Medical Root Words

a-, an-

without, lack of, absence of

-algia

pain

ante

before, forward, in front of

Anter

front, Foward

anti-

aginst

arteri(o)

artery

arthr(o)

Joint

-ase

enzyme

brady-

slow

cardi(o)

Heart

cephal(o)

head

cerebr(o)

Cerebrum, Brain

Cervic(o)

neck

Chondr(o)

Cartilage

Contra-

Aginst

cost(o)

rib

Crani(o)

Skull, Cranium

Cyan(o)

Blue

cyt(o), -cyte

cell

derm(o), dermat(o)

skin

dys-

difficult, abnormal, bad, painful

-ectomy

excision, cut

-emia

blood condition

encephal(o)

Brain, Inside head

endo-

Inside, Inner

epi-

outer, upon

erythr(o)

red

gastr(o)

stomach

gluc(o)

sugar

glyc(o)

sugar, sweet

-gram

Graph, record

-Graph

recording instrument

hem(o), Hemat(o)

blood

Hemi-

Half

Hepat(o)

Liver

Hyper-

excessive, high

Hypo-

deficient, low

infra-

below, beneath

inter-

between, among

intra-

within, inside

iso-

equal, same

-itis

inflammation

laryng(o)

larynx, voice box

later(o)

side

leuk(o)

white

-lysis

destruction, breakdown

mal-

bad, abnormal

-malacia

soft, softening

myo

muscle

Neur(o)

nerve

oste(o)

bone

ot(o)

ear

para-

beside, near, abnormal

-pathy

disease

-plasty

surgical repair

post-

after