Med Terms Roots

acro

extremities

derma

skin

itis

inflammation

megal

enlarged

paralysis

paralysis

adjective

descriptor, modifies nouns

anemia/anemic

lack of blood, noun/adj

appendix/appendices

glandular structure below cecum

bacillus/bacilli

rod-shaped bacteria

bacterium/bacteria

microorganism group

brainstem

brain structure including midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata

carcin

cancerous

oma

tumor

carpus, carpal, carpi

wrist bones

chicken pox

viral infection with varicella zoster

combining form

word root plus vowel

compound word

word made of two or more word roots

condyle/condylar

rounded bony process

contraction

condition of shortening a body part, tension, muscle function

crisis/crises

acute (severe) situation

cyan

blue

osis

condition

cyt

cell

meter

instrument that measures

ology

study of

disease

abnormal function or condition

extension

stretching or elongation

gastr

stomach

ectomy

excision

duodeno

duodenum

scopy

examination

ostomy

make a new surgical opening

hydro

water

cele

herniation or sac

therapy

therapy

thyroid

thyroid

hyper

above

hypo

below

ilium/iliac

upper pelvic vone

inflammation

condition defined by redness, swelling, pain, warmth

inject, injected, injecting

put in using a needle

injectable

able to be injected

larynx, larynges

voice box

lymphatic

lymph

adeno

gland

pathy

disease

micro

small

scope

instrument

mucus/mucous

watery substance produced by membrane

neuro

nerve

spasm

twitching

noun

person, place, thing

practitioner

one who practices

prefix

placed before word root to change meaning

psych

mental/mind

radio

x-ray

spermatozoon

sperm

suffix

follows a word root to change meaning

thermo

temperature

transport

carry across

verb

action or state of being word

vertebra/vertebrae

spinal bones

vomit, vomited, vomiting

evacuate stomach contents

word root

base of word

blast

immature

cardi

heart

algia

pain

ologist

physician specialist

metry

process of

tome

instrument used

otomy

incision

echo

sonography

electro

electrical

graph

instrument that produces

erthryr

red

penia

low numbers

cytosis

high numbers

etio

origin

histo

tissue

dermic

dermis

inflammation

tissue condition of redness, swelling, heat

jaundice

yellow appearance due to high bilirubin level in blood

leuk

white

edema

fluid build up

mania

madness, self-image

melano

pigment, darkness