medical terminology: verbs

-algia

pain

ex. neuralgia = nerve pain

-audi, -audio

hear, hearing

ex. audiometer = measure hearing

bio-

to live

ex. biology = study of living

cau-, caus-

to burn

ex. causalgia = burning pain

-centesis

puncture, perforate

ex. pneumocentesis = puncture of lung

-clas, -clast, -clasis

to smash or breakdown

ex. cytoclasis = cell breakdown

-duct, -doch-

canal or to draw

ex. abduction = to draw or lead away, ductal = refers to canal

-dynia

pain

ex. throacodynia = chest pain

-ecta, ectasis

to dilate

ex. vasectasis = dilated vessel, bronchiectasis = trachea-like

-edem-

to swell

ex. lymphedema = watery swelling

-ethesia, -phoro-

to feel (physical), to sense (mental)

ex. anesthesia = without body feeling, euphoria = good mental feeling

-fiss, -schiz-

to split

ex. fission = process of splitting, schizophrenia = refers to splitting of mind

-flec, -flex-

to bend

ex. reflex = to bend again

flu-, flux-

to flow

ex. affluent = to flow towards, fluxion = to become fluid

-gen

to produce, form, or develop

ex. carcinogenesis = crab-leg like development

-iatr-, -iatro, -therapy

to treat, cure

ex. geriatrics = cure old age, pediatrics = cure children

-kine, -kino, kinesio-, -praxia

to move

ex. kinesiology = the study of motion, pharmacopraxia = the movement of drugs

-liga, -desis

to bind

ex. ligament = to bind smallness

-ology

to study

ex. cardiology = study of the heart

-ly, -lysis

to break up, to dissolve

ex. autolysis = cell self-destruction

-morph, -morpho

form or shape

ex. amorphous = no definite form or shape

olfact-, -osmia

to smell

olfactophobia = fear of smells, anosmia = without smell

-op, opt-, -opto, -opsy

vision, sight, to see

ex. myopia = near-sighted, hyperopia = far-sighted, biopsy = live viewing

palpit-

to flutter

ex. palpitation = to flutter

-par, -part, -partus, -toci-

to labor

ex. parturition = giving birth, dystocia = act of difficult birth

-pep-

to digest

ex. dyspepsia = faulty digestion

-pexy, -pexia

to fix

ex. nephropexy = surgical fixation of kidney

-phag, -phago-

to eat

ex. phagocytosis = cell eating

-phas-

to speak, utter

ex. dyaphasia = refers to difficulty speaking

-Phil-

to like, have an affinity for

ex. hemophiliac = refers to loving blood, acidophilia = acid stain-liking

-phob-

to fear

ex. hydrophobia = to fear water, acrophobia = to fear height

-phrag-

to fence off

ex. diaphragm = partition or wall across, separates thorax from abdomen

-plas, -plasm, -plasty

repair, to form

ex. neoplasm = new growth, rhinoplasty = nose repairing

-pleg-

to be paralyzed

ex. quadriplegia = paralysis of limbs

-pnea

to breathe

ex. apnea = lack of breathing

-phono-

voice or sound

ex. aphonia = lack of voice or sound

-poie-

to make

ex. hematopoiesis = condition of making blood, erythropoiesis = making red

-ptosis

to fall, droop

ex. splanchnoptosis = drooping of viscera, nephroptosis = drooping of kidney

-orrhagia

to burst forth, pour

ex. menorrhagia = abnormal menstrual bleeding

-orraphy

to suture

ex. nephrorrhaphy = suturing of kidneys

-orrhea

to flow, dischage

ex. leukorrhea = white discharge or flow

-orrhexis

to rupture

ex. enterorrhexis = intestines rupture

-therapy

to heal, treat, or cure

ex. chemotherapy = chemically curing

-tomy

to cut, incise

ex. appendectomy = to cut out an appendage

-trophy, -trophy

to nourish, to develop, formation process

ex. hypertrophy = increase in size or over nourishment

-volvo-

to turn, twist

ex. volvulus = twisting of internal part, enterovolvulus = twisting of intestine

-vulvo-

to cover

ex. vulvus = female genital covering