Medical Terminology Root Words

prim/i

first

mon/o, uni-

one

hemi-, semi-

half, partial, one side

bi-, di-

two, twice

dipl/o

double

tri-

three

tetra-, quadr/i

four

multi-, poly-

many

a-, an-

not, without, lack of, absence

anti-, contra-, counter-

against, opposite, opposed

de-

down, without, loss, removal

dis-

absence, removal, separation

in-, im-, non-, un-

not

dia-, per-, trans-

through

olig/o

few, scanty

pan-

all

ortho-

straight, correct, upright

poikilo-

varied, irregular

ante-, pre-, pro-

before, in front of

post-

after, behind

ec-, ecto-, exo-

out, away from, outside

end/o

within, in

mes/o

middle

morph/o

form

cyt/o, -cyte

cell

nucle/o, kary/o

nucleus

hist/o, histi/o

tissue

fibr/o

fiber

reticul/o

network

aden/o

gland

papill/o

nipple

myx/o, muc/o

mucus, mucus membranes

somat/o, -some

body

blast/o, -blast

immature cell

gen

formation, origin

phag/o

eat, ingest

phil

attract, absorb

plas

formation, development, molding

trop

act on, affect

troph/o

feeding, growth, nourishment

-ase, -zyme

enzyme

-ose

sugar

hydr/o

water, fluid

gluc/o, glyc/o

glucose, sugar

sacchar/o

sugar

amyl/o

startch

lip/o, adip/o

fat, lipid

streat/o

fatty

prote/o

protein

cephal/o

head

cervic/o

neck

thorac/o

chest, thorax

celi/o, abdomen/o

abdomen

lapar/o

abdominal wall

lumb/o

lumbar region, lower back

peritoneal, peritone/o

peritoneum

acro

extremity

brachi/o

arm

dactyl/o

finger, toe

ped/o, pod/o

foot

circum-, peri-

around

intra-

in, within

epi-

on, over

extra-

outside

infra-, sub-

below, under

inter-

between

juxta-, para-

near, beside

retro-

behind, backward

supra-

above

bacteria

simple microorganisms that are widespread throughout the world; some produce disease

virus

submicroscopic infectious agents that can live only within live cells

protozoa

single-celled animals

helminthes

worms

alg/o, algi/o, algesi/o, -algesia, -odynia

pain

carcin/o

cancer

cyst/o

filled sac or pouch, cyst, bladder

lith

calculus, stone

onc/o, -oma

tumor

paht/o

disease

py/o

pus

pyr/o, pyret/o

fever

scler/o

hard

tox/o, toxic/o

poison

brady-

slow

dys-

abnormal, painful, difficult

mal-

bad, poor

pachy-

thick

tachy-

rapid

xer/o

dry

-cele

hernia, localized dilation

-clasis, -clasia

breaking

-itis

inflammation

-stomy

surgical creation of an opening

-tome

instrument for incising

-tomy

incision, cutting

-tripsy

crushing

-lytic

dissolving, reducing, loosening

-mimetic

mimicking, stimulating

-tropic

acting on

chem/o

chemical