Medical Terminology - Roots

macro

large

micro

small

megalo

very large

megaly

very large

peri

around

trans

across

endo

within, inside

inter

between

chloro

green

leuk

white

eryth

red

dys

not working correctly/normally

mal

bad

emia

blood condition

itis

inflamation

osis

condition or disease (usually non-inflammatory)

pathy

disease

hyper

above normal

hypo

below normal

tachy

fast

echo

ultrasonic waves

electro

electricity

ectomy

removal of

gram

picture

graph or graphy

process of taking a picture

otomy

making a cut in/removing a part of

scopy

use of instrument for viewing

stomy

create an opening in

plasty

modifying the shape of/repairing

ology

study of a part of the body

ologist

a specialist working for a specific part of the body or a specific disease

iatry

medical treatment

iatrist

specialist providing specific treatment

vas, vasc

veins and arteries

hem, hemo, sangu, hemat/hemato

blood

aort

aorta

angi, angio

blood vessels

ven, veno, phleb, phlebo

beins

arteri, arterio

arteries

enceph, ceph

brain

rhino

nose

tympan/tympano, myring/myringo

the eardrum

odont, dento

tooth

crani

skull

opthalm, oculo

eye

oto

ear

lingu

tongue

hepat, hepato

liver

cholecyst

gallbladder

esoph, esopha, esophag/esophago

esophagus

colo

large intestine

gastr, gastro

stomach

ileo, duodeno, jejuno

small intestine

myo

muscles

scapula

shoulder

brachi, brachio

arm

carp, carpo

wrist

cost, costo

rib

dorsa

back

oste, osteo, oss, osseo, ossi, ost

bones

pod, podo, ped, pedo

foot

thorac, thoraco

chest

pneum, pneuma, pneumo, pneumato, pleura, pulmon/pulmono

the lungs

mamm, mammo

breast

thromb, thrombo

blood clot

neph

kidney

acr/acro

pertaining to the extremities

axill/axillo

pertaining to the armpits

blephar/blepharo

pertaining to the eyelid

brachi/brachio

pertaining to the arm

bucc/bucco

pertaining to the cheek

canth/cantho

angle of the eyelids

capit/capito

the head/shaped like a head

caud/caudo

the hind part/tail/downward

cephal/cephalo

the head

cervic/cervico

the neck, such as of the body, or of the uterus

cheil/cheilo/chil/chilo

the lips

cheir/cheiro/chir/chiro

the hand

cili/cilio

eyelid, eyelash, relating to the eyelid or the eyelash

derm/derma/dermato

the skin

dors/dorsi/dorso

back part/posterior

faci/facio

the face

gingiv/gingivo

the gums

gloss/glosso

the tongue

gnath/gnatho

the jaws

inguin/inguino

the groin

irid/irido

the iris of the eye

labi/labio

lips/lip-like (referring to the lip-like skin folds of the vulva)

lapar/laparo

the abdomen

later/latero

the side/the parts of the body which are farthest from the middle

mast/masto

breast

nas/naso

the nose

occipit/occipito

the back of the head

ocul/oculo

the eye

odont/odonto

the teeth

omphal/omphalo

the umbilicus

onych/onycho

the nails

optic/optico/opto

sight

or/oro

the mouth

ot/oto

the ear/s