Chapter 10 Medical Word Parts

The Nervous System

anxi/o

anxious; uneasy

cephal/o

head

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cerebr/o

cerebrum

contus/o

to bruise

crani/o

skull

dendr/o

tree-like; branches

dur/o

dura mater

encephal/o

brain

esthes/o, esthesi/o

nervous sensation

gangli/o

tumor; cystic tumor

gli/o

glue

hormon/o

hormone

hydr/o

water

hypn/o

sleep

iatr/o

physician; treatment

isch/o

back; to hold back

lamin/o

lamina (thin plate or layer; arch)

lex/o

word

medull/o

medulla oblongata

megal/o

large; great; grand

mening/o, meningi/o

meninges

ment/o

mind

myel/o

bone marrow; spinal cord

narc/o

numbness; sleep; stupor

neur/o

nerve

phas/o

speech

phob/o

fear

phren/o

mind

pol/o

extreme

poli/o

gray matter

pont/o

pons

psych/o

mind

radicul/o

nerve root

schiz/o

split

somat/o

body

synaps/o, synapt/o

point of contact; to join

syncop/o

to cut off; cut short; faint

tax/o

coordination; order

tempor/o

the temples

thalam/o

thalamus

thec/o

sheath (meninges)

traumat/o

trauma; injury; wound

troph/o

development; nourishment

ventricul/o

ventricle

vertebr/o

vertebrae; spinal column bones

af-

toward; near

bi-

two; both

con-

together; with

dys-

painful; difficult

ef-

out of; outside

en-

in; within

epi-

on; over; upon

hemi-

half

intra-

within; into

micro-

small

mono-

one; single

par-, para-

near; beside; alongside; beyond; abnormal

poly-

many; much

post-

after; behind

quadri-

four

soma-

body

sub-

below; under

-al, -ar, -eal, -ial, -ic, -tic

pertaining to

-algesia

pain; sensitivity

-algia

pain

-asthenia

weakness

-cele

hernia; swelling; protrusion

-e

(noun suffix with no meaning)

-emic

pertaining to blood condition

-esthesia

feeling; sensation

-ferent

to carry

-glia

glue

-graphy

process of recording

-ia

condition

-ion

process; state; condition

-ist

specialist

-itis

inflammation

-lepsy

seizure

-leptic

to seize; take hold of

-logy

study of

-lysis

breakdown; separation; loosening

-lytic

pertaining to breakdown or destruction

-mania

obsessive preoccupation

-orexia

appetite

-osis

process; abnormal condition

-paresis

weakness

-pathy

disease

-phasia

speech

-phobia

fear

-plegia

paralysis

-rrhagic

pertaining to bursting forth (of blood)

-rrhaphy

suture

-sclerosis

hardening; thickening

-taxia

muscle coordination

-tomy

process of cutting; incision

-tropic

turning

-um, -us

structure; tissue; thing

AD

Alzheimer’s (or Alzheimer) disease

MS

multiple sclerosis