Medical Terminology (Ch 1-5) - An Illustrated Guide 7th edition by Barbara Cohen

-ia,

-ism

-sis

-y

Condition of

root

Main part of a word

prefix

Found at the beginning of a word

Combining form

A root with a vowel added for pronunciation (neur/o)

Latin and Greek

Most medical terms come from

-logy

Study of

-ac,

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-al

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ar

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ary

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ic

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ile

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-oid

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ory

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ous

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-form

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-ical

Pertaining to

like

resembling to

-iatry, -ics, -iatrics

Medical specialty

(Psychiatry)

-ian, -ist

Specialist in a field of study

(Physician)

a word ending singular

(vertebra)

ae

(vertebrae) plural

en

word ending singular (lumen)

ina

(lumina)

ex, ix, yx

word ending singular (matrix)

ices

(matrices)

is

word ending singular (diagnosis)

es

(diagnoses)

ma

word ending singular (stigma)

mata

(stigmata)

nx (anx, inx, ynx)

word ending singular (phalanx)

nges

(phalanges)

on

word ending singular (ganglion)

a

(ganglia)

um

word ending singular (serum)

a

(sera)

us

word ending singular (thrombus)

i

(thrombi)

prim/i

first

(primary)

mon/o

one

(monocular)

uni-

one

(unite)

hemi-

half, one side

(hemisphere)

semi-

half, partial

(semi-permeable)

bi-, -di

two, twice

(binary)

dipl/o

double

(diplococci)

tri-

three

(tricuspid)

quadr/i

four

(quadruplet)

tetra-

four

(tetralogy)

multi

many

(multicellular)

poly-

many, much

(polymorphous)

cyan/o

blue

erythro/o

red

leuk/o

white, colorless

melan/o

black, dark

xanth/o

yellow

a- , an- (negative prefix)

not

without

lack of

absence

(anhydrous)

in- , -im- , non- , un-

not

(incontinent)

anti-

against

(antiseptic)

contra-

against

opposite

opposed

(contraindicated)

de-

down

without

removal

loss

(decalcify)

dis-

absence

removal

separation

(dissect)

ab- (prefix for direction)

away from

(abduct)

ad- (prefix for direction)

toward

near

(adduct)

dia- , per- , trans- (prefix for direction)

through

(percutaneous)

hyper -

over

excess

abnormally high

increased

(hyperthermia - high body temp)

hypo-

under

below

abnormally low

decreased

(hypo-secretion - under production of substance)

olig/o

few

scanty

(oligospermia - abnormally low number of sperm cells in semen)

pan-

all

(pandemic - disease affecting an entire population)

super-

above

excess

(supernumerary - in excess number)

eu-

good

true

easy

(euthanasia - easy or painless death thanat/o)

hetero-

other

different

unequal

(heterogenous - composed of diff materials, not uniform)

homo- , homeo

same

unchanging

(homograft - tissue transplanted to another of the same species)

iso-

equal

same

(isocellular - composed of similar cells)

macro-

mega- , megalo-

large

abnormally large

(macroscopic - large enough to be seen w/o microscope)

micro-

small

(microcyte - very small cell)

neo-

new

(neonate - a newborn infant)

normo-

normal

(normovolemia - normal blood volume)

ortho-

straight

correct

upright

(orthodontics - branch of dentistry)

poikilo-

varied

irregular

(poikilothermic - having variable body temp)

pseudo-

false

(pseudoplegia - false paralysis)

re-

again

back

(reflux - backward flow)

ante- , pre- , pro-

before

in front of

(antenatal, premature, prodrome)

post-

after

behind

(postnasal - behind the nose)

end/o

in

within

(endoderm - inner layer of developing embryo)

ec- , ecto- , ex/o-

out

outside

(ectopic - out of normal position ; excise - to cut out)

dextr/o

right

(dextrogastria - displacement of the stomach to the right)

sinistr/o

left

(sinistromanual - left-handed)

mes/o

middle

(mesencephalon - middle portion of the brain (encephalon)

syn- , sym- (used before b,m,p)

together

(synapse - a junction b/w two nerves)

tel/e , tel/o

end

(telophase - the last phase of cell division)

equi-

equal

same

(equilibrium)

hist/o , histi/o

tissue

(histology - study of tissue)

morph/o

form

(polymorphous - having many forms)

aden/o

gland

(adenoma - tumor (-oma) of a gland )

cyt/o , -cyte

cell

(cytologist - one who studies cells)

hydr/o

water

fluid

(hydration - addition of water)

phag/o

eat

ingest

(autophagy - self destruction of a cell's organelles)

-ase

enzyme

(lipase - an enzyme that digests fat (lipid)

gen , genesis

origin

formation

(karyogenesis - formation of a nucleus)

nucle/o , kary/o

nucleus

fibr/o

fiber

reticul/o

network

papill/o

nipple

myx/o , muc/o

mucus

somat/o , -some

body

small body

blast/o, -blast (root)

immature cell

productive cell

embryonic cell

phil (root)

attract

absorb

(basophilic - attracting basic stain)

plas (root)

formation

molding

development

(hyperplasia - overdevelopment of an organ or tissue)

trop (root)

act on

effect

(chronotropic - affecting rate or timing)

troph/o (root)

feeding

growth

nourishment

(atrophy - tissue wasting)