common medical prefixes and suffixes

acro-

exremitis

-ectomy

surgical removal

-edema

swelling due to lymph fluid

-megaly

abnormal enlargement

-oma

swelling due to cellular components

-ptosis

prolasped

-plasia

growth

-scler-

hardening

-sten-

narrowing

-stomy

opening

a- ; an-

lack of

-algia

plain

brady-

slowed

dys-

poor functioning

hyper-

too much

hypo-

too low / lack of flow

-itis

swelling due to inflammation

necro-

death

-osis

condition

-pathy

disease

-penia

deficiency / lack

-pepsia

digestion

-pnea

breathing

-rrhage

bursting

-rrhea

to flow

-rrhexis

rupture

tachy-

fast / swift

-centesis

puncture to remove fluid

-logist

expert / specialist

-scope

camera / to view

-tripsy

crushing

athero-

plaque / fatty substance

-calc-

calcium

glyco-

sugar

hydro-

water

litho-

stone

-ox- or oxy-

oxygen

ur- or -uria

urine

adipo-

fat

angio-

blood vessel

arthr-

joint

-blast

immature / embryonic

chondro-

cartilage

-cyte

cell

-dural

dura matter (membrane around spinal cord)

-emia

blood

erythro-

red blood cells

leuko-

white blood cells

sarc-

flesh / connective tissue

thromb-

clot

abdomino-

abdomen

dia-

through

epi-

upon

peri-

around / surrounding

thora-

thorax (area between neck and abdominal)