Medical Terminology Terms

aden/o

gland

arthr/o

joint

bi/o

life

carcin/o

cancer, cancerous

cardi/o

heart

cephal/o

head

cerebr/o

cerebrum, largest part of the brain

cyst/o

urinary bladder

cyt/o

cell

derm/o

skin

dermat/o

skin

electr/o

electricity

encephal/o

brain

enter/o

intestines (often the small intestines)

erythr/o

red

gastr/o

stomach

gnos/o

knowledge

gynec/o

woman, female

hem/o

blood

hemat/o

blood

hepat/o

liver

lapar/o

abdomen

leuk/o

white

nephr/o

kidney

neur/o

nerve

onc/o

tumor

ophthalm/o

eye

oste/o

bone

path/o

disease

psych/o

mind

ren/o

kidney

rhin/o

nose

sarc/o

flesh

thromb/o

clotting

-al

pertaining to

-algia

pain

-cyte

cell

-ectomy

cutting out; removal, excision

-emia

blood condition

-globin

protein

-gram

record

-ia

condition

-ic

pertaining to

-ism

condition, process

-itis

inflammation

-logist

specialist in the study of

-logy

study of

-oma

tumor, mass

-opsy

process of viewing

-osis

abnormal condition

-scope

instrument to visually examine

-scopy

process of visual examination

-sis

state of

-tomy

process of cutting into (incision)

a-, an-

no, not

aut-

self

dia-

complete, through

dys-

bad, painful, difficult, abnormal

endo-

within

epi-

above, upon, on

exo-

outside

hyper-

excessive, more than normal, too much

hypo-

below, less than normal, under

pan-

all

peri-

surrounding

pro-

before, forward

re-

back

retro-

behind

sub-

below, under

trans-

across, through

abdomin/o

abdomen

anter/o

front

bronch/o

bronchial tubes

cervic/o

neck of the body or neck (cervix) of the uterus

chondr/o

cartilage

coccyg/o

coccyx, tailbone

crani/o

skull

epitheli/o

skin, surface tissue

esophag/o

esophagus

laryng/o

larynx (voice box)

lateral/o

side

lumb/o

loin or waist

lymph/o

lymph (clear fluid in tissue spaces and lymph vessels)

mediastin/o

mediastinum (space between the lungs)

pelv/o

pelvis (bones of the hip)

peritone/o

peritoneum (membrane surrounding the abdominal organs)

pharyng/o

pharynx (throat)

pleur/o

pleura

poster/o

back, behind

radi/o

X-rays

sacr/o

sacrum (five fused bones in the lower back)

spin/o

spine (backbone)

thorac/o

chest

trache/o

trachea (windpipe)

vertebr/o

vertebra (backbone)

-megaly

Enlargement

-pathy

Disease condition

-rrhea

Flow, discharge

-rrhage

Excessive

-rrhagia

Discharge of blood