Medical Prefixes, Suffixes, and Body System Terms for Health Sciences

a-

without or not

an-

without or not

aut-

self

brady-

slow

dia-

apart or through

end-

within or inside

endo-

within or inside

exo-

outside of or without

epi-

above

hyper-

excessive

hypo-

below or insufficient

inter-

between

intra-

within

media-

medium

naso-

nose

oxi-

presence of oxygen

oxy-

presence of oxygen

medi-

middle

medio-

within or middle

normo-

normal

per-

through

peri-

around

physio-

related to nature or physiology

poly-

many

pro-

before or in front of

re-

back or again

retro-

behind or backward

sub-

under, below, or less than normal

syn-

union or association

sy-

union or association

syl-

union or association

sym-

union or association

tachy-

fast

trans-

across, through, beyond, or over

ultra-

excess

-ac

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-ic

pertaining to

-ose

pertaining to

-ous

pertaining to

-tic

pertaining to

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-cision

process of cutting

-ectomy

surgical removal

-gram

written record

-graph

instrument that records

-graphy

process of recording

-ia

condition

-ism

process or condition

-itis

inflammation

-ologist

specialist in the study of

-ology

study of

-pnea

breathing

-oxia

oxygen condition

-lysis

loosening or destruction

-opsy

to view

-osis

condition or process

-otomy

cutting into

-ostomy

surgical opening

-plasty

surgical repair

-pathy

disease

-sclerosis

hardening

-scope

instrument for viewing

-scopy

visual examination

-sis

state or condition

-stasis

stop or control

-stenosis

narrowing

-tension

pressure

-therapy

treatment

-thoracic

chest

-ule

small

angi(o)

vessel

vas(o)

vessel

vascul(o)

vessel

aort(o)

aorta

arter(o)

artery

arteri(o)

artery

arteriol(o)

arteriole

atri(o)

atrium

cardi(o)

heart

coron(o)

crown or heart

endocardi(o)

endocardium

echo(o)

sound

son(o)

sound

electr(o)

electricity

bronch(o)

bronchus or airway

bronchi(o)

bronchus or airway

laryng(o)

larynx or voice box

nas(o)

nose

pharyng(o)

pharynx or throat

pneum(o)

lung or air

pneumon(o)

lung

pulm(o)

lung

pulmon(o)

lung

rhin(o)

nose

thorac(o)

chest or thorax

trache(o)

trachea or windpipe

pleur(o)

pleura or side