Medical Terminology: Word Root: Is a basic foundation of a word to which components are added. Prefix: Is a word element added at the beginning of the word root. Suffix: Is a word element attached at the end of the word root. Combined Words:-Word Root + Vowel (o , i): Cardi - o - Comb.form + Comb. form + Word Root + Suffix: Dermato - fibro - sarc - oma Pluralizing Terms: • • • • • • • Add s to words ending in any vowel or consonant except “ s, x, z, or y” (eg. joint- joints) Add “es” to words ending in “s, x, or z” (eg. reflex - reflexes) Remove x and add “ces” to Latin words ending in “x” (eg. appendix - appendices) Remove the `y and add “ies” to words ending in “y” preceded by a consonant (eg. mastectomy- mastectomies) When an ending `y is preceded by a vowel, the usual plural suffix is “s” (eg. boy - boys) Add “e” to Latin terms ending in “a” (eg. lamina - laminae) Remove `us and add “I” to Latin words ending in us (ex. bacillusbacilli) Change “sis” to “ses” in Greek words ending in “sis” (eg. psychosis - psychoses) • • Remove “on” from and add “a” to Greek words ending in “on” (eg. criterion - criteria) Remove `um from and add “a” to Latin words ending in “um” (eg. diverticulum - diverticula) Prefixes and Suffixes:Egs.: A: -a: as a suffix is a noun ending pleura ab-: away from abduction abdom/o: related to the abdomen abdominal -ac: Pertaining to cardiac acous/o-: hearing acoustic acro-: extremities acromegaly ad-: toward adduction adeno-: gland adenomegaly adren/o-: adrenal glands adrenal -al: Pertaining to cranial alb- , albin/o: white color albinism,albicans albumin/o: prtotein (albumin) albuminuria -algesia: sensitivity to pain analgesia -algia:related to pain allo-: other neuralgia allograft, allotransplant ambi-: both ambilateral ambly/o-: dull, dim amblyopia amni/o-: amnion amniotic amylo-: starch amylase ana-: not, without, absence of anaxonic ana-: up, back anaphase andro-: man, male androgen ante-: before, in front of antebrachial anthrac/o-: coal anthracosis angi/o-: vessel angioplasty aniso-: unequal anisocytosis ankylo-: stiff ankylosis an/o: anus anal anter/o-: front anterior anti-: against antiseptic aort/o-: aorta aortic apo-: from apocrine appendic/o-: appendix appendicular -ar-: pertaining to vascular arachn-: spider arachnoid arter-: artery arterial arthro-: joint arthritis -ary: pertaining to axillary -assay: to evaluate immunoassay -ase: enzyme amylase -asthenia: loss of strength asthenia astro-: star shaped astrocyte -ate-: something that results from arquate atel-: imperfect atelectasis athero-:fatty atherosclerosis audit/o-: hearing audiometry aur/a-, auricul/o-: ear auricular auto-: by your own self autonomic azot/o-: nitrogen azotemia B: bar/o-: pressure baroreceptors bacteri/o-:bacteria bacterial balano-: glans of the penis balanitis bi-: double, two biceps bili-: bile biliary bi/o-: life antibiotic blast/o-, -blast: immature stage of development erythroblast blepharo-: eyelids blepharoptosis brachi-: arm brachial brachy-: short brachydactyly brady-: slow bradypnea broncho-: broncus, airway bronchopulmonar bronchio-: bronchiole bronchiolitis bucc/o-: cheek buccinator C: calcane/o: heel bone calcaneus tendon calc/i-: calcium hypocalcemia capit/o: head tinea capitis -capnia: CO2 content in blood hypercapnia carcin/o-: cancer carcinogenesis cardi-: heart cardiac cec/o-: cecum cecostomy -cele: swelling or herniation cystocele celi/o-: pertaining to the abdomen celiac trunk -centesis: surgical puncture pleurocentesis cephalo-: head cephalic cerebro-: brain, cerebrum cerebrospinal cervic/o: neck, cervix cervicitis cheil/o-: lips cheilosis chemo-: chemical reaction chemotherapy chlor/o-: green color chlorosis chol/e: bile cholecystitis chondr/o: cartilage chondritis chord/o-: string, cord chordotomy chromo-: color chromophilic circum-: around circumferential -cide: to kill or destroy spermicide cirrh/o: yellow color, tawny cyrrhosis -clasis: crushing or breaking up osteoclasis -clast: something that breaks osteclasts coagul/o: clotting coagulation coccyg/o: coccyx coccigeal col/o-: colon colostomy colp/o-: vagina colposcopy conjunctiv/o-:cunjunctiva conjunctivitis corn/o-: cornea corneal coro-: pupil anisocoria coron/o-: heart coronary corpor/o: body tinea corporis cortic/o-: cortex corticosteroid cost/o: ribs intercostal crani/o: skull cranial cribr-: sieve, perforate cribriform -crino, -crine: secretion endocrine crur/o: leg or thigh crural cry/o-: cold cryosurgery crypt/o-: hidden cryptorchidism culd/o-: cul-de-sac culdocentesis -cutane/o: skin transcutaneous cyan/o: blue color cyanotic cycl/o-: ciliary body cycloplegia -cyte/o: cell erythrocyte cyst/o-: sac, bladder pneumocystis, cystoscospy D: de-: down descendant dacry/o-: tears dacryoadenitis dendr/o-: branches, trees dendrites dent/o-: tooth dental dermat-: skin dermatology -desis: binding or surgical fusion arthrodesis di/a-: through diarrhea diplo-: double diplopia -dipso, -dipsia: thirst polidipsia dis-: free of, undo disorder dors/o: back dorsal drom/o-: running together syndrome -dynia: pain glosodynia dys-: painful or difficult dysphagia , dyspnea E: -e: is a noun ending perine -eal: pertaining to peritoneal echo-: sound -ectasia: stretching or dilatation ect-, ecto-: eversion, external echocardiogram bronchiectasia ectropion, ectopic -ectomy: surgical removal splenectomy -emesis: vomit hyperemesis -emia: blood condition anemia endo-: inner, within, inside endocrine emmetro-: in proper measure emmetropy en-: inversion entropia entero-: small intestine enterorrhagia eosin/o-: red color eosinophils epi-: above, over epidermis epididym/o-: epididymis epididymitis episi/o-: vulva episiotomy -er: one who takes careofsomething practitioner erythr/o-: red color erythroderma -esis: condition of hematemesis es/o-: within esotropia esophag/o-: esophagus esophageal -esthesi/o: feeling, sensation anesthesia eu-: normal, good condition euthyroidism ex-/exo-: out-side, away from exophthalmia extra-: outside extraction F: fibro-: fiber fibrocystic ferr-: iron ferritin fet/o-: fetus fetal fluor/o-: luminous fluoroscopy -form: shape fusiform G: gastro-: stomach gastroduodenal gen-: that which generates genetical genio-: chin geniohyoid -genesis: generation, formation -genic: pertaining to the formation spermatogenesis embryogenic genicula-: knee-like structure geniculate gest-: to bear gestation glauc/o-: gray, silver color glaucoma -glio/a: gluey substance neuroglia glomerul/o-: glomerulus glomerular gloss/o-: tongue glossitis gluc/o-, glyco-: sugar, sweet glucose gnos/o-: knowledge gnosological gonado-: sex glands gonadotropic -gram:record or picture granul/o-: granules electrocardiogram granulocytes -graph: instrument used to record encephalograph -graphy: process of recording encephalography -gravida: related to pregnancy gynec/o-: woman multigravida gynecologist H: hemat/o: blood hematopoiesis hemi-: half hemiplegia hepat/o: liver hepatomegaly hetero-: other heterosexual hidr-: sweating hyperhidrosis hydr/o: water hydronephrosis histi/o: tissue histology holo-: entire holocrine homeo-: similar homeostasis homo-: same homozygous hyal-, hyalo-: glassy hyaline hyo-: “U” shape hyoid hyper-:excessive, more than normal hyperthyroidism hypno-: sleep hypnotic hypo-: low, less than normal, below, beneath hypovolemia hyster-: related to the uterus hysterectomy I: -ia: condition of anemia -ian: specialist in a field of study obstetrician -iasis: presence of abnormal condition lithiasis -iatrics: related to medicine or medical treatment pediatrics -iatry: related to medical treatment or profession geriatry -ic: pertaining to pelvic -ician: specialist in a field of study obstetrician -ical: pertaining to (combination of “ic + al”) surgical idi-: one’s own idiopathic ili/o-: ilium iliac -ile: pertaining to juvenile ile/o-: ileon ileocecal im-: not able to impotence in-: inside, within, not capable invagination ipsi-: itself ipsilateral itchti/o: fishlike, scaly condition itchtiosis -in: enzyme calcitonin infra-: under, below infraspinous inguin/o: groin inguinal inter: between intervertebral -ion: action, process supination intra-: internal intraabdominal ipsi-: itself ipsilateral ir/o-, irid/o-: iris iridocyclitis -ism: condition hypersplenism iso-: equal isotonic -ist: practitioner neurologist -itis: inflammation gastritis -ize: to make, treat or combine with synthesize J: jaund/o-: yellow color jaundice jejun/o-: jejunum jejunostomy juxta-: near, beside juxtaglomerular K: -kary/o: nucleus megakaryocytes kal/i-: potassium hyperkalemia kel/o-: fibrous growth keloid kerato-: hard, horny, and the cornea of the eye keratin, keratitis keton/o-:ketone bodies ketonuria kinesi/o-:movement bradykinesis kyph/o-: pertaining to a hump kyphosis L: labyrinth/o-: inner ear labyrinthitis lacrim/o-: tears lacrimal -lacto-: milk galactorrhea laparo-: abdominal wall laparoscopia laryng/o-: larynx laryngitis leiomy/o-: smooth muscle leimiosarcoma leuk/o-, leuc/o-: white color leucocyte -lepsy: seizure, attack epilepsy -lexia: reading dyslexia liga-: to bind together ligament lipo: fat lipolysis -lith/o: stone lithotripsy -lithiasis: presence or formation of stones nephrolithiasis -logist: specialized in the study of dermatologist -logy: study of physiology lordo-: bent lordosis lumb/o: loins, lower back lumbar -lysis: destruction or detachment lipolysis -lytic: destruction osteolytic M: macro-: large macromolecules mammilla-: like breast mammillary mammo-: breast mammography mast/o-: breast mastectomy mastoid/o-: mastoid process mastoiditis micro-: small, microscopic microfilaments -malacia, -malac/o: softening osteomalacia mal-: bad, poor -mania: a mental disorder, maniac -megalia/megaly: enlargement malaise, malfunction megalomania cardiomeg/alia-aly melan/o-:black color melanin meningo-: meninges meningoencephalitis men/o-: menstruation menopause mero-: part merocrine meso-: middle mesogastrium meta-: beyond, after -meter: instrument used to measure metastasis, metaphase sphygmomanometer metri/o-: uterus endometrium -metry: process of measuring pelvimetry milli-: one-thousandth millimeters (mm) mi/o-: smaller miotic mono-: one, single monorenal morpho-: form, shape morphologic muc/o-: mucus mucopurulent multi-: many multipara -mural: wall intramural muscul/o-: muscle musculoskeletal myc/o-: fungus dermatomycosis mydr/o-: widen mydriatic myel/o-: bone marrow, spinal cord myelosis, myelography my/o-: muscle myalgia myring/o-: eardrum myringotomy N: narc/o-: sleep narcolepsy nas/o-: nose nasopharynx natr/i-: sodium natriuretic neo-: new neoplasia nephro-: kidney nephropathy neur/o-: nerve neural nocto-: night nocturia non-: not non-infectious nulli-: none nullipara nyctal/o-: night nyctalopia O: -oid: resembling mastoid odonto: teeth odontologist -ole: small or little arteriole oligo-: few, little oligodendrocyte -oma: tumor lipoma onco-: swelling, mass, tumor oncogenesis onycho-: nail onychomycosis oo-: egg oocyte ophthalm/o-: eye ophthalmology -opia: visual condition ambliopia opt/o-: eye, vision optic -opsy: process of viewing biopsy -opsia, -opia: visual condition hemianopsia or/o-: mouth oropharynx orchi/o, orchid/o-: testicle orchitis ortho: straight orthopnea -ory: pertaining to, characterized by auditory -ose: carbohydrate galactose -osis: condition cyanosis oste/o: bone osteocytes -ostomy: creating a new opening colonostomy -ous: pertaining to venous ov/o-: egg ovulation ovari/o-: ovary ovarian -ox/o: oxygen hypoxia oxy-: rapid, sharp oxytocin P: pachy-: thick pachyderma pan-: all pancytopenia pancreat/o-: pancreas pancreatitis papill/o-: resembling a nipple papiloma para/o-: parallel to, near, beside, two like parts paraplegic par-: apart from parenteral parathyroid/o-: parathyroid gland parathyroidectomy -paresis: partial paralysis hemiparesis -patho-/pathy-: disease adenopathy pector/o: chest pectoral ped/o: foot tinea pedis, pedal pelv/i: related to the pelvis pelvic -penia: decrease in, deficiency leucopenia -pepso: digestion dyspepsia peri-:external, around, peripheral periosteum peritone/o: peritoneum peritoneal -pexy: surgical fixation colpopexy phag/o: to eat macrophages -phac/o, -phak/o: lens aphakia pharmac/o-: drugs, medicine pharmacology pharyngo-: pharynx pharingitis -phasia: speech aphasia pheo-: dusky, blonde pheochromocytoma pheomelanin phren/o-: mind, diaphragm phrenic -philia, phil/o: attraction to, affinity eosinophilia -phobia: abnormal fear hydrophobia phono-: sound dysphonia -phoresis: transmission electrophoresis phoria-: emotional state euphoria phot-, photo-: light photoreceptor -plasia: formation or development hyperplasia -plakia: plate, flat plane leukoplakia -plasm: living substance cytoplasm plas/o-: formation, development neoplasic plast/o-: formation, development aplastic -plasty: surgical repair rhinoplasty -plegia: palsy, paralysis hemiplegia pleuro-: pleura pleural -poiesis: formation hematopoiesis poikilo-: varied, irregular poikilocytosis poli/o-: gray, silver color poliomielitis poly-: excessive or more than normal polyphagia polyp/o-: polyps polyposis -porosis: lessening in density osteoporosis postero-: back posterior -pnea: respiration dyspnea pneumo-: air, lungs pneumonia -praxia: perform apraxia pre-: before, in front of presynaptic presbyo-: old age presbyopia pro-, pre-: before, in front of prefrontal primi-: first primigravida prostat/o-: prostate gland prostatic pseudo-: false pseudocavity psych/o-: mind, soul psychiatrist -ptosis: dropping or prolapsed nephroptosis -ptysis: spitting hemoptysis pub/o-: pubic suprapubic pulmon/o-: lung pulmonary purpur/o-: purple color purpura (bleeding) pyel/o-: renal pelvis pyelonephritis py/o-: pus pyuria pyr/o-: fire, heat pyrosis Q: quadric-: four quadriceps R: radiculo-: root radiculitis radi/o-: radiation, radial bone radiography -rect/o-: rectum colorectal ren/o-: kidney renal retin/o-: retina retinopathy rhabdomy/o: striated, skeletal muscle rhabdomyosarcoma -rrhagia: excessive flow or discharge menorrhagia rhino-: related to the nose rhinorrhea rhizo-: root rhizotomy -rrhaphy: suturing colporrhaphy -rrhea: discharge or flow galactorrhea -rrhexis: rupture arteriorrhexis re-: back, again retraction, reabsorption rect/o-: rectum rectoscopy retro-: backward, behind retropulsion ros/e-: rose color roseola rube-: red color rubella rythym/o: rhythm arrythmia S: sac/o: sacrum salping/o-: related to the Falopian tubes sarc/o-: flesh, soft tissues sacral salpingectomy sarcoma schiz/o-: split schizophrenia scler/o: hard, also means the sclera of the eyes scleroderma scot/o-: darknessscotoma seb/o-: sebum sebaceous -scope: instrument to view ophthalmoscope -scopy: process of viewing with a scope ophthalmoscopy sept/o-: infection septic sphero-: round, sphere spherocytosis sial/o: salivary gland, saliva sialorrhea sidero-: iron sideroblast sigmoid/o: sigmoid colon sigmoidoscopy skelet/o-: skeleton skeletal somat/o-: body psychosomatic son/o-: sound ultrasonogram -spasm: involuntary contraction gastrospasm -spin/o: spine spinal splen/o-: spleen splenomegaly spondylo-: spine or vertebra spondylitis -stasis: stopping or controlling hemostasis static-: stopping or controlling bacteriostatic steato-: fat steatorrhea sten/o-: short, contracted, narrow stenosis -sthenia: strength neurasthenia somat/o-: mouth stomatitis -somno: sleep insomnia staped/o-: stapes stapedectomy -stomy: surgical creation of new opening colostomy sub-: under, below subarachnoid supra-: above, over supraclavicular semi-: half semimembranous syn-: together, joined syndrome T: tachy-: fast tachycardia tax/o-: order ataxia tel/e-: distance telodendria tens/o-: strain hypotension tetra-: four tetraplegia -thec/o: sheath intrathecal thorac/o: related to the chest thoracic thromb/o-: clot thrombosis thym/o-: thymus gland thymoma thyroid/o: thyroid gland thyroiditis -tic: pertaining to cyanotic -tion: process of relaxation toc/o-: childbirth, uterus oxytocin tomo-: to cut tomography -tomy: incision into phlebotomy -ton/o: tension, tone hypotonia tonsill/o-: tonsils tonsilitis toxic/o-: poisons toxicology trans-: across, through transverse -tresia: perforation atresia tri-: three triceps -tricho-: hair hypertrichosis -tripsy: intentional crushing lithotripsy tropho-: development trophoblastic -tropia: to turn esotropia -tropic, tropin-: affinity for, stimulating effect gonadotropin, adrenocorticotropic tympan/o-: eardrum tympanoplasty U: -ula, -ule: small, little macula -ule: small, little one venule ultra-: beyond ultrasonography -um: suffix for singular nouns duodenum umbilic/o: navel umbilical ungu/o: nail subungual -us: suffix for singular nouns coccus ureter/o-: ureter ureterostenosis urethra/o-: urethra urethritis -uria: characteristic of the urine hematuria ur/o-, urin/o-: urine urinary uni-: one unicellular V: viscer/o: internal organs visceral vagin/o-: vagina vaginitis vas/o-: vas deferens, vessel vasectomy vesic/o-: urinary bladder vesical vitre/o-: glassy vitreous X: xanth/o-: yellow color xero: dry xanthoderma xerosis Y: -y: noun ending myopathy