Medical Terminology For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Living for Linguistics 5 Chapter 1: Scrubbing In to Master Medical Terminology 7 The Tale behind the Terms 7 Making Terminology Work for You 8 Building a Foundation of Vocabulary 9 In Terms of Anatomy 9 All Systems Go 10 Down-Under Details 12 The Ultimate Resource: You 13 Chapter 2: Medical Terminology: The How and Why 15 Defining Medical Terminology 15 Medical Terminology in the Real World 16 In theory and practice 16 Writing it down 17 Changes in Medical Terminology 18 It’s Greek and Latin to Me 19 Modernizing Medicine 19 Chapter 3: Introducing the Big Three: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes 23 Rooting Around for Answers 24 Exterior root words 24 Interior root words 27 Prefix as Precursor 33 Common Prefixes 33 Suffixes: Final Thoughts 34 Chapter 4: Acronyms, Eponyms, Homonyms, Multiples, and Plurals — Oh My! 37 Acronyms 38 Eponyms 40 Homonyms 42 Deriving a Plural the Medical Way 43 Medical rules for forming plurals 43 English rules of forming plurals 46 Welcome to the Peanut Gallery: More Exceptions to the Plural Rules 48 Chapter 5: Say What? Pronunciation and Usage 53 Hooked on Phonics 53 Pronouncing Common Prefixes and Beginning Sounds 54 The sound of silence 54 From your ear to the dictionary 55 Pronouncing Common Suffixes and Endings 56 Pronouncing Common Combinations 57 Putting It All Together 58 What Condition Your Condition Is In 60 Suffering Suffixes 60 Part 2: Mapping Words and Bodies 63 Chapter 6: As It Was in the Beginning: Prefixes 65 Common Prefixes 65 A–E prefixes 66 F–J prefixes 67 K–O prefixes 68 P–Z prefixes 69 Matching Prefixes to Situations 69 In your body 70 In the doctor’s office and hospital 71 In the pharmacy and research lab 72 Retro Root Rewind A–M 72 Retro Root Rewind N–Z 76 Chapter 7: So It Shall Be in the End: Suffixes 79 Common Suffixes 79 -itis 80 -oma 80 -pathy 80 And lots more suffixes 81 Matching Suffixes to Situations 83 In your body 83 In the doctor’s office and hospital 84 In the pharmacy and research lab 85 Chapter 8: Hey, I Know You: Word Recognition 87 The Inside Story: Terms for Your Interior 87 Terms for the Outside of Your Body 92 Pathological Conditions 93 Chapter 9: Deconstruction Junction: Breaking Down Words 95 Finding Parts of Words 96 Identifying word elements 96 Defining the prefix 96 Defining the root word 97 Identifying the combining vowel 98 Defining the suffix 98 Going Deeper into Suffixes 99 Adding Up Individual Word Meanings 101 Chapter 10: An Org Chart to Live By: Organization of the Body 105 Looking at the Big Picture 105 Cells 106 Tissues 107 Organs and Systems 108 Cavities of the Body 109 Directional Terms and Anatomical Planes 110 Regions of the Body 113 Chapter 11: All Systems Go: When Systems Combine 119 Anatomical Systems Working Together 119 The musculoskeletal system 120 The integumentary system 120 The sensory system 121 Physiology Systems Working Together 121 The cardiovascular and lymphatic systems 121 The respiratory system 123 The gastrointestinal system 124 The endocrine system 125 The nervous system 126 The urinary and reproductive systems 127 Part 3: in Terms of Anatomy 129 Chapter 12: Boning Up on the Skeletal System 131 How the Skeletal System Works 132 Bones and osteology 132 Axial skeleton 134 Appendicular skeleton 137 Joints 138 Skeletal Root Words 139 More Anatomical Terms 141 Common Skeletal Conditions 143 Finding the Culprit: Skeletal Diseases and Pathology 145 Testing, Testing: Skeletal Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 146 Paging Dr Terminology: Skeletal Surgeries and Procedures 147 Chapter 13: Getting Ripped: The Muscular System 149 How the Muscular System Works 149 Classes of muscles 150 Types of muscles 151 Muscles and tendons 151 Roundup of the superficial muscles 152 Muscular Roots and Suffixes 156 Action Item: The Movement of Your Muscles 157 Common Muscular Conditions 158 Finding the Culprit: Muscular Diseases and Pathology 159 Testing, Testing: Muscular Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 160 Paging Dr Terminology: Muscular Surgeries and Procedures 161 It’s All Related: More Muscular Terms 161 Chapter 14: Skin Deep: Skin, Glands, Nails, and Hair 163 Layers of Skin 163 Epidermis 165 Dermis 166 Subcutaneous layer 166 Glands, Both Sebaceous and Sudoriferous 166 Hair and Nails 168 Integumentary Root Words 169 Common Integumentary Conditions 171 Finding the Culprit: Integumentary Diseases and Pathology 172 Testing, Testing: Integumentary Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 175 Paging Dr Terminology: Integumentary Surgeries and Procedures 175 More Integumentary Terms 177 Chapter 15: It Depends on Your Perception:  The Sensory Systems 179 The Eye 179 Inner eye 180 Outer eye 182 The Ear 182 Outer ear 184 Middle ear 184 Inner ear 184 The Nose 185 The Mouth 186 The Touch Receptor 186 Sensory Root Words 186 It’s All Related: More Anatomical Terms 190 Common Sensory Conditions 192 Finding the Culprit: Sensory Diseases and Pathology 193 Testing, Testing: Sensory Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 194 Paging Dr Terminology: Surgeries and Procedures 195 Terminology RX: Sensory Pharmacology 196 Part 4: Let’s Get Some Physiology Terminology 197 Chapter 16: The Heart of the Matter: The Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems 199 How the Cardiovascular System Works 200 The heart 201 Blood vessels 202 Blood 203 How the Lymphatic System Works 206 Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Root Words 207 Common Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Conditions 212 Finding the Culprit: Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Diseases and Pathology 213 Testing, Testing: Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 217 Paging Dr Terminology: Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Surgeries and Procedures 219 Terminology Rx: Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Pharmacology 221 Chapter 17: Just Breathe: The Respiratory System 223 How the Respiratory System Works 223 Nose 225 Pharynx and larynx 225 Trachea 225 Bronchi 226 Lungs 226 Respiratory Root Words 228 It’s All Related: More Anatomical Terms 230 Common Respiratory Conditions 233 Finding the Culprit: Respiratory Diseases and Pathology 235 Testing, Testing: Respiratory Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 236 Paging Dr Terminology: Respiratory Surgeries and Procedures 238 Terminology RX: Respiratory Pharmacology 239 Chapter 18: Feeding Time: The Gastrointestinal System 241 How the Gastrointestinal System Works 242 Mouth and pharynx 242 Esophagus 244 Stomach 244 Liver 245 Pancreas 245 Gallbladder 245 Intestines 245 Gastrointestinal Root Words 246 Common Gastrointestinal Conditions 250 Finding the Culprit: Gastrointestinal Diseases and Pathology 253 Testing, Testing: Gastrointestinal Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 254 Gastrointestinal Surgeries and Procedures 257 Terminology RX: Gastrointestinal Pharmacology 258 Chapter 19: Gatekeepers of Health: The Endocrine System 261 How the Endocrine System Works 262 Hormones 263 Pituitary and hypothalamus 263 Thyroid 265 Pancreas 266 Adrenals 266 Gonads 267 Endocrine Root Words 268 It’s All Related: More Endocrine Anatomical Terms 270 Common Endocrine Conditions 271 Finding the Culprit: Endocrine Diseases and Pathology 274 Testing, Testing: Endocrine Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 275 Paging Dr Terminology: Endocrine Surgeries and Procedures 276 Terminology RX: Endocrine Pharmacology 277 Chapter 20: Calming Down: The Nervous System 279 How the Nervous System Works 279 The Central Nervous System 280 Brain 280 Spinal cord 283 Peripheral Nervous System 284 Nervous Root Words 285 It’s All Related: More Nerve-Wracking Terms 287 Common Nervous Conditions 288 Finding the Culprit: Nervous Diseases and Pathology 290 Testing, Testing: Nervous Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 292 Paging Dr Terminology: Nervous Surgeries and Procedures 293 Terminology RX: Nervous Pharmacology 294 Part 5: Name That Plumbing 295 Chapter 21: When You Gotta Go: The Urinary System 297 How the Urinary System Works 298 Kidneys 299 Ureters 300 Urinary bladder 300 Urethra 300 Urinary Root Words 302 Common Urinary Conditions 304 Finding the Culprit: Urinary Diseases and Pathology 304 Testing, Testing: Urinary Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 306 Paging Dr Terminology: Urinary Surgeries and Procedures 308 Terminology RX: Urinary Pharmacology 309 Chapter 22: Check the Plumbing: The Male Reproductive System 311 How the Male Reproductive System Works 312 Testes 313 Ducts 313 Urethra 314 Prostate 314 Penis 314 Male Reproductive Root Words 315 Pathological Male Reproductive Conditions 316 Finding the Culprit: Male Reproductive Diseases and Pathology 318 Testing, Testing: Male Reproductive Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 319 Paging Dr Terminology: Male Reproductive Surgeries and Procedures 321 Terminology RX: Male Reproductive Pharmacology 322 Say What? Male Terminology Tongue Twisters 323 Chapter 23: A Life Force: The Female Reproductive System 325 How the Female Reproductive System Works 325 Ovaries 326 Fallopian tubes 327 Uterus 327 Vagina 328 Female Reproductive Root Words 330 It’s All Related: More Female Reproductive Anatomical Terms 334 Common Female Reproductive Conditions 337 Finding the Culprit: Female Reproductive Diseases and Pathology 339 Testing, Testing: Female Reproductive Radiology and Diagnostic Tests 341 Paging Dr Terminology: Female Reproductive Surgeries and Procedures 341 Terminology RX: Female Reproductive Pharmacology 346 Part 6: The Part of Tens 347 Chapter 24: Ten Essential Medical Terminology References 349 Medterms.com 349 Medilexicon.com 350 webMD.com 350 Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 32nd Edition 350 Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 10th Edition 350 Stedman’s Medical Dictionary and Flashcards for Health Professionals and Nursing Illustrated, 7th Edition 351 Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 23rd Edition 351 Sloane’s Medical Word Book, 5th Edition 351 Medicalmnemonics.com 352 Medical Terminology Systems Quick Study Guide 352 Chapter 25: Ten or So Useful Mnemonic Devices 353 Cranial Nerves 353 Lung Lobe Numbers 354 The Size of a Thyroid 354 Scalp Layers 354 Muscles of the Rotator Cuff 354 Radial Nerve 355 Face Nerves 355 Perineal versus Peroneal 355 Sperm Path through Male Reproductive Tract 355 Carpal Bone Locations 356 Cranial Bones 356 Chapter 26: Ten Sets of Terminology Tongue-Twisting Diseases 357 Skeletal 357 Muscular 358 Integumentary 358 Sensory 359 Cardiovascular and Lymphatic 359 Respiratory 359 Gastrointestinal 360 Endocrine 360 Nervous 360 Urinary and Reproductive 361 Chapter 27: Top Ten Crazy-Hard-to-Spell Medical Terms 363 Crazy-Hard-to-Spell Terms 363 Appendix: Handy Study Guide 365 Index 375