In this new edition of a time-tested, proven method, Exploring Medical Language provides the basic knowledge of medical language that students need to communicate clearly and understand communication from other health care team members. This easy-to-use book offers clear presentations of medical terms built from word parts, as well as terms not built from word parts that are sometimes not covered in other texts. It also reviews anatomic terminology. A wealth of exercises help students memorize word parts and their meanings so they can confidently combine parts to form medical terms. A vivid, full-color page design and full-color illustrations emphasize terms to be learned, bring content to life, and make learning easier. Extensive learning aids for students, including flash cards, audiotapes with definitions and pronunciations, and an accompanying CD-ROM with additional exercises offer more valuable learning tools than any other medical terminology book. Comprehensive coverage distinguishes between terms built from word parts and those not easily recognized as built from word parts. Systemic presentation of medical terminology provides a foundation of word parts and shows how words are built by combining the parts, giving students a set of skills to recognize and define new words as they encounter them. A consistent color key uses different colors to represent sections on diagnostic, pathology, and pharmacy terms, setting these sections apart and making them easy to locate within a chapter. New terms and abbreviations reflect advances in technology and changes in health care delivery system, providing the student with the most up-to-date terminology. Chapter outlines at the beginning of each chapter communicate chapter content at a glance and allow readers to find a specific topic quickly. Function sections with separate headings in the body systems chapters clearly introduce and describe the function of each body system. Review exercises on abbreviations in each chapter help students memorize abbreviations in medical terminology. "Real-life" case studies, formatted as actual medical reports, encourage critical thinking and demonstrate how to apply information.