Medical Terminology

What is the prefix?

A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a root word to modify its meaning.

What is a root word?

A root word is the fundamental part of a word that provides its primary meaning, to which prefixes and suffixes can be added.

What is a suffix?

A suffix is a word part added to the end of a root word to modify its meaning or create a different form of the word.

Prefix: a/an

Without

Prefix: brady

Slow

Prefix : tachy

Fast

Prefix: hypo

Low

Prefix: hyper

High

Prefix: sub

Below

Prefix: peri

Around

Prefix: poly

Many

Root: cardi

Heart

Root: pulm/pneum

Lungs

Root: neuro

Brain/nerves

Root: gastro

Stomach

Root: hepato

Liver

Root: nephro

Kidney

Root: derm

Skin

Root: hemo/hemato

Blood

Suffix: -itis

Inflammation

Suffix: -osis

Condition

Suffix: -emia

Blood condition

Suffix: -pathy

Disease

Suffix: -megaly

Enlargement

Suffix: -ectomy

Removal

Laceration

Cut

Contusion

BruiseAbr

Abrasion

Scrape

Evisceration

Organs exposed

Anterior

Front

Posterior

Back

Medial

Toward midline

Lateral

Away from midline

Proximal

Closer to body

Distal

Farther from body

Prefix: oligo

Little

Prefix: dys

Difficult

Prefix: syn

Together

Prefix: intra

Within

Prefix: inter

Between