Word Building Basics (Cont)
Let’s review the medical terms below and break them down into the
building blocks form of word building:
| 1. ELECTROCARDIOGRAM |
ELECTR/O/CARDI/O/GRAM |
 |
|
Root |
Combining Vowel |
Root |
Combining Vowel |
Suffix |
Reading the meaning of
this term from the suffix to the 1st root and then across
to the 2nd root = “record
of the electricity in the heart”. It
is the electricity flowing within the heart that causes the heart muscle to
contract, pumping blood throughout your body.
| 2. GASTROENTEROLOGY |
GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY |
 |
| Root |
Combining Vowel |
Root |
Combining Vowel |
Suffix |
Reading the meaning of
the word from the suffix to the 1st root and then across
to the 2nd root = “study
of the stomach and the intestines”.
As you see, some medical terms have more than one root word,
so looking for the “O” in medical terms will help you divide the term into
its component parts. The combining vowel plus the root is
called the combining form. However, not all medical terms contain a
combining vowel as shown in the examples below:
| 3. GASTRIC |
GASTR/IC |
|
 |
| |
Combining Form |
Suffix |
|
Reading the meaning of the word from the suffix to the root =
“pertaining to the stomach”
| 4. SUBGASTRIC |
SUB/GASTR/IC |
|
 |
| Prefix |
Combining Form |
Suffix |
|
Reading the meaning of the word from the suffix to the
prefix, to the root = “pertaining to
below the stomach”
| 5. TRANSURETHRAL |
TRANS/URETHR/AL |
 |
| Prefix |
Combining Form |
Suffix |
Reading the meaning of the word from the suffix to the
prefix, to the root = “pertaining to
across (through) the urethra”
 
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