Medical terms

Prefixes

• a-, an- = without, absence of

• anti- = against

• brady- = slow

• dys- = difficult, painful, abnormal

• hyper- = above, excessive

• hypo- = below, deficient

• inter- = between

• macro- = large

• micro- = small

• neo- = new

• poly- = many

• pre- = before

• sub- = under, below

• tachy- = fast

  Suffixes

  • -algia = pain

  • -cyte = cell

  • -ectomy = surgical removal

  • -emia = blood condition

  • -itis = inflammation

  • -logy = study of

  • -oma = tumor

  • -opathy = disease

  • -osis = abnormal condition

  • -otomy = incision

  • -pathy = disease or disorder

  • -phobia = fear of

  • -plasty = surgical repair

  • -rrhea = flow, discharge

  • -scopy = visual examination

  • -stasis = stopping, controlling

  Root Words

  • cardi/o = heart

  • dermat/o = skin

  • gastr/o = stomach

  • hemat/o = blood

  • hepat/o = liver

  • nephr/o = kidney

  • neur/o = nerve

  • oste/o = bone

  • pulmon/o = lung

  • rhin/o = nose

  • thorac/o = chest

  • ur/o = urine, urinary tract

  Special Word Parts (Examples like Ortho and Pnea)

  • ortho- = straight, correct

  • pnea = breathing

  • phleb/o = vein

  • cardi/o = heart

  • rhe/o = flow

  • neuro- = nerve, nervous system

  Combining Forms

  • angio- = vessel

  • cyano- = blue

  • gluco- = sugar

  • laryngo- = larynx

  • myo- = muscle

  Important Common Combinations

  • -algia = pain

  • -itis = inflammation

  • -ectomy = removal

  • -ology = study of

  • -osis = condition or disease

  • -emia = blood condition