If you don’t have a science background, terminology in research abstracts or professional journals can be a little intimidating.
In order to quickly increase your understanding of terminology you might run across, it is useful to study the latin roots of words. If you familiarize yourself with the terms in the chart below, you will find yourself able to decipher many terms.
The suffix -ic is from the Latin adjectival ending -icus, -ica, -icum. It means “pertaining to” or “characteristic of.”
Given the information above, it then becomes a matter of just breaking down a word to its Latin roots to understand its meaning.
Here are some examples:
acidosis – a condition in which the pH of the body’s fluids becomes excessively acidic
alkalosis – a condition in which the pH of the body’s fluids become excessively alkaline
analgesic – against pain
anhidrosis - a condition characterized by diminished or complete absense of sweating
anticoagulant – a substance that opposes coagulation or clotting of the blood
antihistamine – a substance that opposes the action of histamine
antitussive- works against coughing
appendicitis – inflammation of the appendix
appendicitis – inflammation of the appendix
arthritis – inflammation of a joint
cholesterol- bile consists mostly of cholesterol – consequently the name
colitis – inflammation of the colon
conjunctiva – the inner membrane of the eyelids
conjunctivitis – inflammation of the conjunctiva
cyanosis- a condition characterized by slightly bluish or purple discoloration of the skin due to a deficiency of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide in the blood
cystitis – inflammation of the urinary bladder
diarrhea – to flow through
endocrine glands- a gland which secretes into the bloodstream
endometritis – inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the uterus.
endotoxin- a bacterial toxin confined within the body of the bacterium
enteritis – inflammation of the intestines
exocrine gland - a gland that secretes to the outside of an epithelial surface
exotoxin – a toxin that is produced by a microorganism, such as a bacterium, and excreted into its surrounding medium. Note: often bacteria secrete endo toxins as exotoxins when they die because the cellular membrane is compromised
histamine – a chemical secreted by the body to initiate an inflammatory reaction
homeostasis – refers to a state of equilibrium of the internal environment of the body that is dynamically maintained by feedback and regulation
hyperglycemia - refers to increased blood sugar levels
hyperthyroidism – refers to an overactive thyroid gland
hypoglycemia - refers to low blood sugar levels.
hypothyroidism – refers to an underactive thyroid gland.
infection – pathological organisms, or “germs,” associated with inflammation.
inflammation – swelling and associated which occur as a result of the inflammatory response .
synapse – where two nerve cells connect or “come together”
synergistic – individual substances which work together to produce an effect that is greater than the sum of their individual effects (Okay, maybe that is a stretch but synergy is an important concept to understand.)
tonsillitis – inflammation of the tonsils
tonsillectomy – surgical removal of the tonsils
vermiform – resembling a worm in shape
