Medical Terminology: Prefixes and Suffixes

Combining Vowel/Form

Makes it possible to pronounce long medical terms with ease and combine several word parts, a combing vowel is used.

abdomin/o

abdomen

aden/o

gland

albin/o

white

amini/o

amnion

angi/o

vessel

bas/o

the base

bi/o

life

burs/o

bursa

carcin/o

cancer

cardi/o

heart

carp/o

carpus

cervic/o

neck

cervic/o

cervix

chem/o

chemical

chondr/o

cartilage

chori/o

chorion

cis/o

to cut

clavicul/o

clavicle

coccyg/o

coccyx

colp/o

vagina

cortic/o

outer portion

cost/o

rib

cran/o

skul

cry/o

cold

culd/o

cul-de-sac

cutane/o

skin

cyan/o

blue

cyst/o

bladder, pouch

cyt/o

cell

derm/o

skin

dermat/o

skin

diaphor/o

profuse sweating

electr/o

electricity

embry/o

embryo

enter/o

small intestine

episi/o

vulva

erythr/o

red

esthesi/o

feeling

femor/o

femur

fet/o

fetus

fibr/o

fibers

fibul/o

fibula

gastr/o

stomach

gynec/o

female

hem/o

blood

hemat/o

blood

hidr/o

sweat

humer/o

humerus

hydr/o

water

hymen/o

hymen

hyster/o

uterus

ichthy/o

scaly, dry

ili/o

ilium

immun/o

immunity

ischi/o

ischium

kerat/o

hard, horny

kyph/o

hump

lact/o

milk

lamin/o

lamina, part of vertebra

lapar/o

abdomen

later/o

side

laryng/o

voice box

leuk/o

white

lip/o

fat

lord/o

bent backwards

lumb/o

low back

mandibul/o

mandible

mamm/o

breast

mast/o

breast

maxill/o

maxilla

medull/o

inner portion

melan/o

black

men/o

menstruation

metacarp/o

metacarpus

metatars/o

metatarsus

metr/o

uterus

myc/o

fungus

myel/o

bone marrow

nat/o

birth

nephr/o

kidney

necr/o

death

neur/o

nerve

olig/o

scanty

onych/o

nail

oophor/o

ovary

ophthalm/o

eye

or/o

mouth

orth/o

straight

oste/o

bone

ot/o

ear

ovari/o

ovary

patell/o

patella

path/o

disease

pedicul/o

lice

pelv/o

pelvis

perine/o

perinium

phalang/o

phalanges

phot/o

light

pod/o

foot