Root words/combining forms

midterm

abdomin/o

abdomen

aden/o

gland

adip/o

fat

albin/o

white

angi/o

blood

anter/o

toward the front

astr/o

star/star shaped

aur/o

ear

aut/o

self

bacteri/o

bacteria

bi/o

life

blephar/o

eyelid

cardi/o

heart

caud/o

tail

cephal/o

head/brain

chlor/o

green

coagul/o

coagulation

cyan/o

blue

cyt/o

cell

derm/a

skin

electr/o

electricity

enter/o

intestine

erythr/o

red

esthesi/o

feeling

fung/i

fungus

gastr/o

stomach

ger/o

old age/ elderly

gerenter/o

elderly

glyc/o

glucose or sugar

hepat/o

liver

hist/o

tissue

hydr/o

water

hyster/o

uterus

ile/o

ileum

ili/o

ilium

immun/o

immune, immunity

jejun/o

jejunum

kary/o

nucleus

ket/o

ketones

laryng/o

larynx

lingu/o

tongue

medi/o

near the midline

melan/o

black

mening/o

meninges (membrane that surround the brain and spinal chord)

muscul/o

muscle

my/o

muscle (combining form used as prefix)

nas/o

nose

necr/o

death

nephr/o

kidney

nucle/o

nucleus

obstetr/o

midwife/pregnancy/labor

ocul/o

eye

onc/o

tumor

ophthalm/o

eye

or/o

mouth

orth/o

“straight” → referring to bone

oste/o

bone

ot/o

ear

path/o

disease

ped/o

child or foot

phag/o

eat/swallow

pharmac/o

drug/medicine

psor/o

itching

psych/o

mind/mental

pulmon/o

lung

radi/o

radiant energy (eg xrays)

rect/o

rectum

ren/o

kidney

super/o

uppermost or above

therm/o

heat

thorac/o

chest

thyr/o

thyroid

tonsill/o

tonsil

ur/o

urine

urethr/o

urethra

vagin/o

vagina

ven/o

vein

vertebr/o

vertebra

staphyl/o

grape-like cluster

strept/o

spiral

xanth/o

yellow

son/o

sound

chem/o

chemical

algesi/o

sensitivity to pain

seps/o

infection

hem/a

blood

hampt/o

blood

lymph/o

lymph

lymphaden/o

lymph node

lymphangi/o

lymph vessel

splen/o

speen

thym/o

thymus

phren/o

diaphram

pneum/o

lungs/air

pharyng/o

pharynx

phas/o

speech

spir/o

breathing

sin/o

sinus

sinus/o

sinus

bronch/o

bronchioles