Rutgers Medical Terminology Lesson 1

Lesson 1: Bases, Prefixes, & Suffixes

a- (an- before a vowel or h)

prefix;
not, without, lacking, deficient

ex. a-biogenesis

anti- (ant- often before a vowel or h; hyphenated before i)

prefix;
against, opposed to, preventing, relieving

ex. anti-biotic

di- (rarely dis-)

prefix;

two, twice, double

ex. di-plegia

dys-

prefix;
difficult, painful, defective, abnormal

ex. dys-pnea

ec- (ex- before a vowel)

prefix;
out of, away from

ex. ec-topic, ex-cision

ecto- (ect- often before a vowel)

prefix;
outside of

ex. ecto-derm, ect-ostosis

en- (em- before b, m, and p)

prefix;
in, into, within

ex. en-cephalitis, em-bolism

endo-, ento- (end-, ent- before a vowel)

prefix;
within

ex. endo-genous, ento-cele, end-odontics, ent-optic

epi- (ep- before a vowel or h)

prefix;
upon, over, above

ex. epi-dermis, ep-onychium

exo-

prefix;
outside, from the outside, toward the outside

ex. exo-crine

hemi-

prefix;
half, partial; (often) one side of the body

ex. hemi-paralysis

hyper-

prefix;
over, above, excessive, beyond normal

ex. hyper-hidrosis, hyper-glycemia

hypo- (hyp- before a vowel or h)

prefix;
under, deficient, below normal

ex. hypo-dermic, hypo-kalemia

mono- (mon- before a vowel or h)

prefix;
one, single

ex. mono-neuritis, mon-ocular

peri-

prefix;
around, surrounding

ex. peri-cardium

syn- (sym- before b, p, and m; the n assimilates or is dropped before s)

prefix;
together, with, joined

ex. syn-apse, sym-metry, sy-stolic

-a

suffix; abstract noun-forming suffix

state, condition
ex. dyspne-a

-ac (rare)

suffix; adjective-forming suffix

pertaining to, located in
ex. cardi-ac, celi-ac

-ia

suffix; abstract noun-forming suffix

state, condition
ex. anem-ia, pneumon-ia

-iac (rare)

suffix; noun-forming suffix

person afflicted with __
ex. hemophil-iac, amnes-iac

-iasis

suffix; noun-forming suffix

disease, abnormal condition, abnormal presence of; often used w/ the name of a parasitic organism to indicate infestation of the body by that organism.
When used with lith- [stone]: formation and/or presence of calculi in the body

ex. elephant-iasis, nephrolith-iasis

-ic

suffix; adjective-forming suffix

pertaining to, located in; words ending in -ic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent

ex. gastr-ic

can also refer to a person suffering from a certain disability or condition

ex. anorex-ic

-in, -ine

suffix; noun-forming suffix

form names of substances

ex. epinephr-ine, chlor-ine

-ist

suffix; noun-forming suffix

a person interested in ____

ex. cardiolog-ist, hematolog-ist

-itic

suffix; adjective-forming suffix

pertaining to, pertaining to inflammation; words ending in -itic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent

ex. arthr-itic, nephr-itic

-itis

suffix; noun-forming suffix

indicating an inflamed condition; inflammation

ex. gastr-itis, laryng-itis

*-itides is the plural form for nouns ending in -itis

-ium (rarely -eum)

suffix; noun-forming suffix

membrane, connective tissue

ex. pericard-ium

-ma

suffix; noun-forming suffix

abnormal or diseased condition. The combining form for nouns ending in -ma is -mat. Sometimes the final -a drops off the noun.

ex. ede-ma, phleg-m, sper-mat-ic

-osis

suffix; adjective-forming suffix

abnormal or diseased condition

ex. nephr-osis

-otic

suffix; adjective-forming suffix

pertaining to

ex. nephr-otic

-sia, (-a, -ia)

suffix; abstract noun-forming suffix

state, condition

ex. amne-sia

-sis

suffix; abstract noun-forming suffix

state, condition, quality, process, procedure

ex. eme-sis

-tic

suffix; adjective-forming suffix from nouns ending in -sis

pertaining to; words ending in -tic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, can often indicate a drug or agent.

ex. antisep-tic

-y

suffix; abstract noun-forming suffix

state, condition, quality, process, procedure

ex. neuroton-y

Acanth-

thorn, spine, spike

ex. acanth-ocytosis

alg-

pain

ex. my-alg-ia

alges-

sensitivity to pain

ex. an-alges-ia

all-

other, divergence, difference from

ex. all-ostery

angi-

(blood) vessel, duct

ex. angi-ography

arteri-

[air passage] artery

ex. arteri-ogram

arthr-

joint

ex. arthr-itis

bi-

life

ex. bi-ology

brady-

slow

ex. brady-rhythmia

cardi-

heart

ex. cardi-ograph

cephal-

head

ex. cephal-algia

crani-

skull

ex. epi-crani-um

cyt-

[hollow container] cell

ex. leuko-cyt-e

encephal-

brain (a combo of en, in, and kephale, head)

ex. ecephal-itis

erythr-

red, red blood cell

ex. erthr-ocyte

lept-

thin, fine, slight

ex. lept-omeninges

leuk-

white, white blood cell

ex. leuk-emia

lith-

stone, calculus

ex. micro-lith

log-

word, study

ex. bio-log-y

malac-

soft

ex. malac-oplakia

mes-

middle, secondary, partial, mesentary

ex. mes-oderm

-meter, metr-

measure, measuring device (words ending in -meter usually indicate instruments for measuring)

ex. bio-metr-ycyto-meter

nephr-

kidney

ex. nephr-ectomy

neur-

[tendon] nerve, nervous system

ex. neur-ology

oste-

bone

ex. oste-oporosis

prax-

act, action

ex. echo-prax-ia

prot-

first, primitive, early

ex. prot-opathic

scler-

hard

ex. scler-oderma

sten-

narrow

ex. sten-otic

stere-, ster-

solid, having three dimenstions

ex. stere-otropism

tachy-

rapid

ex. tachy-cardia

tox(i)-

poison

ex. tox-in