Bases

acanth-

thorn, spine

alg- / odyn-

pain

alges-

sensitivity to pain

all-

other, divergence, difference from

angi-

(blood) vessel, duct

arteri-

artery

arthr-

joint

bi-

life

brady-

slow

cardi-

heart

cephal-

head

crani-

skull

cyt-

cell

encephal-

brain

erythr-

red, red blood cell

lept-

thin, fine, slight

leuk-

white, white blood cell

lith-

stone, calculus

log-

word, study

malac-

soft

mes-

middle, secondary, partial, mesentery

-meter/metr-

measuring device/measure

nephr-

kidney

neur-

nerve, nervous system

oste-/ost

bone

prax-

act, action

prot-

primitive, early, first

scler-

hard

sten-

narrow

stere-/ster-

solid, having 3 dimensions

tachy-

rapid

tox(i)-

poison

base ending in “i”/ “e” followed by suffix starting with “i”/”e”

usually base “i”/”e” is dropped & suffix “i”/”e” is kept

combining forms preceded by a hyphen (ex: -em-) are found only

following a prefix or another base

ex: anemia & leukemia

cannot be at the beginning of a word

col(i)- / colon-

coli- : usually refers to the colon bacillus, Escherichia coli

colon

cyst(i)- / -cystis

cyst(i) - usually refer to the urinary bladder

bladder, cyst

-cystis = base + suffix, occurs at end of word

cholecyst-

refer to gallbladder

acr-

extremities (particularly the hands and the feet)

ambly-

dull, faint

carcin-

carcinoma, cancer

-cel-

hernia, tumor, swelling

often used with ending -e (cel/e)

diplo-

double, twin

enter-

(small) intestine

erg-

action, work

gastr- / -gaster

stomach

hem- / hemat- / -em-

blood

hepar- / hepat-

liver

lip-

fat

macr- / mega- / megal-

(abnormally) large or long

melan-

dark, black

micr-

(abnormally) small

nyct-

night

onc-

tumor

pachy-

thick

pseud-

false

py-

pus

sarc-

flesh, soft tissue

spasm-

spasm, involuntary muscular contraction

splen-

spleen

stom- / stomat-

mouth, opening