Medical Terminology

JMU 2026 Fall Semester

combining vowel

connects two word roots

word root

foundation of a medical term

suffix

used to indicate a procedure

prefix

used to indicate time

combining form

word root + combining vowel

ancillary report

report of treatments and therapies

history and physical

written by the admitting physician

ambulatory care

does not require overnight hospitalization

rehabilitation center

provide physical and occupational therapy

hospice

provides support for terminally ill

cardi/o

heart

nephr/o

kidney

pulmon/o

lung

brady-

slow

pseudo-

false

retro

backward

post-

after

-cyte

cell

-sclerosis

hardening

-lytic

destruction

suffix: -algia

pain

suffix: -rrhagia

abnormal flow condition

suffix: -trophy

development

suffix: -sclerosis

hardening

prefix: hemi-

half

prefix: poly-

many

combining form: enter/o

small intestine

combining form: gastr/o

stomach

prefix: a-

without

combining form: gynec/o

female

a suffix that means inflammation is

-itis

a prefix that means normal is

eu-

a prefix that means new is

neo-

a suffix that means abnormal softening is

-malacia

a suffix that means cutting into is

-otomy

a suffix that means rupture is

-rrhexis

the combining form that means kidney is

nephr/o

a suffix that means puncture to withdraw fluid is

-centesis

a suffix that means the process of measuring is

-metry

a suffix that means disease is

-pathy

a prefix that means all is

pan-

a suffix that means treatment is

-therapy

a prefix that means across is

trans-

a prefix that means after is

post-

a suffix that means surgical removal is

-ectomy