Glossary 363
subtraction the process of removing one num-
ber from another number; the opposite of
addition
suffi x the part of a word that is added after the
word root to change its meaning
support services a sector of the hospital that
plays a critical role in providing a clean, safe
environment for all who enter a healthcare
facility
T
tact the ability to avoid giving offense through
your words and actions
tendons fi brous tissues that connect muscles to
bone
therapeutic services career path that offers
hands-on experience with patients and focuses
on changing the health status of a patient over
time
thesaurus a resource that identifi es words with
the same meaning
time management the process of planning and
controlling the amount of time spent on specifi c
activities to increase effi ciency and productivity
tissues groups of cells that work together to
accomplish the same task
U
upload to transfer data from a smaller device
like a personal computer to a larger computer
or server
V
vaccination the use of medicines that contain
weakened or dead bacteria or viruses to build
immunity and prevent disease
values the concepts, ideas, and beliefs impor-
tant and meaningful to a person
verb any word describing an action or a state of
being
verbal communication expressing your
thoughts out loud; speaking
virtual learning environment (VLE) an online
learning system that brings classroom materi-
als to students via the Internet
viruses microorganisms much smaller than
bacteria that depend on a living cell to survive;
cause many serious diseases and illnesses
visual learner one who learns through seeing
things; charts, color-coded notes, and videos
can be helpful tools for this learner
vocabulary a set of words known and used by
a person
vowels fi ve letters in the English language: a, e,
i, o, and u (sometimes y is substituted for i)
W
whole numbers numbers used for counting; do
not contain decimal points or fractions; integers
Wi-Fi technology that enables an electronic
device to exchange data wirelessly over a com-
puter network; wireless fi delity
word elements the fi ve parts used to form
medical terms; includes the word root, prefi x,
suffi x, combining vowel, and combining form
word processing software that allows one
to enter, edit, store, and print text through a
computer
word root the body or the main element of a
word
World Wide Web a means of accessing the
Internet by using an HTTP web address