Medical Terminology: Specialties, Body Structures, and Procedures

-er, -ist

one who

-iatrician

practitioner

-logist

one who studies, specializes

-ic, -ac, -al, -ical

pertaining to

-logic, -logical

pertaining to study of

-iatrics, -iatry

medical profession/treatment

-logy

study/science of

cardi/o

heart

crin/o

to secrete

dermat/o

skin

esthesi/o

feeling/sensation

gastr/o

stomach

enter/o

small intestines

ger/a, ger/o, geront/o

elderly/aged

gynec/o

female (disorders)

immun/o

immune system

laryng/o

larynx (voicebox)

ne/o, nat/o

new, birth

neur/o

nerve(s)

obstetr/o

obstetrics/midwifery

onc/o

tumors (-oma)

ophthalm/o

eye(s)

pyr/o

fire

CA

cancer

ED

emergency department

ENT

ear, nose and throat

ER

emergency room

GP

general practitioner

GYN

gynecology

ICU

intensive care unit

OB

obstetrics

PA

physician assistant

mono-, uni-

one

bi-, di-

two

tri-

three

quad-, quadri-

four

centi-

one hundredth

milli-

one-thousandth

diplo-

double

hemi-, semi-

half, partly

hyper-

excessive, more than normal

hypo-

beneath, below normal

multi-, poly-

many

nulli-

none

pan-

all

primi-

first

super-, ultra-

excessive

ab-

away from

ad-

toward

ante-, pre-

before in time or place

circum-, peri-

around

contra-

against or opposed

dia-

through

ecto-, ex-, exo-, extra-

out, without, away from

en-, end-, endo-

inside

epi-

above, on

hypo-, infra-, sub-

beneath, under

inter-

between

intra-

within

ipsi-

same

meso-, mid-

middle

para-

near, beside

per-

through or by

post-

after, behind

retro-

behind or backward

super-, supra-

above, beyond

sym-, syn-

joined, together

anti-, contra-

against

alb/o, albin/o, leuk/o, leuc/o

white

Chlor/o

green

chlor/o

green

cyan/o

blue

erythr/o

red

melan/o

black, dark

xanth/o

yellow

-cyte (cyt/o)

cell

-genesis, -genic (gen/o)

pertaining to beginning (onset)

-gram (gram/o)

a record

-graphy

processing of recording (producing a record)

-graph

instrument used to record

-kinesi/o, -kinesia (kinesi/o)

movement

-lepsy (leps/o)

seizure

-lysis (lys/o)

process of destruction (breaking down)

-lysin

substance that destroys

-lytic

capable of destroying

-malacia (malac/o)

softening

-megaly (megal/o)

enlarged

-meter (metr/o)

instrument to measure

-metry

process of measuring

-pathy (path/o)

disease

-phagia (phag/o)

eating/swallowing

-phasia (phas/o)

speech (brain function)

-plegia (pleg/o)

paralysis

-schisis (schis/o)

split

-sclerosis (scler/o)

hardening

-scope (scop/o)

instrument to view, examine

-scopy

process of viewing

trophy (troph/o)

nutrition

aer/o

air

oblast/o

embryonic form