Medical Terminology Complete!, 5th edition

Published by Pearson (March 10, 2026) © 2027
Bruce Wingerd

Title overview

For courses in medical terminology.

An interactive, self-paced approach to learning medical terminology

Medical Terminology Complete! takes a programmed approach to teaching the language of medicine. With this approach, students read a little, fill in blanks and then check their answers. Along the way, self-assessment questions and reinforcement exercises draw connections to clinical applications. The content is organized by body system, placing medical terms in the context of A&P and medical specialties.

In the 5th Edition, content in all chapters has shifted from a biological perspective to a more clinical one, improving clinical training for students poised to enter healthcare careers. Added exercises and medically accurate visuals round out a comprehensive medical terminology curriculum.

Hallmark features of this title

Step-by-step word building

  • At-a-glance tables preview and define the word parts that appear in each framed section that follows.
  • Word part reminders show how individual word parts combine to form constructed terms, while word part breakdowns show, via slash marks, how constructed terms can be broken down into word parts.
  • Color-coded word parts distinguish prefixes, combining forms and suffixes, for quick visual identification.

Practical applications

  • Practice exercises after each chapter subsection provide opportunities to pause and review.
  • Word-building exercises offer practice assembling word parts into medical terms.
  • Medical Report exercises combine medical case studies with comprehension questions to show how medical terms are used in clinical contexts.

New and updated features of this title

A new emphasis on the clinical perspective

  • REVISED: Content in all chapters has shifted from a biological perspective to a more clinical one. This shift improves clinical training for students poised to enter healthcare careers.
  • UPDATED: All selected terms were carefully screened for current accuracy, with outdated terms removed and new terms added. For example, new frames and discussions cover COVID-19, RSV and recent surges in polio and measles, with emphasis on the benefits of immunization.
  • EXPANDED: Many new photographs and several new illustrations were added to help learners more easily visualize the concepts and meanings of selected terms.

Additional exercises

  • EXPANDED: Define the Combining Form exercises offer practice creating medical terms.
  • EXPANDED: Complete the Labels exercises challenge students to label A&P illustrations.
  • UPDATED: Image labeling frames, which engage students with illustrations, are now included in the Chapter Review section at the end of Chapters 5 to 15.

Key features

Features of MyLab Medical Terminology for the 5th Edition

  • NEW: Credly badges can be earned and posted to job websites, resumes and professional portfolios. To earn a badge, students must achieve a set score on a final comprehensive exam.
  • 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.
  • Pronounce & Spell helps build fluency in medical terminology, with emphasis on pronunciation. 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 pose a handful of questions and then respond to each student’s progress in real time. Learners deepen their grasp of concepts as they go.
  • Guided Lectures can be used to supplement your lectures, clarify concepts and help students improve their pronunciation.

Table of contents

  1. Introduction to Word Parts and Word Construction
  2. Understanding Suffixes
  3. Understanding Prefixes
  4. The Human Body in Health and Disease
  5. The Integumentary System
  6. The Skeletal and Muscular Systems
  7. Blood, the Lymphatic System, and Immunology
  8. The Cardiovascular System
  9. The Respiratory System
  10. The Digestive System
  11. The Urinary System
  12. Reproductive System and Obstetrics
  13. The Nervous System and Mental Health
  14. The Special Senses of Sight and Hearing
  15. The Endocrine System

APPENDICES

  1. Word Parts Glossary
  2. Abbreviations
  3. Word Parts for Describing Color, Number, and Plurals
  4. Pharmacology Terms
  5. Answers to Practice Exercises and Chapter Reviews

Author bios

About our authors

Bruce Wingerd has served the educational needs of students throughout his career, at San Diego State University, National University in San Diego, Florida Southwestern State College and Broward College (also in Florida). Professor Wingerd’s degrees are in the fields of zoology and physiology, and he has taught courses in medical terminology, human anatomy, advanced human anatomy, and anatomy and physiology for over 35 years. He has written numerous textbooks, lab manuals and multimedia learning resources in medical terminology, human anatomy, anatomy and physiology, histology and comparative mammalian anatomy. Professor Wingerd’s goal in teaching and writing is to provide students with learning tools that will help them reach their potential through education. He enjoys counseling students in the health sciences, developing novel approaches to teaching and learning, and leading faculty in the drive for excellence in education.

Joshua (Josh) Wingerd holds a PhD in molecular pharmacology and biochemistry from the University of Queensland, Australia, where he used electrophysiology, NMR and molecular cloning to study structure-activity relationships of novel venom peptides that interact with voltage-gated ion channels associated with pain transmission. Prior to obtaining the degree, Josh had held positions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (San Diego) and Scripps Institution for Oceanography (UCSD), where he was involved with small molecule and natural product early discovery campaigns for therapeutic applications in pathological pain and oncology. As of the publication of this book, Josh serves as Director—Lead Biology at AbCellera Biologics, a clinical stage drug discovery company, where he has been involved in the advancement of a new molecular entity (NME) for regulatory approval toward clinical development.

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