Describe three characteristics of each of the word parts. Demonstrate how to define and analyze medical words by dividing them into word parts. Describe the anatomical position.

The Fundamentals of Medical Terminology

Medical terminology is key to a successful career in the healthcare field. Learning medical terminology is like learning a foreign language. The more you practice, the more you understand, and soon you will be speaking the language as well.
After watching this video, you should be able to:
Recognize prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and combining forms.
Describe three characteristics of each of the word parts.
Demonstrate how to define and analyze medical words by dividing them into word parts.
Describe the anatomical position.
List the body systems, body planes, and body positions.
Describe eponyms.
Medical words are composed of word parts. Word parts are like puzzle pieces that make up medical words. There are four different word parts: word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms. Learning the meaning of these word parts eliminates the necessity of memorizing each new term you encounter.
Let’s look at each of the four-word parts.