Cocc/i

w Cocc/i (plural): spherically shaped family of

Medical Terminology bacteria. Coccus (singular)
w Coccos = Grain or seeds
Unit 4 w Bacteria types:
– Pneum/o/cocc/us Pneum/o/cocc/i
Pathology, – Mening/o/cocc/us Mening/o/cocc/i
Otorhinolaryngology, – Dipl/o/cocc/us Dipl/o/cocc/i
and Prefixes dys-, – Gon/o/cocc/us Gon/o/cocc/i
– Strept/o/cocc/us Strept/o/cocc/i
brady-, tachy-, poly-,
– Staphyl /o/cocc/us Staphyl /o/cocc/i
syn-

Strep & Staph Bacillus

w Strept/o = twisted chains or strips

w Bacillus (Bacilli = plural): Rod shaped
– Streptococcus pyogenes (B-hemolytic Group A
bacterium (bacteria = plural)
Streptococcus) àstrep throat w Dipl/o/bacill/us: rod-shaped double bacillus
– Streptococcus pneumoniae à pneumococcus
pneumonia
w Strept/o/bacillus: rod-shaped bacillus growing
in twisted chains
w Staphyl/o = grow in clusters like grapes
– Staphyle = bunch of grapes
– Staphylococci à skin infection,
food poisoning

Uvula Py/o = pus

w Tissue hanging at the back of the mouth
w Also uses “Staphyl/o” combining form since it
hangs like a bunch of grapes
w Staphyl/o/plasty: surgical repair of the uvula
w Staphyl/itis (uvul/itis): inflammation of uvula
w Staphyl/ectomy (uvul/ectomy): excision of the
uvula
w Py/o/cele: hernia containing pus
w Py/o/gen/ic: something that produce pus
– -genic = producing or forming
• Oncogenic: promoting tumor production
• Pathogenic: producing disease
w Py/o/thorax: accumulation of pus in the
thoracic cavity
w Purulent: pus forming or pyogenic

1
 -rrhea = flow or discharge Ot/o = Ear
w Py/o/rrhea: flow or discharge of pus
– Pyorrhea alveolaris : a disease of the teeth & gums
w Ot = ear
– Pyorrhea salivaris: flow of pus from a salivary gland
w Ot/o/scope:
instrument used to
w Dia/rrhea: to flow through. (the passage of fluid examine the ear
or unformed stools)
w Ot/o/scopy: process of
w Ot/o/rrhea: discharge from the ear(s) examining the ear
w Rhin/o/rrhea: discharge from the nose with an otoscope
w Ot/ic: pertaining to
ear

Ot/o = Ear
w Ot/itis: inflammation of the ear
– Otitis media: middle ear infection
– Otitis externa: outer ear (ear canal) infection
w Ear pain
– Ot/o/dynia
– Ot/algia
w as (auris sinistra): left ear
w ad (auris dextra ): right ear

Tympan/o = Eardrum Tympanic Membrane

w Tympanum = eardrum
w Membrana tympani dextra (MTD): Right eardrum Normal Otitis Media Perforated
w Membrana tympani sinistra (MTS): Left eardrum
w Tympan/ic: pertaining to the eardrum
w Tympan/o/tomy: incision into the eardrum
– Also called Myring/otomy
w Tympan/ectomy: excision of the eardrum
w Tympan/o/metry: process of measuring the
function of the eardrum
w Tympan/ites: distended with gas- as tight as a
drum

2
 Audi/o = hearing Rhin/o = Nose
w Rhin/o/rrhea: discharge from the nose
w Audi/o/logy: study of hearing
w Rhin/itis: inflammation of the nose
w Audi/o/meter: an instrument used to
measure hearing w Rhin/o/plasty: surgical repair of the nose
w Audi/o/metry: the process of measuring w Rhin/o/tomy: incision of the nose
hearing w Rhin/o/lith: calculus or stone in the nose
w Audi/o/gram: record made by the
instrument used to test hearing
w Audi/o/log/ist: a hearing specialist

Lith/o = Calculus, Stone Chol/e = Gall bladder, bile

w Lith/o/genesis: (noun) producing stones
w Lith/o/gen/ic: (adjective) producing stones
w Lith/o/tomy : incision for the removal of a
stone
w Lith/o/meter: instrument for measuring size
of calculi
w Lith/o/logy: science of dealing with or
studying calculi or stones
w Chol/e/lith: gallstone
w Chol/e/lith/iasis: presence of gallstones in
the gallbladder
– -iasis = pathologic condition
– Lith/iasis = presence of stones
• Trichomonas à trichomoniasis
• Yeast (monilia) à moniliasis
• Filarial worm, causing lymph node inflammation à
elephantiasis
• Giardia lamblia à giardiasis

Chol/e = Gall bladder, bile Brady- = slow

w Chol/e/cyst: Gall bladder w Brady/cardia w Slow heart action
w Chol/e/cyst/o/gram: an X-ray of the gallbladder w Brady/phag/ia w Slowness in eating or
w Chol/e/cyst/o/graphy: the process of taking a swallowing
gallbladder X-ray w Brady/peps/ia w Slow digestion
w Chol/e/cyst/itis: inflammation of the gallbladder – Peps/o = digestion
w Chol/e/cyst/otomy: incision into the gallbladder
w Chol/e/cyst/ectomy: excision of the gallbladder

3
 Tachy- = Fast, Rapid Pne/o, -pnea = Breathing, Respiration

w Tachy/cardia w Rapid heart action w Pneia = breath

w Tachy/phag/ia w Fast eating w Tachy/pnea: Rapid breathing
w Tachy/pnea w Fast respiratory rate
w Brady/pnea: Slow breathing
w A/pnea: Without breathing
w Tach/o/gram w Record of the velocity
– Tachos = swiftness of the blood flow

A-, An- = Without Genesis = Generation, Origin

w A- precedes a consonant w A/gen/esis: failure to develop

w An- preceded a vowel w Carcin/o/gen/esis: development of cancer
w A/gen/esis: without generation/origin (lack w Carcin/o/gen/ic: pertaining to the
of development) development of cancer
w A/peps/ia: cessation of digestion (without
digestion)

Dys- = Painful, Faulty Therm/o = Heat

w Prefix for painful, faulty, diseased, bad, difficult,
or abnormal
w Dys/phag/ia: difficult swallowing
w Dys/trophy: poor development
w Dys/pnea: difficult breathing
w Dys/peps/ia: poor digestion
– Peps/o, pep/tic = digestion
w Dys/men/o/rrhea: painful menstruation
w A/men/o/rrhea: absence of menstruation
– Men = menstruation, -rrhea = flow
w Thermos = heat
w Therm/o/meter: an instrument to
measure heat
w Therm/al or Therm/ic: pertaining to
heat
w Therm/o/esthesi/a (or thermalgesia):
oversensitivity to heat
w Therm/o/genesis: formation of heat
w Therm/o/phobia: abnormal fear of heat
w Therm/o/plegia: heatstroke (paralysis)
w Dia/therm/y: heating through tissue
(treatment) Dia- = through

4
 Therm/o = Heat
w Hyper/therm/ia: High body temperature
w Hypo/therm/ia: Low body temperature
Normal Temperatures:
Oral: 98.6 degree Fahrenheit, 37 degree Celcius
Rectal: 99 degree Fahrenheit, 37.7 degree Celcius
Axillary: 97.6 degree Fahrenheit, 36.4 degree Celcius
Low Grade Fever: 99.5 – 101.4 degree Fahrenheit
True Fever: > or = to 101.5 degree Fahrenheit
Micro = small
w Micro/cyst: a very small cyst
w Micro/cephal/us: abnormally small head
w Micro/cyte (adj.= microcytic): a very small cell
w Micro/cardi/a: condition of having a small heart
w Micro/gram: 1/1000 of a milligram
w Micro/surgery: Surgery performed on minute
structures using a microscope and small instruments

[ ] degree Fahrenheit = ( ) degree Celcius x 9/5 + 32

( ) degree Celcius = 5/9 x { ( ) degree in Fahrenheit – 32}

Macro- = Large Macro-

w Macro/cyte: a very large cell w Macro/gloss/ia w Large tongue
w Macro/scop/ic: can be seen with w Macr/ot/ia w Large ear(s)
w Macro/rhin/ia w Large nose
the naked eyes
w Macro/cheil/ia w Large lips
w Macro/cephal/us: an abnormally
large head
w Macro/blast: a large embryonic cell
w Macro/cocc/us: a very large coccus

Dactyl/o = fingers Syn- = With, Together

w Dactilos = finger
w Abnormally large fingers or toes:
– Macro/dactyl/ ia
– Dactyl/o/megaly
w Dactyl/itis: inflammation of a digit
w Dactyl/o/spasm: cramp or spasm of a digit
w Dactyl/o/gram: a fingerprint
w Poly/dactyl/ism: too many fingers or toes
w Syn/dactyl/ism: joining together of 2 or more
digits
w Syn/erg/ism: the action where 2 or more drugs or
organs working together to produce an increased
effect. Syn/erg/istic (adj.)
– Syn- = join, erg = work, -ism = condition, state
w Syn/erg/etic: describes muscles that work
together
w Syn/arthr/osis: immovable joint
w Syn/drome: variety of symptoms occurring
together. The complete picture of a disease.

5
 Drom/o = Run Dips = Thirst
w Drom/o/mania: Insane impulse to wander or w Dipsia = thirst
roam w Poly/dipsia: Excessive thirst
w Syn/drome: A variety of symptoms occurring
(running along) together – Can be caused by:
• Eating too much salt
– Korsakoff’s syndrome
• Diabetes, high blood sugar, spilling sugar in urine
– Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Upset in pituitary gland secretion of hormones
– Sudden infant death syndrome
• Dehydration
– Reye’s syndrome
• Psychological, mental illness
w Pro/drome: Running before (a disease).
Symptoms that precede a disease. w Dips/o/mania: an old term for alcoholism
– i.e. “aura” of migraine, sneezes of a common cold

Abbreviation Abbreviation
w AA Ø Alcoholics Anonymous w FAS Ø Fetal alcohol syndrome
w ACOA Ø Adult Children of Alcoholics w GB Ø Gallbladder
w ad Ø Right ear, auris dextra w GNID Ø Gram negative intracellular diplococcus
w AFB Ø Acid fast bacillus (i.e. TB) w HBV Ø Hepatitis B virus
w Al-Anon Ø AA support group for spouses of alcoholics
w HIV Ø Human immunodeficiency virus
w Ala-Teen Ø AA support groups for children of alcoholics
w HPV Ø Human papilloma virus
w as Ø Left ear, auris sinistra
w Co Ø Celsius w LMP Ø Last menstrual period
w C&S Ø Culture and Sensitivity w mcg (µg) Ø Microgram
w CO2 Ø Carbon dioxide w mg Ø Milligram
w DM Ø Diabetes mellitus w MTD Ø Right ear drum (membrana tympani dextra )
w Fo Ø Fahrenheit degrees w MTS Ø Left eardrum ( membrana tympani sinistra)

Abbreviation
w NVS Ø Neurological vital signs
w OM Ø Otitis Media
w O&P Ø Ova and parasites
w P Ø Pulse
w PAR Ø Perennial allergic rhinitis
w R Ø Respiration (rate)
w SIDS Ø Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
w SOB Ø Short of breath
w Staph Ø Staphylococcus
w Strep Ø Streptococcus
w T, temp Ø Temperature
w TB Ø Tuberculosis
w VS Ø Vital signs
w o
Ø Degree symbol “The ringing in your ears -- I think I can help.”