Medical Terminology - Basic Elements of a Medical Word

Word root

Foundation of medical term and contains it’s primary meaning

dermat- / cutane-

skin

dermat/itis

inflammation of skin

cutaneous

pertaining to the skin

nephr- / ren-

kidney

nephroma

tumor of the kidney

renal

pertaining to the kidney

stomat- / or-

mouth

stomatitis

inflammation of the mouth

oral

pertaining to the mouth

combining form/vowel

created when a word root is combined with vowel

erythr/o

gred (red)

gastr/o

stomach

hepat/o

liver

immun/o

immune, immunity, safe

nephr/o

kidney

oste/o

bone

suffix

word element placed at the end of a word

-itis

inflammation

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

tumor

-cyte

cell

prefix

word element attached to the beginning of a word or word root

an-

without, not

hyper-

excessive, above normal

intra-

in, within

para-

near, beside; beyond

poly-

many, much

pre-

before

esthes

feeling

therm

temperature

nas

nose

ur

urine

nat

birth

-ia

condition

-ar

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to