Medical Terminology: Basics

hepat/o

liver

-itis (suffix)

inflammation, inflammation of

Ileum

Small intestine

Urethra

Tube leading from the bladder to the outside of the body

Ureter

2 tubes leading from the kidneys to the urinary bladder

Ceph, cephal, cephal/o

Head

-algia

Pain

Ophthalm, ophthalm/o

Eye, disease of the eye

-ologist, -gist

Specialist

Hemat, hemat/o, hemo

Blood

-ology

the study of

Electr, electr/o

Electricity, electrical

card, cardi, cardi/o

Heart

-gram

Film, picture, record

gastr/o, gastr

Stomach

Enter/o, Enter-

Small intestine

Hypo

Below, beneath, under, low, decrease

-ic, al, ary, ial, ia, ad, ium

Pertaining to

Epi-

Above, upon

Aden/o

Gland

-oma

Tumor, mass

arthr/o

Joint

ather/o

plaque, fatty substance

Bi/o

Life

carcin/o

cancer, cancerous

-opsy

process of viewing

cerebr/o

cerebrum (largest part of the brain)

In-

Into

-oin

Process

Ex-

Out, away from

End/o

Within, inside

-crine

To secrete

cyst/o

Sac, fluid filled sac, cyst, bladder, urinary bladder

-scopy

Visual examination

cyte/o

Cell

Derm, dermat, derm/o, dermat/o

Skin

Cutane/o

Skin

encephal/o

Brain

erythr/o

Red

-cyte

Cell

-ectomy

excision, surgical removal

-otomy

To cut

-ostomy

Artificial mouth like opening

glyc/o

Sugar

-em/e

Blood

-emia

blood condition

-ia

pertaining to, condition of

Hyper-

Excessive, above, high, increase, more than normal

Dia-

Complete, through

-gnos/o

knowledge

-osis

abnormal condition

Pro-

Before, forward

gynec/o

female, woman

-globin

Protein

-iatr/o

Treatments, physician

Gen-

Producing

-genic

Producing by, producing in, pertaining to producing

leuk/o

White

nephr/o, nephr

Kidney

Ren/o

Kidney

Neur/o

Nerve

onc/o

tumor (cancerous)

-scope

Instrument used for visual examination

oste, oste/o

Bone

path, path/o

Disease

Ped, ped/o

Child, foot

orth/o, orth

Straight

psych, psych/o

Mind

Radi, radi/o

Xray

sarc, sarc/o

Flesh

sacr/o, sacr

Sacrum

sect/o, sect

To cut

Re-

Back, backward, again

rhin/o, rhin

Nose

thromb/o, thromb

Clot, clotting

Ur/o

Urine, urinary tract

-osis

abnormal condition

-pathy

disease condition

-sis

state of; condition

Peri-

Surrounding, around

Retr/o, retr

Behind

Sub-

Below, under

Trans-

Across, through