Medical Terminology ( Suffixes, Prefixes & Root Words )

Most medical terms are made up of one or more parts. there are 4 possible word parts and medical terms which are?

root words, prefixes, suffixes, & combining forms

Medical terms always contain at least one what?

root word

The vowel used most often to combine medical words is?

O

Suffixes

these word parts attach to the end of the root word in order to modify their meaning.

-al, -eal, -iac, -ic, -ical, -ior

Pertaining to

-algia

pain

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-ectomy

excision, surgical removal

-gram

record

-ia

condition of

-ian, -ist

specialist

-itis

inflammation

-logy

study of

-malacia

Softening

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

tumor

-ostomy

surgical opening

-pathy

disease condition

-plasty

surgical repair

-plegia

paralysis

-rrhage

excessive or unusual discharge

-scope

instrument for visual examination

-tomy

process of cutting, incision

Prefixes

are word parts that are attached to the beginning of a root word in order to modify its meaning.

a-, an-

no, not, without

anti-, contra-

against

auto-

self

brady-

slow

circum-

around

dia-

through, complete

dys-

abnormal, painful, difficult

endo-

within

ex-

out

hemi-

half, one side

hyper-

excessive, above

hypo-

deficient, below

inter-

between

intra-

within, inside

peri-

around, surround

pro-, ante

before

re-

back, again

sub-

under, below

tachy-

Fast

trans-

across, through

Root Words

give the basic meanings to medical terms. they can be used alone or can be joined with other terms.

abdomen/o

Abdomen

aden/o

Gland

anter/o

front

append/o, appendic/o

appendix

arthr/o

Joint

cardi/o

Heart

cephal/o

Head

cervic/o

Neck

chondr/o

Cartilage

crani/o

Skull

cry/o

Cold

cyan/o

blue

cyt/o

cell

derm/o, dermat/o

Skin

dors/o

back portion of the body

encephal/o

brain

end/o

within

erythr/o

red

gastro/o

Stomach

hemat/o, hem/o

Blood

hepat/o

Liver

hist/o

Tissue

hydr/o

water, fluid

later/o

side

laryng/o

larynx (voice box)

leuk/o

white

medi/o, mes/o

middle

melan/o

black, dark

nephr/o, ren/o

Kidney

neur/o

Nerve

oste/o, oss/l, osse/o

Bone

ot/o

Ear

pelv/o, pelvi/o

hip, pelvic cavity

phleb/o

Vein

poster/o

back

rhin/o

Nose

thorac/o

Chest

vertebr/o

Vertebrae, backbones