep in mind is that through the use of a vowel, more than one base or root, which usually is describing an organ, are connected or combined together. Gastroenteritis illustrates this with three words; gastro or stomach, enter or intestines and itis or inflammation.

Nevertheless, a medical dictionary or an online site for medical terminology is the best solution when uncertain about a definition. Especially when plural terms are required, because in both Greek and Latin, it is not as simple as just adding an 's' as seen in English. There are many prefixes and suffixes commonly used and easily remembered although your own private list is also a solution. These include; "a" meaning the absence of, "anti" meaning attack, "contra" meaning against.

Although, it might feel like you need your passport, medical terminology is not a foreign language and by recognizing the different parts, the explanation of the term can be easily deciphered. Maybe the medical jargon gets you excited enough to enroll in Med School! Test Drive College allows those interested in a particular field to take a free online course. If one succeeds at a medical terminology course, he or she may be a good candidate for online medical school.

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