ROOTS and COMBINING VOWELS & FORMS
The root component
in a medical term is the essential meaning of the term. The
root component is a word
which can stand-alone and it has a meaning. The
root word is the base to
which the prefix and the
suffix will be attached to
form a meaningful word. The root
word is usually the description of a body organ, area or part. ALL medical
terms must have a root
word component. Without the root word component the term would be
meaningless.
Roots and Combining Vowels
Combining vowels connect the root words to
suffixes and root words to other root words. The combining vowel is a word
part, usually an ‘O’, and is used:
Between two root words, and
Between a root word and a suffix to make it pronounceable
The combining vowel is not used between a prefix and a root word.
A combining form is a
root word with a
combining vowel attached, separated by a vertical slash. The combining
form is not a word part per se. Rather it is the association of the root
word and the combining vowel. In this course the root words are
represented by the combining form, as shown below in the examples:
|
Examples: |
enter /o |
dermat /o |
cerebr /o |
neur /o |
| |
Small intestine |
skin |
Cerebrum; brain |
nerve |
The root word is the core of a medical term. The root component
contains the fundamental meaning of the word. Let’s look at some root words:
When you see a slash ( / ) in behind a root word, this means it is the
combining form of the root word, as shown below.
|
ROOTS and COMBINING FORMS |
MEANING |
| arthr / o |
joint |
| bi / o |
life |
| cardi / o |
heart |
| cerebr / o |
cerebrum, largest part of the brain |
| dermat / o |
skin |
| enter / o |
intestines (often the small intestine) |
| gastr / o |
stomach |
| hemat / o |
blood |
| hepat / o |
liver |
| neur / o |
nerve |
| oste / o |
bone |
| path / o |
disease |
| ren / o |
kidney |
| rhin / o |
nose |
| urethr / o |
urethra |
| |
|
THIS IS JUST A SMALL
SAMPLER OF OUR MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY COURSE.
 
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|
