Ординатура / Офтальмология / Английские материалы / Quick Reference Dictionary of Eyecare Terminology 4th edition_Ledford, Hoffman_2005

A P P E N D I X 2

Medical Terminology

The good news about medical terminology is that you do not have to memorize hundreds of words. Medical terms are put together using a system… so if you know the system, you do not have to memorize a lot of words. The basis for most of these terms is Greek or Latin, but a good number of them are already in your everyday vocabulary. Many medical and anatomical terms are made up of words put together. It is just like putting English words together.

All words are built around a root word, with the root word acting as the foundation (eg, ogle, yawn, destiny). Some words are made up of two root words; these are called compound words (eg, sometimes, applesauce, joystick).

We also use prefixes (ie, the word part that comes before a word [eg, pre-, un-]) and suffixes (ie, the word part that comes after a word [eg, -er, -ed, -ing]) with root words both in daily conversation and medical terminology.

A root word may be joined with a combining form to make a compound word. In medical terminology, the combining form is usually a vowel. You already know how to do this, whether you realize it or not. Take the word thermometer. Therm/o, using the combining form (o), refers to the temperature. The suffix –meter means a device used to measure.

Medical words are generally built from a root word, a combining form, and an ending of some sort. If you know the meaning of the root word and the prefix or suffix, you can pretty much figure out any medical or scientific term.

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Compound words using combining forms are built. Suppose you needed a word that meant skimming over the surface of the water. Hydr/o for water, -plane for surface = hydroplane. What if you were afraid of water? Hydrophobia. Suppose you saw the word photophobia and didn’t know what it meant. You see –phobia and you know that it means an unnatural fear of something. What does phot/o make you think of? Maybe photograph, but this is not a fear of photographs… it’s a fear of light. Now that you know that phot/o means light, you could figure out photopsia. It has something to do with light… -opsia refers to vision. So literally, it is a vision of light. Fancy name for light flashes and other such sparkles!

Let’s play with this a minute. The suffix –itis means inflammation. Tonsillitis, gingivitis, cystitis. How many eyerelated inflammatory words can you think of? Blepharitis, conjunctivitis, scleritis, episcleritis, uveitis, and iritis are just a few. They are inflammations of the lids, conjunctiva, sclera, episclera, uvea, and iris, respectively.

Below are some combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes useful in eye care.

ROOT WORDS RELATED TO OCULAR ANATOMY

A P P E N D I X 3

ATLAS OF OCULAR ANATOMY

DRAWINGS

Figure A3-1. Bones and openings in the orbit. (Reprinted with permission from Nemeth SC, Shea CA. Medical Sciences for the Ophthalmic Assistant. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated; 1988.)

Figure A3-4. The nasolacrimal system. (Drawing by Holly Hess. Reprinted with permission from Gayton JL, Ledford, JR. The Crystal Clear Guide to Sight for Life. Lancaster, PA: Starburst Publishers; 1996.)

Figure A3-5. The three layers of the globe. (Reprinted with permission from Nemeth SC, Shea CA. Medical Sciences for the Ophthalmic Assistant. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated; 1988.)