Medical Terminology II: A Focus on Human Disease

Learn medical terminology related to all 11 of the body's organ systems, and review different diagnostic and treatment procedures for each system. This course includes lessons and activities designed to help you understand and remember the medical terminology you learn.

6 Weeks / 24 Course Hrs

Starting May 14, 2025

Offered in partnership with your preferred school

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

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Learning method

Self-Guided

$135

No instructor. Study on your own schedule

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Instructor-Moderated

$135

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Starting May 14 | June 11

Details + Objectives

Course code: md2

This Medical Terminology course will be helpful for any career that uses medical terminology such as medical coding, health information technology, medical transcription, working as a health care professional, or working in the administrative side of health care.

This course will help prepare you for jobs related to health care by teaching you the language of medicine, including an overview of how the different organ systems function, information about many different medical disorders, and information about diagnostic and treatment procedures. As a result, this course will help prepare you for related college courses and for certification or admissions exams that expect you to have an understanding of medical terminology. For example, this course will help prepare you for the certification exam for medical coders and for the HESI exam which is often required for admission into nursing schools.

What you will learn

Learn medical terminology related to all 11 of the human body's organ systems
Cover different diagnostic and treatment procedures for each system
Discover the meaning of each term's word parts as well as a definition
Understand the meaning of many prefixes, root words, and suffixes

How you will benefit

Greatly increase your vocabulary of medical terminology
Gain pronunciation guides and graphics to help you visualize the material
Broaden your understanding of human disease
Obtain skills that will help you if you decide to pursue a career in medicine

How the course is taught

Instructor-Moderated or Self-Guided online course
6 Weeks or 3 Months access
24 course hours

Outline

The course will begin with medical terminology related to the cardiovascular system. You'll start by reviewing the major functions and organs of the cardiovascular system and gain a solid grasp of the terminology related to this system's organs. You'll then move on to a discussion of terminology related to disorders, diagnoses, and treatments related to this essential organ system.

In this lesson, you'll go over medical terminology related to the lymphatic system, immunity, and cancer. The lesson will start out by covering the basic functions and organs of the lymphatic system, and you'll learn strategies your body uses to keep you well. It will also discuss the relationship between the immune system and cancer. Afterwards, it will go on to discuss terminology related to specific disorders, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of the organs of the lymphatic system, immunological disorders, and cancer.

In this lesson, you'll learn the names and functions of the organs of both the upper and lower tracts of the respiratory system. It will talk about this organ system's crucial role in getting oxygen to your tissues and removing carbon dioxide from your body, and you'll review a few of its other functions as well. The lesson will then discuss terminology related to specific disorders of the respiratory system, diagnostic procedures, and treatment.

In this lesson, you'll explore terminology related to the functions, structures, and disorders of the nervous system. You'll learn that this system contains two divisions: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The lesson will also discuss terminology related to disorders of both these divisions of the nervous system, as well as diagnostic procedures and treatment.

The endocrine system consists of glands that secrete substances (called hormones) into the bloodstream. From there, hormones travel to target cells-cells that will be affected by particular hormones. Disorders of this system commonly occur and can cause people significant problems. This lesson will also discuss terminology related to the glands and hormones of this system, some of its disorders, diagnostic procedures, and treatment.

The skeletal system plays a number of important roles in the function of the human body, including movement, protection, blood cell production, support, and mineral and fat storage. Its structures often experience injuries and disease. This lesson will go over terminology related to the skeletal system's structures, as well as disorders, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of the bones, joints, and spine.

The muscular system consists of muscle tissue, the fascia that surrounds muscles, and the tendons that attach muscles to bones. With over 600 muscles in the human body, disorders of this organ system are fairly common. This lesson will discuss terminology related to problems with this organ system, diagnostic procedures, and several types of treatment.

The integumentary system includes the largest single organ in your body—your skin, as well as sebaceous and sweat glands, hair, and nails. People often suffer from disorders of this organ system, and this lesson will cover terminology related to a number of them. It will discuss terminology related to disorders of both the skin and its accessory organs, as well as diagnostic procedures and treatment.

One of your organ systems works hard to keep your blood from poisoning you by removing dangerous waste products and putting them into urine: the urinary system. This system contains just four different organs, but its proper function is essential to your health. This lesson will discuss medical terminology related to a number of disorders of the urinary system, their diagnoses, and treatment.

The digestive system contains more organs that any other organ system. Some of those organs make up a passageway, called the alimentary canal, which allows food to pass from your mouth, down into your stomach, through your intestines, and then leave your body. Other organs, called accessory organs, secrete substances that help break down the food and liquids you ingest into molecules that your body can use. This lesson will cover terminology related to diseases of the digestive system's organs as well as terminology related to both diagnostic and treatment procedures.

The male reproductive system is made up of both external and internal reproductive organs. In this lesson, you'll briefly review the functions of the male reproductive system as well as the organs that make up this system. The lesson will then cover terminology related to disorders of both the external and internal male reproductive organs, diagnostic procedures, and treatment options.

This lesson will begin with a brief overview of the organs of the female reproductive systems and their functions. It will also go over medical terminology related to disorders of the organs of this system, as well as disorders related to the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. It will then discuss terminology related to diagnosing disorders of this system and a number of different treatments.

Instructors & Support

Holly Trimble

Holly Trimble earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado, a master's degree in Pediatric Physical Therapy from Boston University, a master's degree in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from Arcadia University. After working as a physical therapist for many years, Dr. Trimble transitioned into teaching. She has lectured on health-related topics to all age groups and has taught middle and high school science courses in both private and public school settings. She currently teaches Anatomy and Physiology for a local community college system, where she has taught for the past 15 years. Holly received the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award both of the years she was nominated and is the author of the eBook, "College Success Now!"

Instructor Interaction: The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

PC: Windows 8 or later.
Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

FAQ

Instructor-Moderated: A new session of each course begins each month. Please refer to the session start dates for scheduling.

Self-Guided: Your course begins immediately after you enroll.

Instructor-Moderated: Once a course session starts, two lessons will be released each week for the 6 week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends. You will interact with the instructor through the online discussion area. There are no live sessions or online meetings with the instructor.

Self-Guided: You have 3 months of access to the course. After enrolling, you can learn and complete the course at your own pace, within the allotted access period. You will have the opportunity to interact with other students in the online discussion area.

Instructor-Moderated: The interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes two weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release. However, you will have access to all lessons from the time they are released until the course ends.

Self-Guided: There is no time limit to complete each lesson, other than completing all lessons within the allotted access period. Discussion areas for each lesson are open for the entire duration of the course.

Instructor-Moderated: Students enrolled in a six-week online class benefit from a one-time, 10-day extension for each course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.

Self-Guided: Because this course is self-guided, no extensions will be granted after the start of your enrollment.

Reviews

Thank you for all of the expertise and time that went into designing this course! I learned more in this short course than in all of my nursing pre-reqs combined! I appreciated how all of the information was presented in an accessible and understandable way. I've never seen online learning done so effectively, and I've gone to many different paid and private schools! Thanks for this resource; it has really set me up for success in my nursing program.

I really enjoyed taking this course. It helped to expand my knowledge of medical terminology. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about diagnostic procedures and treatments the most, as it has made things a bit more clear in my medical coding studies.

I really enjoyed the course and found it to be beneficial to my career goals and aspirations. It was extremely convenient and the cost is more than reasonable.

Wonderful course that enhanced my knowledge...Loved the "Important to Know" section of each disease. Very helpful. The images and quick evaluation quizzes were great!

Great course! I learned a lot. It was simply written, yet very comprehensive. I especially liked how the instructor expanded upon each of the terms to further the learning experience. Thank you!

I loved how indepth this course was! I felt as though I was taking an anatomy, biology, and medical terminology class all in one. Breaking down each part of the lesson by the system, diseases, treatments, and procedures was a great way to expand the lesson well beyond just terminology. GREAT class!! Thank you so much Holly!

I really enjoyed the course and found it to be beneficial to my career goals and aspirations. It was extremely convenient and the cost is more than reasonable.

Wonderful course that enhanced my knowledge...Loved the "Important to Know" section of each disease. Very helpful. The images and quick evaluation quizzes were great!

Great course! I learned a lot. It was simply written, yet very comprehensive. I especially liked how the instructor expanded upon each of the terms to further the learning experience. Thank you!

Medical Terminology II: A Focus on Human Disease

University of Wisconsin - River Falls