main part of the medical term that denotes the meaning
root word
found at the beginning of the term and it shows how meaning is assigned to the word.
prefix
found at the terminal portion or at the end of the term; denotes the meaning to the root word.
suffix
colo
colon
phlebo
vein
hema
blood
aero
air
myo
muscle
cardio
heart
arterio
artery
cyto
cell
arthro
joint
heap / hepato
liver
pyo
pus
cranio
skull
thrombo
clot
pyro
fever
nephro
kidney
mast
breast
a- /an-
without/ absence
hyper-
increased/ above
poly-
many
pre-
before
iso-
same
micro-
small
macro-
large
intra-
inside/ within
pseudo-
false
mono-
one
nano-
billionth
hypo-
decreased
anaero-
without oxygen
homo-
same, like
cryo-
cold
neo-
new
–megaly
enlargement
– uria
urine
– emia
blood
–ostomy
to make an opening or mouth
–itis
inflammation
–blast
young
–cidal
killing of / to kill
–poiesis
formation
–meter
measure
–ectomy
surgical removal
–emia
blood condition
–pathy
diseases
–penia
deficiency
–oma
tumor, growth
–tome
cutting instrument