Medical terminology

Root Words

  • Component: Root words serve as the building blocks of medical terminology. Each root word typically signifies a specific bodily function, structure, or condition.

Common Root Words and Their Meanings

  • ARTHRO

    • Meaning: Joints

    • Examples:

    • Arthritis: Inflammation of joints

  • BLAST

    • Meaning: Germ, immature cell

    • Examples:

    • Blastoma: A cancer made of immature cells

  • BRACHIO

    • Meaning: Arms

    • Examples:

    • Brachial plexus: Network of nerves supplying the arm

  • BRONCH

    • Meaning: Lungs, bronchial

    • Examples:

    • Bronchitis: Inflammation of the bronchial tubes

  • CARCIN

    • Meaning: Cancer

    • Examples:

    • Carcinogenic: Cancer-causing

  • CARDIO

    • Meaning: Heart

    • Examples:

    • Cardiotoxicity: Toxicity to the heart

  • CEPHALO

    • Meaning: Head

    • Examples:

    • Cephalic: Relating to the head

  • COLO

    • Meaning: Intestines

    • Examples:

    • Colostomy: Surgical procedure creating an opening to the colon

  • CRANIO

    • Meaning: Skull

    • Examples:

    • Craniotomy: Cutting into the skull

  • CYTO

    • Meaning: Cell

    • Examples:

    • Cytotoxic: Toxic to the cell

  • DERMA

    • Meaning: Skin

    • Examples:

    • Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin

  • HEMO

    • Meaning: Blood

    • Examples:

    • Hemorrhage: Excessive bleeding

    • Hemoglobin: Protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen

    • Hemorrhoid: Swollen veins in the lower rectum and anus

  • HEPA

    • Meaning: Liver

    • Examples:

    • Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver

  • HIS

    • Meaning: Tissue

    • Examples:

    • Histology: Study of tissue

  • HYSTER

    • Meaning: Uterus

    • Examples:

    • Hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus

  • LEUK

    • Meaning: White

    • Examples:

    • Leukemia: Cancer of the blood-forming tissues, characterized by an increased number of white blood cells

  • MAMMO

    • Meaning: Breast

    • Examples:

    • Mammogram: Breast image used for screening for breast cancer

  • MYO

    • Meaning: Muscle

    • Examples:

    • Myopathy: Disease of the muscle

  • NEPHRO

    • Meaning: Kidney

    • Examples:

    • Nephrotoxic: Harmful to the kidneys

  • NEURO

    • Meaning: Nerves

    • Examples:

    • Neuroblast: An immature nerve cell

  • ONCO

    • Meaning: Mass/tumor

    • Examples:

    • Oncology: The study of cancer

  • OSTEO

    • Meaning: Bone/bony tissue

    • Examples:

    • Osteosarcoma: Bone cancer

  • PED

    • Meaning: Child

    • Examples:

    • Pediatric oncology: Study of childhood cancer

  • PHLEB

    • Meaning: Vein

    • Examples:

    • Phlebotomy: Incision into a vein

  • RENAL

    • Meaning: Kidneys

    • Examples:

    • Adrenal: Next to the kidneys

  • SARCO

    • Meaning: Tissue

    • Examples:

    • Sarcoma: Tumor of bone, muscle, or connective tissue

  • TOXO

    • Meaning: Poison

    • Examples:

    • Toxicology: Study of poison

Suffixes

  • Component: Suffixes are added to the end of root words to modify their meanings, often relating to different aspects of a condition or procedure.

Common Suffixes and Their Meanings

  • EMIA

    • Meaning: Condition of blood

    • Examples:

    • Anemia: Condition characterized by a lack of hemoglobin in the blood

  • ECTOMY

    • Meaning: Excision / removal

    • Examples:

    • Nephrectomy: Surgical removal of the kidney

  • ITIS

    • Meaning: Inflammation

    • Examples:

    • Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver

  • OLOGY

    • Meaning: Study / science of

    • Examples:

    • Cytology: The study of cells

  • OMA

    • Meaning: Tumor

    • Examples:

    • Retinoblastoma: Tumor of the eye

  • OTOMY

    • Meaning: Incision

    • Examples:

    • Craniotomy: Incision into the skull

  • PATHY

    • Meaning: Disease

    • Examples:

    • Neuropathy: Disease of the nervous system

  • OSIS

    • Meaning: Disease / Condition

    • Examples:

    • Necrosis: Dying cells

Prefixes

  • Component: Prefixes are affixed to the beginning of root words to further specify the context, location, or intensity of a condition.

Common Prefixes and Their Meanings

  • AN-, A-

    • Meaning: Without / lack of

    • Examples:

    • Anemia: Lack of red blood cells

  • AB-

    • Meaning: Away from

    • Examples:

    • Abnormal: Away from the normal

  • AD-

    • Meaning: Near / toward

    • Examples:

    • Adrenal gland: Gland near to the kidney

  • BI-

    • Meaning: Two / both

    • Examples:

    • Bilateral: Pertaining to both sides

  • DYS-

    • Meaning: Difficult / not

    • Examples:

    • Dysfunction: Not working properly

  • ECTO-

    • Meaning: Outside

    • Examples:

    • Ectopic pregnancy: Pregnancy occurring outside the uterine cavity

  • ENDO-

    • Meaning: Inside

    • Examples:

    • Endoscope: Instrument to look inside body cavities or organs

  • EPI-

    • Meaning: Upon

    • Examples:

    • Epidermis: Outer layer of skin

  • GLUCO-

    • Meaning: Glucose

    • Examples:

    • Glucocorticoid: Hormone regulating glucose metabolism

  • GLYC-

    • Meaning: Sugar

    • Examples:

    • Hyperglycemia: Excessive blood sugar levels

  • HYPER-

    • Meaning: Excessive / above

    • Examples:

    • Hyperglycemia: Exceeding normal blood sugar levels

  • HYPO-

    • Meaning: Beneath / below

    • Examples:

    • Hypodermic: Injection below the skin

  • INTER-

    • Meaning: Between

    • Examples:

    • Intercostal: Situated between the ribs

  • INFRA-

    • Meaning: Within / inside

    • Examples:

    • Intravenous: Into a vein

    • Infraspinatus: Muscle located within the scapula's spines

  • PARA-

    • Meaning: Besides, about, near

    • Examples:

    • Parathyroid: Glands located beside the thyroid gland

  • PERI-

    • Meaning: Around

    • Examples:

    • Pericardium: Membrane surrounding the heart

  • PRE-

    • Meaning: Before

    • Examples:

    • Prenatal: Referring to the period before birth

  • POST-

    • Meaning: After

    • Examples:

    • Post-surgical stage: Refers to the recovery phase following surgery

  • SCLERO-

    • Meaning: Hardening / Stiffening

    • Examples:

    • Scleroderma: Hardening of the skin

  • SUB-

    • Meaning: Under / below

    • Examples:

    • Submucosa: Tissue located beneath the mucus membrane

  • SUPRA-

    • Meaning: Above

    • Examples:

    • Supraspinatus: Muscle situated above the scapula spine

  • SYN-

    • Meaning: Together with

    • Examples:

    • Syndrome: A group of symptoms that occur together