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additional word parts |
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roots and prefixes used to build medical terms |
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acr/o |
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top; extremeties |
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carcin/o |
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cancer |
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don/o |
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donates |
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flour/o |
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luminous |
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glyc/o |
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sugar |
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pharmac/o |
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drug |
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physi/o |
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nature |
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practition/o |
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practice |
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sect/o |
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cut |
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suffixes used to indicate pathologic conditions, pathology means the study of disease processes |
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suffixes used to describe disease, symptoms, or abnormalities |
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-algia |
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pain |
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cepahl/o |
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head |
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cephalgia |
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headache |
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arthr/o |
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joint |
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arthralgia |
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joint pain |
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ot/o |
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ear |
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otalgia |
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earache |
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-cele |
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hernia (protrusion or displacement of an organ through a structure that normally contains it)
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cyst/o |
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bladder |
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cystocele |
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hernia of the urinary bladder, protrusion of the bladder onto the vaginal walls |
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rect/o |
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rectum |
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rectocele |
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hernia of the rectum; protrusion of the rectum onto the vaginal wall |
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encephal/o |
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brain |
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encephalocele |
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hernia of the brain |
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-dynia |
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pain |
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gastr/o |
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stomach |
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gastrodynia |
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stomach pain |
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mast/o |
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breast |
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mastodynia |
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breast pain |
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-emesis |
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vomiting |
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hemat/o |
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blood |
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hematemesis |
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vomiting blood |
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-emia |
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blood condition |
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glyc/o |
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sugar |
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glycemia |
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sugar in the blood |
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-ia |
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state of; condition |
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pneum/o |
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lung |
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pneumonia |
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condition of the lung (most commonly known as an inflammation of the lung) |
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-itis |
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inflammation (the redness, swelling, heat, and pain that occur when the body protects itself from injury) |
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enter/o |
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small intestine |
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enteritis |
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inflamed small intestine |
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stomat/o |
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mouth |
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stomatitis |
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inflamed mouth |
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spondyl/o |
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vertebra |
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spondylitis |
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inflamed vertebra |
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-lysis |
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destruction; separation; breakdown |
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hem/o |
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blood |
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hemolysis |
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breakdown of blood |
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-malacia |
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softening |
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cerebr/o |
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brain |
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cerebromalacia |
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softening of the brain |
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chondr/o |
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cartilage |
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chondromalacia |
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softening of cartilage |
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-megaly |
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enlargement |
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viscer/o |
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internal organs |
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visceromegaly |
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enlargement of the internal organs |
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-oma |
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tumor/ mass |
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lip/o |
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fat |
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lipoma |
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tumor containing fat |
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my/o |
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muscle |
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myoma |
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tumor of muscle |
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-osis |
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abnormal condition |
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nephr/o |
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kidney |
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nephrosis |
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abnormal condition of the kidney |
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-pathy |
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disease process |
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ureter/o |
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ureter (a tube leading from each kidney) |
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ureteropathy |
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disease process of the ureter to the bladder for the passage of urine |
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-penia |
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decrease, deficiency |
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cyt/o |
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cell |
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cytopenia |
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deficiency of cells |
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-phobia |
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irrational fear |
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acr/o |
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top, extemeties |
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acrophobia |
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fear of heights |
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-ptosis |
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downward displacement; drooping; prolapse; sagging |
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blephar/o |
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eyelid |
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blepharoptosis |
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drooping eyelid |
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nephr/o |
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kidney |
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nephroptosis |
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drooping kidney |
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-ptysis |
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spitting |
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hemoptysis |
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spitting up blood |
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-rrhage; rrhagia |
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bursting forth |
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hem/o |
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blood |
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hemorrhage |
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bursting forth of blood/ bleeding |
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gastr/o |
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stomach |
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gastrorrhagia |
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bleeding from the stomach |
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-rrhea |
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flow; discharge |
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ot/o |
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ear |
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otorrhea |
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discharge from the ear |
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-rrhexis |
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rupture |
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splen/o |
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spleen |
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splenorrhexis |
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ruptured spleen |
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-sclerosis |
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hardening |
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arteri/o |
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artery |
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arteriosclerosis |
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hardening of the arteries |
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-spasm |
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sudden, involuntary contraction |
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blephar/o |
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eyelid |
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blepharospasm |
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sudden, involuntary contraction of the eyelid |
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-stenosis |
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narrowing; stricture |
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phleb/o |
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vein |
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phlebostenosis |
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narrowing of a vein |
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-y |
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process |
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neur/o |
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nerve |
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path/o |
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disease |
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neuropathy |
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disease process of the nerve |
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micro/ |
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small |
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microencephaly |
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small brain |
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suffixes used to indicate diagnostic procedures |
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common suffixes associated with diagnostic procedures |
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-gram |
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record; writing |
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lymphangi/o |
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lymph |
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lymphangiogram |
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record of lymph vessel (by the use of x-rays) |
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-graph |
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instrument used to record |
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cardi/o |
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heart |
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cardiograph |
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instrument used to record heart activity |
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-graphy |
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process of recording; producing images |
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tom/o |
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to cut |
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computed tomography (CT scan) |
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x-ray beam rotates around the patient detailing the structure at various depths. The information is computer analyzed and converted to a picture of the body part. Common body parts studied in this fashion include the abdomen, kidneys, brain, and chest. NOTE: Another type of scan is the nuclear medicine scan. X-rays are no used as they are in CT scans. An image of a body organ is taken after a radioactive substance known as a tracer has been introduced in to the body. the tracer travels though the bloodstream to the body organ being studied, and gives off small amounts of radiation that are detected by a special camera called a gamma camera, which produces an image called a scan. Nuclear medicine scans are commonly of bone, brain, liver, lung, thyroid, and heart. |
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mamm/o |
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breast |
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mammography |
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producing images of the breast (by the use of x-rays) |
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myel/o |
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spinal cord |
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myelography |
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producing images of the spinal cord (by the use of x-rays) |
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-meter |
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instrument used to measure; process of measuring |
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crani/o |
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skull |
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craniometer |
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instrument used to measure the skull |
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-metry |
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to measure; measurement |
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pelv/i |
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pelvis |
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pelvimetry |
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measurement of the pelvis.NOTE: A pelvimetry is performed to confirm the size of the maternal pelvis in situations in which the pelvis is thought to be too small for the delivery of the baby. |
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-opsy |
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to view |
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bi/o |
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life |
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biopsy |
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a procedure involving the removal of a piece of living tissue, which is then microscopically examined for any abnormalities |
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-scope |
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instrument used to visually examine (a body cavity or organ) |
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bronch/o |
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bronchus |
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bronchoscope |
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instrument used to visually examine the interior of the bronchus |
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-scopy |
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process of visually examining (a body cavity or organ) |
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bronch/o |
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bronchus |
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bronchoscopy |
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process of visually examining the bronchus |
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fluor/o |
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luminous |
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fluoroscopy |
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x-ray of moving structures, such as the movement of substances through the digestive tractNOTE: In this term, -scopy does not mean the process of visually examining a body cavity or organ. A fluoroscopy produces an image of a structure on a fluorescent screen rather than on a single x-ray film. This procedure has the advantage of allowing observation of structures as they move. |
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suffixes used to indicate surgical procedures |
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common suffixes associated with surgical procedures |
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-centesis |
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surgical puncture to remove fluid |
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abdomin/o |
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abdomen |
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abdominocentesis |
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surgical puncture to remove fluid from the abdomen |
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thorac/o |
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chest |
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thracocentesis |
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surgical puncture of the chest wall to remove excess fluid from around the lungs
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-desis |
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surgical binding; surgical fusion |
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arthr/o |
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joint |
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arthrodesis |
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surgical fusion of joint |
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-ectomy |
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excision; surgical removal |
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oophor/o |
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ovary |
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oophorectomy |
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excision of the ovary |
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tonsill/o |
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tonsils |
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tonsillectomy |
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excision of the tonsils |
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-pexy |
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surgical fixation |
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nephr/o |
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kidney |
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nephropexy |
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surgical fixation of a kidney |
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-plasty |
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surgical reconstruction; surgical repair
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orchid/o |
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testicle |
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orchidoplasty |
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surgical reconstruction of the testicle |
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-rrhaphy |
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suture; sew |
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colp/o |
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vagina |
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colporrhaphy |
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suturing of the vagina |
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-stasis |
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stoppage; stopping; controlling |
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hem/o |
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blood |
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hemostasis |
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stoppage of blood |
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-stomy |
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new opening; artificial opening |
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trache/o |
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trachea; windpipe |
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tracheostomy |
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new opening into the trachea |
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-tome |
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instrument used to cut |
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my/o |
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muscle |
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myotome |
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instrument used to cut muscle |
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-tomy |
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process of cutting; incision |
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ten/o |
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tendon |
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tenotomy |
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process of cutting a tendon |
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general suffixes |
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general suffixes needed to know to understand a great number of medical terms |
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-cyte |
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cell |
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adip/o |
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fat |
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adipocyte |
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fat cell |
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histi/o; hist/o |
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tissue |
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histiocyte; histocyte |
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tissue cell |
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-er; -ician; -logist; -ist |
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specialist; one who specializes; specialist in the study of |
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practition/o |
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practice |
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practitioner |
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one who has obtained the proper requirements to work in a specific field of study |
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physi/o |
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nature |
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physician |
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specialist in the study of medicine who has graduated from a recognized school of medicine and is licensed by the appropriate authority to practice |
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neur/o |
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nerve |
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neurologist |
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specialist in the study of the nervous system and its disorders |
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pharmac/o |
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drug |
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pharmacist |
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specialist licensed to prepare and dispense drugs |
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-ion |
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process |
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sect/o |
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to cut |
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section |
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process of cutting |
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-logy |
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study of; process of study |
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hepat/o |
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liver |
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hepatology |
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study of the liver |
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physi/o |
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nature |
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physiology |
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study of function (the study of how a structure functions) |
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-or |
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one who; person or thing that does something |
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don/o |
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donate |
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organ donor |
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one who donates organ tissue to be used in another body |
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-plasia |
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formation; developement |
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chondr/o |
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cartilage |
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chondroplasia |
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formation of cartilage |
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-poiesis |
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production; manufacture; formation |
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hemat/o |
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blood |
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hematopoiesis |
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production of blood |
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adjectival suffixes |
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adjectival suffixes describe special qualities or relationships |
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-genic |
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produced by; producing |
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carcin/o |
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cancer |
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carcinogenic |
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producing cancer (agent that produces cancer) |
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-oid |
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resembling |
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oste/o |
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bone |
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osteoid |
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resembling bone |
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-ole; -ule |
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small |
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bronchi/o |
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bronchus |
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bronchiole |
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small bronchus |
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ven/o |
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vein |
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venule |
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small vein |
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-ac; -al; -ary; -eal; -ic; -ous |
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pertaining to |
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cardi/o |
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heart |
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cardiac |
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pertaining to the heart |
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ren/o |
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kidney |
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renal |
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pertaining to the kidney |
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mamm/o |
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breast |
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mammary |
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pertaining to the breast |
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pharyng/o |
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throat; pharynx |
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pharyngeal |
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pertaining to the throat |
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gastr/o |
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stomach |
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gastric |
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pertaining to the stomach |
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ven/o |
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vein |
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venous |
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pertaining to a vien |
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