Medical Terminology

-ia

condition of (dementia - loss of intellectual function)

-ism

condition of (racism - discrimination based on race)

-sis

condition of (thrombosis - having a blood clot (thrombus) in a vessel)

-y

condition of (atony - lack of muscle tone)

-ian

specialist in a field of study (physician)

-iatrics

medical specialty (pediatrics)

-iatry

medical specialty (psychiatry)

-ics

medical specialty (orthopedics)

-ist

specialist in a field of study (podiatrist)

-logy

study of (physiology)

-ac

pertaining to (cardiac - pertaining to the heart)

-al

pertaining to (vocal - pertaining to the voice)

-ar

pertaining to (nuclear - pertaining to a nucleus)

-ary

pertaining to (salivary - pertaining to saliva)

-form

pertaining to (muciform - like or resembling mucus)

-ic

pertaining to (anatomic - pertaining to anatomy)

-ical (ic + al)

pertaining to (electrical - pertaining to electricity)

-ile

pertaining to (virile - pertaining to the male)

-oid

pertaining to (lymphoid - pertaining to the lymphatic system)

-ory

pertaining to (circulatory - pertaining to circulation)

-ous

pertaining to (cutaneous - pertaining to the skin)

a (vertebra)

plural ae (vertebrae)

en (lumen)

plural ina (lumina)

ex, ix, yx (matrix)

plural ices (matrices)

is (diagnosis)

plural es (diagnoses)

ma (stigma)

plural mata (stigmata)

nx (phalanx)

plural nges (phalanges)

on (ganglion)

plural a (ganglia)

um (serum)

plural a (sera)

us (thrombus)

plural i (thrombi)

prim/i-

first

mon/o-

one

uni-

one

hemi-

half, one side

semi-

half, partial

bi-

two

di-

two

dipl/o-

double

tri-

three

quadr/i-

four

tetra-

four

multi-

many

poly-

many

cyan/o-

blue

erythr/o-

red

leuko/o-

white, colorless

melan/o-

black, dark

xanth/o-

yellow

a-; an-

not, without, lack of, absence (anhydrous - lacking water)

anti-

against

contra-

against, opposite, opposed

de-

down, without, removal, loss (decalcify - remove calcium from)

dis-

absence, removal, separation (dissect - to separate tissues for anatomic study)

in-

in, into (inject, inhale)

in-, im-

not (incontinent - not able to contain or control discharge of excretions)

non-

not

un-

not

ab-

away from

ad-

toward

dia-

through

per-

through

trans-

across, through

hyper-

over, excess, abnormally high, increases

hypo-

under, below, abnormally low, decreased

olig/o-

scanty, few

pan-

all

super-

above, excess

equi-

equal, same

eu-

true, good, easy, normal

hetero-

other, different, unequal

homo-, homeo-

same, unchanging

iso-

equal, same (isocellular - composed of similar cells)

macro-

large

mega-, megal/o-

large, abnormally large

micro-

small

neo-

new

normo-

normal

ortho-

straight, correct, upright

poikilo-

varied, irregular (poikilothermic - having variable body temperature)

pseudo-

false

re-

again, back

ante-

before

pre-

before, in front of

pro-

before, in front of

post-

after, behind

dextr/o-

right

sinistr/o-

left

ec-, ecto-

out, outside (ectopic - out of normal position)

ex/o-

away from, outside (excise - to cut out)

end/o-

inside, within

mes/o-

middle

syn-, sym- (before b, m, p)

together

tel/o-, tel/e-

end, far, at a distance

root

fundamental unit of each medical word

suffix

short word part added at the end of a root to modify its meaning

prefix

short word part added before a root to modify its meaning

most medical word parts come from

Greek and Latin

when you add a suffix to a word ending in x, the x is changed to

g or c

when you add a suffix to a word ending in x and there is a consonant before the x, the x is changed to

g

when you add a suffix to a word ending in x and there is a vowel before the x, the x is changed to

c