Medical Terminology: Basic Word Elements, Suffixes, and Prefixes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic medical word elements, Greek and Latin roots, combining forms, surgical, diagnostic, and pathological suffixes, pluralization rules, and prefixes.

Word Root

The main part or foundation of a word that contains its primary meaning; all medical terms have at least one.

Combining Form

A word root combined with a vowel (usually 'o', sometimes 'i') to make pronunciation smoother when adding other word elements.

Suffix

A word element placed at the end of a word or word root that alters its meaning by describing a pathology, symptom, surgical or diagnostic procedure, or part of speech.

Prefix

A word element attached to the beginning of a word or word root that indicates number, time, position, direction, or negation.

Hippocrates

An ancient Greek physician (born c. 460 BCE, Cos; died c. 375 BCE, Larissa, Thessaly) who lived during Greece's Classical period and is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine.

Greek vs. Latin Word Roots

Greek roots are typically used to describe a disease, condition, treatment, or diagnosis, whereas Latin roots are primarily used to describe anatomical structures.

dermat vs. cutane

Two roots meaning skin: dermat is derived from the Greek dermatos and describes conditions or diseases (e.g., dermatitis), whereas cutane is derived from the Latin cutis and identifies anatomical structures (e.g., cutaneous).

nephr vs. ren

Two roots meaning kidney: nephr is derived from the Greek nephros (e.g., nephroma), whereas ren is derived from the Latin renes and denotes anatomical structures (e.g., renal).

stomat vs. gastr

Roots that must be distinguished: stomat is derived from the Greek word for mouth (e.g., stomatitis), whereas gastr is derived from the Greek word gastros, meaning stomach.

Malleus

One of the three auditory ossicles located in the middle ear, distinguished in spelling and pronunciation from the ankle bone malleolus.

Medial Malleolus

The bony prominence located on the inner side of the ankle at the lower end of the tibia.

abduct vs. adduct

Opposing directional terms where abduct means to lead or move away from the midline, while adduct means to lead or move toward the midline.

arteritis vs. arthritis

Look-alike conditions: arteritis is inflammation of an artery, whereas arthritis is inflammation of a joint.

Three Steps to Defining Medical Words

1. Define the suffix (last part of the word); 2. Define the first part of the word (prefix, word root, or combining form); 3. Define the middle parts of the word.

Rule 1 for Linking Word Elements

A word root links a suffix that begins with a vowel (e.g., hepat + -itis = hepatitis).

Rule 2 for Linking Word Elements

A combining form (root + o) links a suffix that begins with a consonant (e.g., hepat/o + -cyte = hepatocyte).

Rule 3 for Linking Word Elements

A combining form links one root to another root to form a compound word, even if the second root begins with a vowel (e.g., oste/o/arthr/itis).

Surgical Suffixes

Suffixes that describe an invasive procedure performed on a body part.

-centesis

Surgical suffix meaning surgical puncture to remove fluid, obtain samples of synovial fluid for diagnosis, or instill medications (e.g., arthrocentesis).

-clasis

Surgical suffix meaning to break or surgical fracture (e.g., osteoclasis, performed to correct a bone deformity).

-desis

Surgical suffix meaning binding or fixation of a bone or joint (e.g., arthrodesis, which fuses bones across a joint space).

-ectomy

Surgical suffix meaning excision or removal (e.g., appendectomy, excision of the appendix).

-lysis

Surgical/pathological suffix meaning separation, destruction, or loosening (e.g., thrombolysis, destruction of a blood clot).

-pexy

Surgical suffix meaning fixation of an organ (e.g., mastopexy, elective surgery affixing sagging breasts in an elevated position).

-plasty

Surgical suffix meaning surgical repair (e.g., rhinoplasty, surgery changing the size or shape of the nose).

-rrhaphy

Surgical suffix meaning suture (e.g., myorrhaphy, suture of a muscle).

-stomy

Surgical suffix meaning forming an opening or mouth (e.g., tracheostomy, creating an artificial opening to bypass an obstructed airway).

-tome

Surgical suffix meaning instrument to cut (e.g., osteotome, a surgical chisel used to cut through bone).

-tomy

Surgical suffix meaning incision (e.g., tracheotomy, incision into the trachea).

-tripsy

Surgical suffix meaning crushing (e.g., lithotripsy, a procedure to crush a calculus in the kidney, ureter, bladder, or gallbladder).

-gram

Diagnostic suffix meaning record or writing (e.g., electrocardiogram, a line tracing on scrolling graph paper showing electrical activity of the heart).

-graph

Diagnostic suffix meaning instrument for recording (e.g., electrocardiograph, the machine used to record electrical impulses of the heart).

-graphy

Diagnostic suffix meaning the process of recording (e.g., electrocardiography [ECG], the process of recording electrical activity of the heart).

-scope

Diagnostic suffix meaning instrument for examining (e.g., endoscope, a flexible or rigid tube with an optical system for observing internal cavities).

-scopy

Diagnostic suffix meaning visual examination (e.g., endoscopy, visual examination of a cavity using an endoscope).

-algia / -dynia

Pathological suffixes meaning pain (e.g., neuralgia, pain along a nerve; otodynia/otalgia, earache).

-cele

Pathological suffix meaning hernia or swelling (e.g., hepatocele, hernia of the liver).

-ectasis

Pathological suffix meaning dilation or expansion (e.g., bronchiectasis, dilation or expansion of the bronchi).

-emesis

Pathological suffix meaning vomiting (e.g., hyperemesis, excessive vomiting; hematemesis, vomiting blood).

-emia

Pathological suffix meaning blood condition (e.g., leukemia, cancer of white blood cells; hypercalcemia, excessive calcium in the blood).

-gen / -genesis

Pathological suffixes meaning forming, producing, or origin (e.g., carcinogen, an agent that causes cancer; carcinogenesis, transformation of normal cells into cancer cells).

-malacia

Pathological suffix meaning softening (e.g., chondromalacia, softening of cartilage).

-megaly

Pathological suffix meaning enlargement (e.g., cardiomegaly, enlargement of the heart).

-oma

Pathological suffix meaning tumor (e.g., neuroma, a benign tumor composed of nerve tissue; hepatoma, tumor of the liver).

-osis

Pathological suffix meaning abnormal condition, or an increase when used primarily with blood cells (e.g., cyanosis, bluish skin discoloration indicating oxygen deficiency).

-penia

Pathological suffix meaning decrease or deficiency (e.g., osteopenia, decrease in bone mass less severe than osteoporosis).

-plegia

Pathological suffix meaning paralysis (e.g., hemiplegia, paralysis of one half of the body; quadriplegia, paralysis of all four limbs).

-ptosis

Pathological suffix meaning prolapse or downward displacement (e.g., blepharoptosis, drooping of the upper eyelid).

-rrhea

Pathological suffix meaning discharge or flow (e.g., diarrhea, abnormally frequent flow of fluid fecal matter from the bowel).

-rrhexis

Pathological suffix meaning rupture (e.g., arteriorrhexis, rupture of an artery).

-sclerosis

Pathological suffix meaning abnormal condition of hardening (e.g., arteriosclerosis, hardening of an artery).

-spasm

Pathological suffix meaning involuntary contraction or twitching (e.g., blepharospasm, twitching of the eyelid).

-stenosis

Pathological suffix meaning narrowing or stricture (e.g., arteriostenosis, narrowing of an artery).

-icle / -ole / -ule

Diminutive grammatical suffixes denoting something small or minute (e.g., ventricle, arteriole, venule).

Plural Rule for -a

Retain the 'a' and add 'e' (e.g., pleura becomes pleurae; vertebra becomes vertebrae).

Plural Rule for -ax

Drop the 'x' and add 'ces' (e.g., thorax becomes thoraces).

Plural Rule for -en

Drop 'en' and add 'ina' (e.g., lumen becomes lumina).

Plural Rule for -is

Drop 'is' and add 'es' (e.g., diagnosis becomes diagnoses; keratosis becomes keratoses).

Plural Rule for -ix / -ex

Drop 'ix' or 'ex' and add 'ices' (e.g., appendix becomes appendices; apex becomes apices).

Plural Rule for -ma

Retain 'ma' and add 'ta' (e.g., carcinoma becomes carcinomata).

Plural Rule for -on / -um

Drop 'on' or 'um' and add 'a' (e.g., ganglion becomes ganglia; spermatozoon becomes spermatozoa; bacterium becomes bacteria).

Plural Rule for -us

Drop 'us' and add 'i' (e.g., bronchus becomes bronchi).

Plural Rule for -y

Drop 'y' and add 'ies' (e.g., deformity becomes deformities).

endo- / intra-

Prefixes of position meaning in or within (e.g., endocrine, secreting within the bloodstream; intramuscular, within the muscle).

epi-

Prefix of position meaning above or upon (e.g., epidermis, the outer layer situated upon the dermis).

hypo- / infra- / sub-

Prefixes of position meaning under, below, or deficient (e.g., hypodermic, under the skin; infracostal, below the ribs; subcutaneous, pertaining to the layer beneath the dermis).

retro-

Prefix of position meaning backward or behind (e.g., retroversion, the tipping backward of an organ such as the uterus from its normal position).

inter-

Prefix of position meaning between (e.g., intercostal, located between the ribs).

dipl- / diplo-

Prefixes of number/measurement meaning double (e.g., diplopia, double vision; diplobacterial, bacteria linked in pairs).

hemi-

Prefix of number/measurement meaning one-half (e.g., hemiplegia, paralysis of one half of the body).

hyper-

Prefix meaning excessive or above normal (e.g., hypercalcemia, excessive calcium in the blood; hyperthermia, condition of excessive heat).

multi- / poly-

Prefixes of number/measurement meaning many or much (e.g., multigravida, woman pregnant more than once; polyphobia, fear of many things; polyuria, excessive urination).

ab- vs. ad-

Prefixes of direction: ab- means from or away from; ad- means toward.

circum- / peri-

Prefixes of direction meaning around (e.g., circumrenal, around the kidney; periodontal, around a tooth).

dia- / trans-

Prefixes of direction meaning through or across (e.g., diarrhea, discharge through the bowel; transvaginal, across or through the vagina).

ecto- / exo- / extra-

Prefixes meaning outside or outward (e.g., ectogenous, originating outside the body; exotropia, turning outward of the eyes; extracranial, outside the skull).

para-

Prefix of direction meaning near, beside, or beyond (e.g., paranasal, beside the nose; note that -para may also function as a suffix meaning to bear offspring).

super- / supra-

Prefixes meaning upper, above, excessive, or superior (e.g., superior, pertaining to the upper part of a structure; suprarenal, situated above the kidney).

ultra-

Prefix meaning excess or beyond (e.g., ultrasonic, sound frequencies beyond human hearing).

a- vs. an-

Prefixes meaning without or not; 'a-' is used before consonants (e.g., amastia, absence of a breast), whereas 'an-' is used before vowels (e.g., anesthesia, without feeling).

anti- / contra-

Prefixes meaning against (e.g., antibacterial, substances killing or inhibiting bacteria; contraception, preventing conception).

brady- vs. tachy-

Prefixes of speed: brady- means slow (e.g., bradycardia, slow heart rate; bradypnea, slow breathing), whereas tachy- means rapid (e.g., tachycardia, rapid heart rate; tachypnea, rapid breathing).

dys- vs. eu-

Prefixes describing quality: dys- means bad, painful, or difficult (e.g., dystocia, difficult childbirth), whereas eu- means good or normal (e.g., eupnea, normal breathing).

Autograft

Tissue transplanted from one site and grafted to another site on the same individual.

Heterograft (Xenograft)

A tissue or organ graft transplanted from an organism of one species to a recipient of a different species (e.g., a porcine heart valve transplanted into a human).

Homograft (Allograft)

A graft of tissue or an organ taken from a donor of the same species as the recipient (e.g., human donor kidneys, lungs, heart, or limbs).