MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY: Chapter 1

prefix

prefix

optional word in the beginning of a a medical word

combining form

foundation of a medical word; gives main meaning

suffix

ending of a medical word; modifier

abdomin/o

abdomen

arteri/o

artery

intestin/o

intestine

muscul/o

muscle

thyroid/o

thyroid gland

tonsill/o

tonsil

ven/o

vein

anthr/o

joint

cardi/o

heart

derm/o

skin

gastr/o

stomach

mamm/o

breast

nas/o

nose

cost/o

rib

cyan/o

blue

enter/o

intestine

hepat/o

liver

lapar/o

abdomen

leuk/o

blood

-ac

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-ic

pertaining to

-ine

pertaining to

-ive

pertaining to

-ous

pertaining to

-ation

being, having, or process

-ion

action or condition

-ia

condition; state; thing

-ism

disease from a specific cause

-itis

infection of; inflammation of

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

mass; tumor

-osis

abnormal condition

-pathy

disease

-ectomy

surgical removal

-gram

picture; record

-graphy

picture; record

-metry

process of measuring

-scope

instrument used to examine

-scopy

process of using an instrument to examine

-tomy

process of cutting or making an incision

-iatry

medical treatment

-ics

knowledge; practice

-ist

person who specializes in; thing that specializes in

-logy

study of

epi

above; upon

inter

between

intra

within

peri

around

post

after; behind

pre

before; in front of

sub

below or under; less than

trans

across; through

bi

two

brady

slow

hemi

one half

hyper

above; more than normal

hypo

below; deficient

poly

many; much

quadri

four

tachy

fast

tri

three

an

not; without

anti

against

dys

abnormal; difficult; painful

re

again and again; backward; unable to

anterior

moving towards the front of the body

posterior

moving towards back of body

coronal/frontal plane

divides body into anterior and posterior sections

sagittal plane

divides the body into right and left sections

superior

upper

inferior

lower

transverse plane

divides the body into superior and inferior sections

medial

moving towards the midline (spine) of the body

lateral

moving away from the midline (spine) of the body

cephalad (superior)

moving toward the head

caudad (inferior)

moving toward the tailbone

proximal

moving away from the fingers or toes toward the trunk

distal

moving away from the trunk of the body toward the fingers or toes

external/superficial

outer part of the body or an organ

internal/deep

inside of the body or organ

body cavity

hollow space surrounded by bones or muscles that support and protect the structures inside

dermatology

integumentary system

gastroenterology

gastrointestinal system

pulmonology

respiratory system

cardiology

cardiovascular system

hematology

blood

immunology

immune system

orthopedics

skeletal and muscular systems

neurology

nervous system

urology

urinary system

male reproductive medicine

male genitourinary system

gynecology

female reproductive system

obstetrics

pregnancy and childbirth

endocrinology

endocrine system