INTRODUCTION

Terminologies are terms or words used for a particular

body of knowledge in order to facilitate oral and written
communication. In medical laboratory science or medical
St. Scholastica’s College Tacloban technology, several terms have evolved through time and they
Maharlika Highway, Brgy. Campetic, Palo, Leyte are now used technically in day-to-day communication not
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE only among medical laboratory science students and
professionals but also across different disciplines.
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES AND
ABBREVIATIONS RATIONALE
Everyday a medical laboratory science student
MODULE 1 – Terms Commonly Used in Medical
communicates with professors, classmates, laboratory
Laboratory Science personnel and others using technical terms unique to the
disciple(s) being studied. In the same manner, medical
COURSE laboratory scientists use the same terms in communicating
Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 1 with colleagues, friends and other professionals. These terms
when used facilitates communication, establisher rapport and
INTENDED USERS shortens the time of the communication loop, i.e., from
Medical Laboratory Science 1 Students, SSCT sending the message to responding the message.
In this course, MLS1, the students will experience using
terms commonly used in medical laboratory science.
PLACEMENT & SCHEDULE
First Semester, Block 1, Aug. 24-Oct. 3, 2020
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able
PREPARED BY
to:
Dr. Antonio E. Lim, Jr.
1. Give the meaning of the root words, prefixes, and
suffixes that are often used in medical laboratory
This learning material is copyrighted c2020. science.
Please do not use without the author’s permission 2
 2. Use commonly used prefixes and suffixes correctly Here are examples of suffixes:
as a word, group of words or phrases and 1. -ism = condition of
sentences. 2. -emia = blood
3. Define the meanings of commonly used terms in 3. -graph = to write
the practice of medical laboratory science and 4. -itis = inflammation
laboratory medicine. 5. -ology = science of
6. -uria = urine
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES 7. -gen = to produce
Communication in medical laboratory science and 8. -ectomy = removal of
laboratory medicine use terms that are foreign sounding. 9. -gram = to record
They appear in English communication but their origins are 10. -ic = of or pertaining to
derived from Latin, Greek and other languages. Globalization
has enriched the collection of these terms so that every year, A combination of a prefix and a suffix can give a clear
new terms appear in the literature of medical laboratory meaning of the word. For example:
science and laboratory medicine. 1. an + emia Trivial: Without blood
If you examine a term used in medical laboratory Correct: Low amount of blood
science and laboratory medicine, there are three parts, (hemoglobin/red cells)
namely, root word, prefix, and suffix. Examples of prefixes are
shown below: 2. bio + ology Trivial: Life science
1. an = without Correct: Study of living things
2. chroma = color
3. peri = sorrounding 3. cardio + itis Trivial: Heart inflammation
4. micro = small, tiny, minute Correct: Inflammation of the
5. osteo = bone heart
6. poly = many, several 4. poly + uria Trivial: Many urine
7. bio = life Correct: Excretion of large
8. ex = out amount of urine
9. hypo = decreased, below
10. cardio = heart
3 4
 Oftentimes, the technical word is composed of a root EXERCISES
word, prefix, and suffix. Let us have first examples of root Try to make combinations of the prefixes, suffixes, and
words. root words presented above.
1. cardium = tissues and parts of the heart
2. thyroid = the thyroid gland 1. _ELECTRO+CARDIO+GRAM_____________ ___ _
3. cephalus = refers to the head New word: __ELECTROCARDIOGRAM_________________
4. osteum = bone Meaning: _An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) measures
5. myo = muscle the electrical signal from your heart. Electrodes are put on
your chest to record the electrical signals sent by your
Let us see the following combinations: heart, which cause it to beat. On an associated computer
monitor or printer, the signals are displayed as waves.
1. peri + cardium + itis ______________________________________
The new word is pericarditis which means
inflammation of the heart. 2. _CARDIO+MYO+PATHY_____________________
Sentence: The patient was diagnosed to have pericarditis. New word: __CARDIOMYOPATHY___________ _______
Meaning: _A condition in which your heart is unable to
2. hypo + thyroid + ism adequately pump blood to the rest of your body.
The new word is hypothyroidism which means low ______________________________________
secretion of thyroid hormones.
Sentence: A person with hypothyroidism usually manifests 3. _ CARDIO+LOGY_________________________
fatigue, muscle weakness, constipation, dry skin, weight gain New word: _CARDIOLOGY_______ _________________
and hoarseness of voice. Meaning: _A branch of medicine that focuses on the
diagnosis and treatment of heart, blood vessel, and
3. micro + cephalus + ic circulatory system_______________________________
The new word is microcephalic which means small ________________________________________
head.
Sentence: Microcephalic persons have small heads which are 4. _ MYO+CARD+ITIS_____________________
not proportional to their body size. New word: _ MYOCARDITIS ____ _____________ __
Meaning: __An inflammation of the heart muscle, and
pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart.
5
 when finding out on the Electrocardiogram that there was an
5. __ abnormal beat. A doctor was paged from the Cardiology lab to
MACRO+CYTO+SIS_____________________ check the findings, apparently the doctor was just finishing other
New word: ___ MACROCYTOSIS_____ __________ _____ findings of different patients having such conditions like
Meaning: _ A term used to describe red blood cells that Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis that were needed to have a
are larger than normal. _______ surgery and procedures. The doctor immediately run tests on the
____ man resulting that he had Macrocytosis, that were severe and was
needed a blood transfusion, the man was advised to take the
prescribed medicine and maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
6
ASSESSMENT
Examine the new words that you were able to make. 7
Then, use them to make a little story in a hospital, laboratory FEEDBACK
or community setting. The story should not be more than 150 Please provide your feedback by completing
words that should be submitted within 24 hrs from the time
the following:
you received this module.
You will be graded as follows: 1. I learn that a prefix is a word part that can't
Originality of story …………………….. 20% stand on its own. It's used at the start of a
Correct use of technical words …… 40% word to alter its meaning. A suffix is a word
Correct combination of prefix, part that modifies the meaning of a word by
Suffix, and root word ……………… 20% being added to the end of it. A part of a word is
Correct use of English ………………. 20%
called a word root. It retains the word's
TOTAL ……………………………100%
essential meaning, yet it cannot stand on its
Your story: own.
2. I feel that it is important to use those prefixes,
There was a man who was sent to the hospital, rushed by the suffixes and root word on identifying such
ambulance. People who saw him were worried, as before he was diseases, conditions and branches of science.
sent to the hospital he was drinking alone at a bar in the nearby
3. I expect that I will be able to learn more and
city, he suddenly felt pain and was breathing intensively. When he
expand my knowledge about it
arrived at the hospital, staffs were checking his vitals and a moment
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
1. Benitez, P.A., Dumaoal, O.S.R., Estrella, F.P., Mortel,
F.A. and Nava, M.R.G. (2019). Principles of Medical
Laboratory Science 1. C & E Publishing, Inc., Quezon
City.
2. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition.
(2003). Quad Graphics, Versailles, Kentucky, USA.
3. https://www.google.com/search?
q=medical+prefixes+and+suffixes&oq=medical+prefixe
s+and+suffixes&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.12567j0j7&sou
rceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8