Med Terms

Principles of Health Science

Prefixes – usually indicate location, time, or number and come at the beginning of a word

Suffixes – usually indicate the procedure, disease, or condition and come after the root word

Root Words – usually indicate the part of the body involved

Combining Vowel 1. usually “o” 2. attached to the root word 3. makes medical terms easier to pronounce

4. is NOT used a when suffix begins with a vowel

5. IS used when suffix begins with a consonant

• Prefix + Root Word + Suffix = Medical Term

• Poly + neur/o + itis = POLYNEURITIS

• many + nerves + inflammation = inflammation of many nerves

Common Medical Prefixes• a-, an- negative, without

• ab- away from

• ad- towards

• anti- against

• ante- before

• bi- two, both

• brachy- short

• brady- slow

• dys- painful, difficult

• dors- back

• endo- inside

• epi- above, upon

• hemi- half

• hyper- excessive, above, more than

• hypo- decrease, below, less

• inter- between, among

• intra- within, inside

• macro- large, big

• micro- small

• mal- bad

• neo- new

• para- beside or below

• peri- around

• poly- many

• post- after

• sub- below

• super- above• supra- above

• tachy- fast

• dextr/o- right side

• sinistr/o- left side

• olig/o- few or scanty

• eu- good, normal, well or easy

Common Medical Suffixes

•-algia- painful

•-asthenia –weakness

•-cele –hernia

•-centesis -surgical puncture

•-ectomy -removal

• -itis -inflammation/infection

• -gram –picture

• -malacia -abnormal softening

• -megaly- enlargement

• -necrosis -death of tissue

• -plegia -paralysis

• -ology -study of

• -ostomy -surgical opening

• -otomy -surgical incision

• -rrhea- flow

•-pathy –disease

•-plasty -surgical repair

•-rrhaphy –suture

•-sclerosis -abnormal hardening

•-scope -instrument to view

• -rrhage -abnormal bleeding

• -rrhexis -rupture

• -graphy –process of recording

• -stenosis -narrowing

• -al -pertaining to

• -ous -pertaining to

• -ical -pertaining to

• -ac -pertaining to

• -ic - pertaining to

• -iasis -abnormal condition

• -esis -abnormal condition

• -ago - abnormal condition

• -osis -abnormal condition

Common Medical Root Words•acro –extremities

•angi/o –vessel

•arthr/o- joint

•cardi/o –heart

•cerebr/o –brain

•chrondr/o- cartilage

• cyte -cell

• gastr/o- stomach

• hepat- liver

• lapar -abdomen

• latero- side

• mamm/o- breast

• medial- middle

• my/o –muscle

• cost/o –ribs

• nephr/o -kidney

• oophor –ovary

• ot/o -ear

• pneum/o -lung/air

• rhino -nose

• tend/o -tendon

• trachi -trachea (wind pipe)

• thorac -chest

• salpingo -fallopian tube

• procto -rectum

• oste/o -bone

• neur/o -nerve

• nas/o -nose

• myel/o -spinal cord/bone marrow

• mast/o –breast

• lip/o- fat

• laryng - throat

• hyster/o -uterus

• hemo/hemat- blood

• enter/o -small intestines

• cyst/o -sac/bladder

• col/o -large intestines/colon

• cervi/c -neck

• carp -wrist

• brachi -arm

• arteri/o -artery

• aden -gland

• tonsill - tonsils

• lith – stone

• appendic- appendix

• myc/o- fungus

• pyel/o- renal pelvis (part of kidney)

• py/o – pus

• pyr/o- fever

• cyan/o -blue

• eryth/o –red

• leuk/o - white

• melan/o – black

• poli/o - gray

• dextr/o—right side

• sinistr/o– left side

• megal/o--large or great

• olig/o– scanty or few