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Medical terms

O may not have any word parts
may not always have three parts
always have a word root
O always have a prefix, suffix and word root

User Navin
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Final answer:

Anatomical terms in medicine always have a word root and may include a prefix and/or a suffix, but do not always have three parts. The standard anatomical position helps provide consistency in describing locations in the body. The construction of medical terms can vary and includes different combinations of prefixes, bases, and suffixes.

Step-by-step explanation:

In medicine, anatomical terms may not always have three parts, but they always have a word root, which refers to an organ, tissue, or condition. For instance, in 'hypertension', the prefix 'hyper-' means 'high' or 'over', and the root 'tension' means pressure, thus describing abnormally high blood pressure.

A medical term can consist of a prefix, a word root, and a suffix, although this is not a strict requirement as sometimes they may only have a root and a suffix, or even just the root alone.

The anatomical position is a standardized posture to reduce confusion when describing body parts, regardless of the actual orientation of the body being described.

Medical terms are constructed in various ways, including combinations such as Prefix + free base, Prefix + bound stem, and Bound base + suffix. When a prefix ends in 'a' or 'o', and the element name starts with 'o', the final vowel of the prefix is often dropped, as seen in terms like 'monoxide'.

User Sereger
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