HSCI 131 Exam 1

Defining a medical word

1) define the suffix

2) define the beginning of the word or root word

3) define the middle of the word

suffix

describes a pathology (disease or abnormality), symptoms, surgical or diagnostic procedure, or part of speech

prefix

describes a number, time, position, direction, or negation

Rule 1

A root word links a suffix that begins with a vowel

Rule 2

A combining form (root+o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant

Rule 3

A combining form links one root to another root to form a compound word

encephal/o

brain

mening

meninges

thromb/o

blood clot

mast/o

breast

rhin/o

nose

arthr/o

joint

chondr/o

cartilage

oste/o

bone

enter/o

intestines

nat/o

birth

nas/o

nose

muscl/o

my/o

muscle

ten/o

tendon

therm/o

heat

esthes

feeling

hepat/o

liver

gastr/o

stomach

cyst/o

bladder

oris

mouth (anatomical)

stomat/o

mouth (disease, treatment, diagnosis)

ren/o

kidney (anatomical)

nephr/o

kidney (disease, treatment, diagnosis)

dermat/o

skin (disease, treatment, diagnosis)

cutane

skin (anatomical)

hemat/o

blood

trache/o

trachea

lith/o

stone

cardi/o

heart

electr/o

electricity

angi/o

blood vessels

pelv/i

pelvis

ot/o

ear

carcin/o

cancer

neur/o

nerve

bronchi/o

bronchus/bronchi

lymph/o

lymph

chol/e

bile, gall

erythr/o

red

blephar/o

eyelid

men/o

menstruation

cyan

blue

arteri/o

artery

cost/o

ribs

pre-

pro-

before, in front of

crani/o

cranium, skull

poly-

multi-

many, much

dys-

bad, painful, difficult

para-

near, beside; beyond

intra-

endo-

in, within

neo-

new

hemi-

one half

hyper-

excessive, above normal

an-

a-

without, not

anti-

contra-

against

brady-

slow

tachy-

rapid

syn-

union, together, joined

mal-

bad

pseudo-

false

homo-

homeo-

same

pan-

all

hetero-

different

eu-

good, normal

dia-

trans-

through, across

epi-

above, upon

hypo-

under, below, deficient

infra-

sub-

under, below

inter-

between

post-

after, behind

retro-

backwards, behind

bi-

two

mono-

uni-

one

diplo-

dipl-

double

macro-

large

micro-

small

nulli-

none

primi-

first

quadri-

four

tri-

three

ab-

from, away from

ad-

toward

super-

upper, above

supra-

above, excessive, superior

ultra-

excess, beyond

ecto-

exo-

extra-

outside, outward

circum-

peri-

around

-centesis

surgical puncture

-duction

act of leading, bringing, conducting

-crine

secrete

-therapy

treatment

-gravida

pregnant woman

-ceps

head

-opia

vision

-gnosis

knowing