Med Term Unit 4

cord/o

heart

cardi/o

heart; ex. cardiology, endocarditis 

valv/o

valve; ex. valvotomy, valviform 

valvul/o

valvule; ex. valvulitis, valvulotome 
loan word: valva, valvulae (plural) 

membrane-like structure in the body that guides the flow of a liquid in one direction and stops it from flowing backward

cuspid/o

cuspid, point; ex. bicuspid, cuspidate 
loan word: cuspis, cuspides (plural) 

a single-pointed, sharp tooth located between the incisors and premolars in the human jaw

mitr/o

mitral valve; ex. mitral 

one-way heart valve located between the left atrium and left ventricle

chord/o

cord, tendon; ex. chorditis, notochord

lun/o

moon; ex. semilunar, lunate 

cresc/o; cret/o

increasing, grow, crescent; ex. crescent 

atri/o

atrium (a chamber of the heart), a central room; ex.x atrioventricular, atrial 
loan word: atrium, atria (plural) 

ventricul/o

ventricle, a small cavity; ex. interventricular, ventriculoatristomy
loan word: ventriculus, ventriculi (plural) 

sept/o

a wall dividing two cavities; ex. septoplasty, septate
loan word: septum, septa (plural) 

pariet/o

wall; ex. parietal, parietotemporal
loan word: paries, parietes (plural) 

viscer/o

organ; ex. visceral, eviscerate
loan word: viscus, viscera (plural)

coron/o

coronary vessels, a circular structure, crown; ex. coronary, coronal
loan word: corona, coronae (plural) 

the network of arteries and veins that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle and drain deoxygenated blood away from it

aort/o

aorta; ex. aortoclasia, aortalgia
loan word: aorta, aortae (plural) 

carotid/o

carotid; ex. carotidectomy, carotidal
loan word: carotid 

jugul/o

jugular vein, throat; ex. jugular, jugulate
loan word: jugulum, jugula (plural) 

pulm/o; pulmon/o

lung; ex. pulmonary, pulmoaortic

saphen/o

saphenous vein; ex. saphenectomy, saphenous
loan word: saphena, saphenae (plural) 

port/o

gate, entrance (port of entry of a vessel or nerve into an organ); ex. portography, portal

osti/o

orifice, opening; ex. ostial, ostiole
loan word: ostium, ostia (plural) 

vas/o

vessel; ex. vasospasm, vasodilation
loan word: vas, vasa (plural) 

vascul/o

vessel (a little vessel); ex. vasculitis, vascular 

angi/o

artery; ex. angioma, angiotomy 

arteri/o

artery; ex. arteriorrhapy, arteriogram 
loan word: arteria, arteriae (plural) 

Large, muscular blood vessels that branch off from the heart to transport high-pressure, oxygenated blood

arteriol/o

arteriole; ex. arteriolonercrosis
loan word: arteriola, arteriolae (plural)

The smallest branches of arteries that connect larger arterial vessels to microscopic capillary beds

phleb/o

vein; ex. phlebotomist, phlebangioma

ven/o

vein; ex. venosclerosis, venovenostomy
loan word: vena, venae (plural)

venul/o

venule; ex. venulose, venulitis
loan word: venula, venulae (plural) 

microscopic blood vessel that collects deoxygenated blood from your capillary beds and channels it into larger veins to be returned to the heart

capillar/o

capillary; ex. capillaritis, capillarectasia 
loan word: capillary 

arc/o

arch, a curved structure, a bow; ex. arcuate, arciform
loan word: arcus 

ram/o

ramus (a branching of vessels) branch, branchlike; ex. ramose, ramification
loan word: ramus, rami (plural) 

furc/o; furcat/o

a forking, splitting; ex. bifurcation, furcal 
loan word: furca, furcae (plural) 

plex/o

plexus (an interwoven network of vessels or nerves) to plait, interweave; ex. plexopathy, plexitis 
loan word: plexus 

ret/o

net, network; ex. retoperithelium, retial
loan word: rete, retia (plural) 

lumin/o

light, lumen (the open space between walls of a vessel); ex. transluminal, luminiferous
loan word: lumen, lumina (plural) 

sphygm/o; -sphygmia 

pulse; ex. sphygmomanometer, microsphygmia
loan word: sphygmus, sphygmi (plural) 

"sphygm sounds like rhythm" → your pulse has a rhythm.

rhythm/o

rhythm; ex. arrhythmia, dysrhythmia
loan word: rhythm 

systol/o

contraction; ex. systolic
loan word: systole 

the heart squeezes to pump blood out.

diastol/o

expansion; ex. diastolic
loan word: diastole

tachy-; tach/o

quick, rapid; ex. tachycardia

brady-

slow; ex. bradycardia 

steth/o

chest; ex. stethoscope 

tens/o

stretch; ex. hypertension

dilat/o.

expand; ex. vasodilator  

-ectasia; -ectasis

dilated, expanded; ex. venectasia, cardiectasis 

strict/o; string/o

to narrow, bind, compress; ex. constrictor, stringent 

spasm/o; spasmod/o

convulsion, spasm; ex. vasospasm, spasmodic
loan word: spasmus 

fibrill/o

fibril, fiber, *quivering of the heart; ex. fibrillation, defibrillator 
loan word: fibrilla, fibrillae

palpit/o

sensation of rapid beating of the heart; ex. palpitation, palpitate

angin/o

angina pectoris, choking; ex. anginoid, anginophobia 
loan word: angina 

chest pain, pressure, or discomfort caused when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood

ather/o

fatty plaque; ex. atherosclerosis, atherectomy

Ather = artery clogged with fat."

scler/o

hard; ex. ateriosclerosis, sclerotic 

isch/o

hold back; ex. ischemia, ischuria 

coarct/o; coarctat/o

to confine; ex. coarctation, coarctotomy 

varic/o

a swollen, tortuous vein; ex. varicosis, varication
loan word: varix, varices (plural)

aneurysm/o

abnormal widening of the vessel; ex. aneurysmoplasty
loan word: aneurysm 

eury-

wide; ex. eurycephalic, eurythermal 

clus/o; claud/o

shut, closed off; ex. occulsion, claudent 

claudic/o

limping; ex. claudication 

phor/o; -phor; -phore-; -phoresis 

to bear, convey (-phorm -phore) bearer; (-phoresis) transmission; ex. euphora, phromatophore, diaphoresis 

cephal- 

head 

lat/o

to bear, convey

sanguin/o

blood; ex. consanguinity 
loan word: sanguis

hem/o; hemat/o; -emia 

blood; ex. hemothroax, hematology, erythremia 

plasm/o; -plasm 

fluid portion of blood (plasma), something formed or shaped; ex. cytoplasma, plasatherapy
loan word: plasma 

plast/o; -plast; -plasia 

formed, molded, forming cell or organelle condition of formation, growth; ex. plastid, chloroplast, neoplasia 

ser/o

fluid left over after blood clotting (blood serum), a watery fluid; ex. seroanguineous, serous
loan word: serum, sera (plural) 

-poiesis

to make, produce; ex. erythropoiesis, cytopoiesis 

blast/o; -blast

embryonic cell, formative cell or layer, bud or shoot; ex. homoblastic, hematoblast

cyt/o; -cyte

cell; ex. hemocytoblast, erthrocyte 

thromb/o

a clot; ex. thrombocyte, thrombosis
loan word: thrombus, thrombi (plural) 

erythr/o

red, red blood cell; ex. erythropenia, erythrocyte 

leuk/o; leuc/o

white, white blood cell; ex. leukemia, leucocyte 

reticul/o

net, network; ex. reticulocyte, reticulated 

granul/o

grandule, small grain; ex. granulocyte, grandular 

corpuscul/o

corpuscle, small mass or body; ex. corpuscular 

glob/o; globul/o

ball, sphere; ex. hemoglobin, globulin
loan word: globus, globi (plural) 

morph/o

shape, form; ex. polymorphonuclear, isomorphism 

nucle/o

center of cell (nucleus), nut, kernel; ex. mononucleosis, nuclear
loan word: nucleus; nuclei (plural) 

kary/o

center of cell (nucleus), nut, kernel; ex. karyotypem karyolysis
loan word: karyon, larya (plural)

neutr/o.

neutral, neither; ex. neutrophil, neutropenia 

bas/o

base, foundation, step, a walking; ex. basophil, basad
loan word: basis, bases (plural) 

eosin/o

red dyes used in histology (eosine); ex. eosinophil, eosinoblast
loan word: eosine 

eos/o

daw, early, morning red; ex. eocene, eosophobia 

phil/o; -phil; -phile

attraction, love; ex. eosinophil, iodinophilous, mesophile 

lymph/o; lymphat/o

lymph, water; ex. lymphedema, lympathic
loan word: lymph

a clear, watery fluid derived from blood plasma that leaks out into body tissues

nod/o

node (lymph), swollen, knot-like; ex. nodose, nodular
loan word: nodus, nodi (plural) 

aden/o

gland; ex. lymphadenopathy, lymphadenitis 

splen/o

spleen; ex. microsplenia, splenectomy 

lien/o

spleen; ex. lienocele, gastrolienal
loan word: lien 

tonsill/o

tonsil; ex. tonsillitis, supratonsillar
loan word: tonsilla, tonsillae (plural) 

thym/o

thymus gland; ex. thymectomy, megalothymus 

a specialized organ of the immune and endocrine systems located in the upper chest behind the breastbone and in front of the heart

coagul/o

thickening of liquid into a gel or solid, particularly blood; ex. coagulopathy, coagulate
loan word: coagulum, coagula (plural) 

fibr/o

fiber; ex. fibremia, fibrosis 

bubon/o

swollen lymph node(s); ex. bubonadenitis
loan word: bubo, buboes (plural) 

crit/o; -crit

separate, decide; ex. critical, hematocrit 

cras/o; -crasia

mixture, temperament; ex. dyscrasia, idiosyncrasy 

micr/o

small; ex. microbe