What medical terminology includes
Medical terminology is not just a fragmented dictionary, but a vast, historically developed, and constantly growing array of data. The content plan of this terminology covers almost all phenomena related to human life and medical practice:
- Morphology and physiology: names of structures and processes in health and disease across all stages of organism development.
- Nosology and semiotics: names of diseases, pathological conditions, as well as disease signs (symptoms, syndromes) and their clinical courses.
- Microbiology and ecology: disease agents and vectors, environmental factors (both positive and negative), and hygienic standardization indicators.
- Medical practice: methods of clinical diagnostics, prevention, therapeutic treatment, as well as surgical operations and surgical approaches.
- Organization and equipment: forms of therapeutic and preventive care delivery, structure of the sanitary and epidemiological service, and logistical support (devices, instruments, medical furniture, and equipment).
- Pharmacology: individual drugs and their groups (by therapeutic effect or pharmacological action), medicinal plants and raw materials.
Structure of the macro-terminosystem
The macro-terminosystem has a multi-level structure and consists of separate strata — sub-terminosystems. Each such subsystem serves a specific science based on its accepted scientific classification. The basic element of any stratum is a term.
Subsystems are not isolated from each other; they actively interact and enter into semantic relationships. Several major blocks of subsystems are distinguished:
- Morphological: anatomical, histological, embryological.
- Clinical: therapeutic, surgical, gynecological, endocrinological, traumatological, psychiatric, dental, pediatric, dermatological, oncological.
- General medical and allied: hygienic, forensic medical, epidemiological, immunological.
- Biological: general biological, genetic, microbiological, botanical, biochemical.
Development trends and narrow specialization
The progress of medical terminology is characterized by a dual trend. On the one hand, integration occurs—an increase in interdependence between various disciplines. On the other hand, differentiation grows—the deepening and division of sciences.
Differentiation became particularly prominent in the 20th century, when the number of narrowly specialized sub-terminosystems increased dramatically. These areas focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases in individual organ systems:
- Pulmonology, urology, nephrology;
- Sexopathology, hematology;
- Arthrology, gastroenterology;
- Abdominal surgery, neurosurgery.
Consequently, the terminological apparatus has expanded manifold. Over recent decades, dictionaries in cardiology, oncology, radiology, immunology, medical virology, and hygiene sciences have reached enormous volumes.
Three main subsystems in the curriculum
Within basic medical training and the study of professional language, the diversity of terminology is structured. Three main subsystems are distinguished, playing a leading role:
- Anatomical and histological nomenclatures (the language of normal body structure).
- Clinical termosystem (the language of diseases and interventions, including pathological anatomy and pathophysiological terminology).
- Pharmaceutical terminology (the language of drugs and raw materials).
Briefly: answers to topical questions
Which international anatomical nomenclatures have historically succeeded one another?
Three main international anatomical nomenclatures have historically succeeded one another.
- Basle Nomina Anatomica (BNA) — adopted in 1895, it first proposed a list of Latin anatomical terms.
- Paris Nomina Anatomica (PNA) — approved in 1955, it became the first list to receive official international recognition and solidified the abandonment of eponyms.
- Terminologia Anatomica (Terminologia Anatomica, TA) — modern nomenclature published in 1998 (published in Latin, Russian, and English in 2003).
Which frequency segments indicate that a drug belongs to the antibiotic group?
Three frequency segments indicate that a drug belongs to various antibiotic groups.
- -cyclin- — designates tetracycline group antibiotics (e.g., Methacyclinum).
- -cef- — indicates cephalosporin group antibiotics (e.g., Cefazitrinum).
- -cillin- — highlights penicillin group antibiotics (e.g., Ampicillinum).
Which Greek term elements (suffixes) are used to designate inflammatory diseases and tumors in clinical terminology?
Two main Greek suffixes are used in clinical terminology to designate inflammation and tumors.
- -itis — expresses the general concept of an inflammatory disease (e.g., hepatitis). This term element exists only in a bound form and attaches to noun stems.
- -oma — is used in tumor names (e.g., fibroma, osteoma). It is formed from noun or adjective stems naming the tissues that form the pathological entity.
ACP: Anatomy, Clinical practice, Pharmacy — the three pillars upon which the study of medical terminology is built.
Class and exam questions
What is a macro-terminological system?
This is a complex, historically developed system of systems uniting hundreds of thousands of medical and paramedical terms from various scientific disciplines.
How do terms from different medical profiles interact?
They do not exist in isolation. Terms from different subsystems intersect and enter into semantic relationships at the level of the entire macro-terminosystem, reflecting the integration of sciences.
Why is the medical dictionary growing so fast?
The main reason is the differentiation of sciences. New narrowly specialized fields constantly emerge (e.g., pulmonology, neurosurgery), each forming its own extensive terminological apparatus.
What sections will we study?
The study focuses on three main subsystems: anatomo-histological nomenclature, clinical termosystem, and pharmaceutical terminology.
What else to study on this topic
- Principles of anatomical nomenclature construction
- Semiotics: structure of clinical terms describing symptoms and syndromes
- Drug classification and naming principles
- Differences between nosology and semiotics in medical vocabulary
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