Appendix A – Medical Word Roots, Prefixes, Suffixes and Combining

Forms

Medical Word Element Meaning

a-, an- without, not

ab- away from

-ac pertaining to

acr/o extremities

acou-, acous/o hearing

algia, algesia pain

an/o anus

angi/o vessel (blood, lymph)

ante- before

anter/o front, anterior

anti- against

aort/o aorta

append/o, appendic/o appendix

aque/o water

-ar pertaining to

au/o,aur/I ear

auto- self

bi- 2, double

blephar/o eyelid

brady- slow

bronchi/o, bronch/o bronchus

calcane/o calcaneum (heel bone)

calc/o calcium

carcin/o cancer

cardi/o heart

cervic/o neck

chlor/o green

chol/e bile, gall

cholecyst/o gallbladder

choledoch/o bile duct

chondr/o cartilage

choroid/o choroids

col/o, colon/o colon

coren/o cornea

cost/o ribs

cyst/o bladder

-cyte, cyt/o cell

dacry/o tear

dent/o, dent/I teeth, tooth

-derma, dermat/o skin

-desis binding, fixation

dia- through

dipl/o double

-dipsia, dips/o thirst

dist/o far, farthest

electr/o electric

-emesis vomiting

-emia blood

en- in

end/o within, inner

encephal/o brain

enter/o intestine (usually small)

epi- above, upon

eso- inner

erg/o wprk

femor/o femur

fibul/o fibula

fibr/o fiber

gastr/o stomach

-gen, genesis producing, forming

gingiv/o gums

-glia gluelike

glomerul/o glomerus

gloss/o tongue

gluc/o, glyc/o sugar, glucose

hidr/o sweat

hist/o tissue

homo- same, like

humer/o humerus

hydr/o water

hyper- excessive

hypo- under, below

-ia pertaining

-iasis abnormal condition (produces by something

specified)

intra- within

irid/o iris

-ism condition

-ist specialist

-itis inflammation

-ium converts word root to a noun

jejun/o jejunum

kerat/o cornea, hard tissue

kin/e, kinesi/o movement

labi/o lip

leuk/o white

lingu/o tongue

lip/o fat

-lith, lith/o stone, calculus

lob/o lobe

log/o, -logy study of

-logist specialist in the study of

lumb/o lumbar

lymphangi/o lymph vessel

lymph/o lymph

melan/o black

mening/o meninges

-meter measure, instrument for measuring

metacarp/o metacarpus (bones of the hand)

micro- small

mon/o single

muc/o mucus

myc/o fungus

muscul/o, my/o muscle

myel/o spinal cord, bone marrow

neur/o, neur/i nerve

noct/o night

ocul/o eye

odont/o teeth

-oid resembling

-ole small

olig/o scanty, little

-oma tumor

onych/o nail

ophthalm/o eye

oste/o bone

ot/o ear

-ous pertaining to

pancreat/o pancreas

para- near, besides, around

patell/o knee cap

-pathy disease

pelv/i, pelv/o pelvis

-penia decrease, deficiency

-pepsia digestion

phon/o sound

pheleb/o vein

-phobia fear

-plasia, -plasm formation, growth

-plasty surgical repair

-plegia paralysis

pleur/o pleura

pluri- several, more

-pnea, pne/o breathing

pneum/o, pneumon/o lung, air

proct/o anus, rectum

proxim/o near, nearest

-ptosis prolapse, falling, drooping

pyel/o renal pelvis

py/o pus

pyr/o fire

quadri- 4

radi/o x-rays, radiation

ren/o kidney

rhin/o nose

sacr/o sacrum

scler/o hardening

-scope instrument to view

-scopy visual examination

semi- half

sial/o saliva, salivary glands

sigmoid/o sigmoid colon

-spasm involuntary contraction, twitching

spin/o spine

spondyl/o vertebrae

tachy- fast, rapid

tend/o, teno-, ten- tendon

-therapy treatment

therm/o heat

thorac/o, thora- chest

thromb/o blood clot

thym/o thymus gland

thyr/o, thyroid/o thyroid gland

tibi/o tibia

-tome instrument to cut

tympan/o tympanic membrane

uni- 1

ureter/o ureter

urethr/o urethra

-uria urine, urination

urin/o urine, urinary tract

vascul/o, vas/o blood vessel

ven/o vein

ventricular/o ventricle (brain or heart)

vesic/o bladder