Final answer:
To understand a medical word, begin with the root, which often refers to an organ, tissue, or condition. Prefixes and suffixes describe the root, creating a full meaning such as 'hypertension' for high blood pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
After you divide a medical word into its word parts, you get the definition of the word by beginning with the meaning of the root. Anatomical terms typically consist of a combination of roots, prefixes, and suffixes. The root of a term often refers to an organ, tissue, or condition. For instance, consider the medical term hypertension. In this word, the prefix hyper- means "high" or "over," and the root tension refers to pressure. Together, they form a word that means abnormally high blood pressure. Understanding these parts can also help determine the location of a condition based on standardized anatomical position, such as anterior versus posterior.