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Medical Terminology: A Living Language, 8th edition

Published by Pearson (August 1, 2023) © 2024

  • Bonnie F. Fremgen University of Notre Dame
  • Suzanne S Frucht Northwest Missouri State University

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For courses in medical terminology.

Learning medical terminology through an A&P lens

Medical Terminology: A Living Language uses a carefully constructed learning system to help students master and apply medical language. Organized by body system, the text places medical terms within an A&P context. Instead of memorizing terms, students use word parts to build terms, to decode unfamiliar language.

The 8th Edition features a new Professional Profile section at the start of each chapter exploring career options per medical specialty. A reintroduced Special Topics chapter covers medical terms relevant to pharmacology, mental health, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, surgery and oncology.

Hallmark features of this title

Adding context to medical terminology

  • Body systems chapters cover the function and organs of each system before introducing associated terms.
  • Terminology tables group terms into categories such as pathology, diagnostic procedures and pharmacology. Terms are presented in three columns: term (with pronunciation/abbreviation), word parts (if appropriate) and definitions.
  • Learning aids include sound-it-out pronunciations, color-coded word parts and engaging sidebars.

Hands-on practice

  • Real-World Applications include medical record analysis, chart note transcription and case studies.
  • Practice exercises at the end of each chapter assess spelling, term usage, adjective formation, word building and A&P.
  • Labeling exercises reinforce students' grasp of anatomical structures.

New and updated features of this title

Real-world medical applications

  • NEW: A Professional Profile feature at the start of each chapter explores career options within medical specialties discussed in the chapter.
  • NEW: A Special Topics chapter of previous editions has been reintroduced. It covers medical terms relevant to pharmacology, mental health, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, surgery and oncology.
  • NEW: A new Medical Care section (Ch. 2) discusses the study and treatment of diseases. As appropriate, each term in the section is broken down into its word parts.

Term-building resources

  • UPDATED: Each comprehensive list of combining forms, suffixes and prefixes at the start of each chapter has been updated. The lists reflect word parts used to build terms referenced in remaining sections of chapters.
  • UPDATED: Many new medical terms have been added to reflect the newest technologies and procedures. Every A&P subsection starts with a list of key terms to be covered in that section.

Visual appeal

  • UPDATED: A more robust art program for the 8th Edition includes more than 150 new photos of real people, diseases and conditions, including, in this edition, a greater diversity of people. The updated art program also includes an expansion of medically accurate illustrations.

Highlights of the DIGITAL UPDATE for MyLab Medical Terminology (available for Spring 2024 classes)

Instructors, contact your sales rep to ensure you have the most recent version of the course.

  • NEW: Application-focused activities let students practice and apply their knowledge by identifying, pronouncing and translating medical terms within the context of real-world medical records and reports.

Features of MyLab Medical Terminology for the 8th Edition; published 2023

  • Pronounce & Spell helps students build fluency in medical terminology by bringing pronunciation to the forefront. A built-in technology assesses and scores students’ pronunciation so they can continue to improve.
  • Labeling, Matching, Word Surgery and Word Part Prescription games give students practice building words, learning A&P concepts and mastering spelling and pronunciation.
  • Dynamic Study Modules are adaptive learning modules with remediation. They assess students’ performance in real time, while helping them master and retain key concepts.
  • Guided lectures are title-specific and author-created. They can be used to supplement your lectures, clarify concepts and help students improve their pronunciation.
  • Pearson+ eTextbook is an easy-to-use digital textbook available within MyLab. It lets students read, highlight and take notes all in one place, even offline.
  1. Introduction to Medical Terminology
  2. Body Organization and Medical Care
  3. Integumentary System
  4. Musculoskeletal System
  5. Cardiovascular System
  6. Blood and the Lymphatic and Immune Systems
  7. Respiratory System
  8. Digestive System
  9. Urinary System
  10. Reproductive System
  11. Endocrine System
  12. Nervous System and Mental Health
  13. Special Senses: The Eye and Ear
  14. Special Topics

APPENDICES

  1. Word Parts Arranged Alphabetically and Defined
  2. Word Parts Arranged Alphabetically by Definition
  3. Abbreviations

Answer Keys

Glossary/Index

About our authors

Bonnie F. Fremgen, PhD, is a former Associate Dean of the Allied Health Program at Robert Morris College and was vice president of a hospital in suburban Chicago. She was also director of continuing education at three Chicago area hospitals. She has taught medical law and ethics courses as well as clinical and administrative topics. In addition, Dr. Fremgen has served as an advisor for students' career planning. She has broad interests and experiences in the healthcare field, including hospitals, nursing homes and physicians' offices as well as responsibility for departments of social services, home health care, discharge planning, quality assurance and hospital-wide education. She currently has two patents on a unique circulation-assisting wheelchair.

Dr. Fremgen holds a nursing degree as well as a master's in healthcare administration. She received her PhD from the College of Education at the University of Illinois. Dr. Fremgen has performed postdoctoral studies in Medical Law at Loyola University Law School in Chicago. She has authored five textbooks with Pearson. Dr. Fremgen has also taught ethics at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana; University of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan; and Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois.

Suzanne S. Frucht is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Physiology at Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU). She holds baccalaureate degrees in biological sciences and physical therapy from Indiana University, an MS in biological sciences at NWMSU, and a PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

For 14 years Dr. Frucht worked full time as a physical therapist in various healthcare settings, including acute care hospitals, extended care facilities and home health. Based on her educational and clinical experience she was invited to teach medical terminology part time in 1988 and became a full-time faculty member three years later as she discovered her love for the challenge of teaching. Dr. Frucht has taught a variety of courses including medical terminology, human anatomy, human physiology, and animal anatomy and physiology. She received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003. After retiring from teaching in 2008, she continues to be active in student learning through teaching medical terminology as an online course and writing medical terminology texts and anatomy and physiology laboratory manuals.

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