Integumentary System

1. The Integumentary System
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
BY OCEAN WHYTE
RASHIDAH ABDULLAH

2. Integumentary system
 The skin provides a protective two-way barrier
against our internal organs with the outside
environment
 Consists of:
 Skin, hair, nails, sebaceous glands, sweat glands

3. Combining Forms
Word parts are used to build integumentary system
terms such as cutane/o, diaphor/o, py/o, cyan/o,
ungu/o, necr/o, etc.

4. Cutane/o
Cutane/o is a combining form that means “skin.”
For example = cutaneous (pertaining to the skin)
 cutane/o = skin
 -ous = pertaining to
Cutaneous can also be combined with the prefix
“sub-” which forms subcutaneous (pertaining to
under the skin)
 sub = under
 cutane/o = skin
 -ous = pertaining to

5. Diaphor/o
Diaphor/o is a combining form that means
“sweat.”
For example = diaphoresis (profuse sweating)
 diaphor/o = sweating
 -esis = action; conditioSn; state of

6. Py/o
Py/o is a combining form that means “pus.”
For example = pustule (raised spot on the skin
containing pus)
 py/o = pus
 -ule = small
Py/o can be used as a combining form such as
“otopyorrhea” which means “purulent discharge
in the ear.”
 ot/o = ear
 py/o = pus
 -rrhea = discharge

7. Cyan/o
Cyan/o is a combining form that means “blue.”
For example = cyanosis (bluish tint to the skin
caused my deoxygenated blood)
 cyan/o = blue
 -osis = abnormal condition
Cyan/o can be formed into “cyanopsia” which
means “blue vision.”
 cyan/o = blue
 -opsia = vision

8. Ungu/o
Ungu/o is a combining form that means “nail.”
For example = ungual (pertaining to the nails)
 ungu/o = nail
 -al = pertaining to
Ungu/o can be used as a suffix such as
“subungual” which means “under the nail.”
 sub- = under
 -ungu/o = nail

9. Necr/o
Necr/o is a combining form that means “death.”
For example = necrosis (abnormal condition of
death) due to lack of oxygenation
 necr/o = death
 -osis = abnormal condition
Necr/o can also be formed into “necrotomy”
which means “surgical removal of dead tissue.”
 necr/o = death
 -otomy = surgical removal