root
essential meaning of term
suffix
word ending
prefix
small part added to the beginning of the term
combining vowel
connects roots to suffixes and roots to other roots
combining form
Combo of a root and a combining vowel
aden/o
gland
arthr/o
joint
bi/o
life
carcin/o
cancer, cancerous
cardi/o
heart
cephal/o
gland
cerebr/o
cerebrum (largest part of the brain)
cyst/o
urinary bladder
cyt/o
cell
derm/o
skin
dermat/o
skin
electr/o
electricity
encephal/o
brain
enter/o
intestines
erythr/o
red
gastr/o
stomach
gnos/o
knowledge
gynec/o
woman
hem/o
blood
hemat/o
blood
hepat/o
liver
lapar/o
abdomen
leuk/o
white
nephr/o
kidney
neur/o
nerve
onc/o
tumor
ophthalm/o
eye
oste/o
bone
path/o
disease
psych/o
mind
ren/o
kidney
rhin/o
nose
sarc/o
flesh
thromb/o
clotting
-al
pertaining to
-algia
pain
-cyte
cell
-ectomy
cutting out; removal, excision
-emia
blood condition
-globin
protein
-gram
record
-ia
condition
-ic
pertaining to
-ism
condition, process
-itis
inflammation
-logist
specialist in the study of
-logy
study of
-oma
tumor, mass
-opsy
process of viewing
-osis
abnormal condition
-scope
instrument for visual examination
-scopy
process of visually examining
-sis
state of
-tomy
process of cutting, incision
a-, an-
no, not
aut-
self
dia-
complete, through
dys-
bad, painful, difficult, abnormal
endo-
within
exo-
outside
hyper-
excessive, more than normal, too much
hypo-
below, less than normal, under
peri-
surrounding
pro-
before, forward
re-
back
retro-
behind
sub-
below, under
trans-
across, through
cells
individual units found in all parts of the human body
tissues
similar cells grouped together to do a specific job
organs
structures composed of several kinds of tissue
systems
groups of organs working together to perform complex functions
circulatory system
heart, blood, and blood vessels
digestive system
brings food into the body and breaks it down so it can enter the bloodstream
endocrine system
composed of glands; sends chemical messengers called hormones into blood
female and male reproductive system
produce the cells that join to form the embryo
musculoskeletal system
including muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissues; supports the body and allows it to move
nervous system
carries electrical messages to and from the brain and spinal cord
respiratory system
controls breathing
skin and sense organ system
Including the skin and eyes and ears; receives messages from the environment and sends them to the brain
urinary system
produces urine and sends it out of the body through the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra
cranial
brain
thoracic
lungs and heart
abdominal
stomach, small and large intestines, spleen, pancreas
pelvic
urinary bladder, ureters, urethra, rectum, anus, uterus
spinal
spinal column and nerves of spinal cord
frontal (coronal) plane
Divides the body into front and back portions.
saggital (lateral) plane
divides the body into right and left sides
midsaggital plane
divides the body into equal right and left halves
transverse (axial) plane
upper and lower portions
abdomin/o
abdomen
anter/o
front
bronch/o
bronchial tubes
cervic/o
neck of body or neck of uterus
chondr/o
cartilage
coccyg/o
coccyx, tailbone
crani/o
skull
epitheli/o
skin, surface tissue
esophag/o
esophagus
later/o
side
lumb/o
loin or waist
lymph/o
lymph
mediasin/o
mediastinum
pelv/o
pelvis
peritone/o
peritoneum
pharyng/o
pharynx
pleur/o
pleura
poster/o
back, behind
sacr/o
sacrum
spin/o
spine
thorac/o
chest
trache/o
trachea
vertebr/o
vertebra
diagnostic suffix
describes disease conditions or their symptoms
procedural suffixes
describes procedures used in patient care
-emia
blood condition
-itis
inflammation
-megaly
enlargement
-oma
tumor, mass
-osis
abnormal condition
-pathy
diease condition
-rrhea
flow, discharge
-rrhage
excessive
-rrhagia
discharge of blood
-sclerosis
hardening
-uria
condition of urine
-al, -eal, -ar, -ary, -ic
pertaining to
-centesis
surgical puncture to remove fluid
-gram
record
-graphy
process of recording
-lysis
separation, breakdown, destruction
-plasty
surgical correction or repair
-stomy
opening
-therapy
treatment
ab-
away from
ad-
toward, near
ana-
up, apart
ante-
before, forward
anti-
against
bi-
two, both
brady-
slow
con-
with, together
dia-
complete, through
ec-
out, outside
endo-
within, in, inner
epi-
above, upon
ex-
out
extra-
outside of
hemi-
half
in-
in, into
inter-
between
intra-
within
mal-
bad
meta-
change, beyond
neo-
new
para-
beside, near, along the side of
peri-
surrounding
poly-
many, much
post-
after, behind
pre-
before
pros-
before, forward
quadri-
four
re-
back, behind
retro-
back, behind
syn-
with, together
tachy-
fast
trans-
across, through
tri-
three
ultra-
beyond
uni-
one
anesthesiology
administration of agents capable of bringing about a loss of sensation
dermatology
diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders
emergency medicine
care of patients requires sudden and immediate action
family practice
primary care of al members of the family on a continuing basis
internal medicine
diagnosis and treatment of usually complex nonsurgical disorders in adults
ophthalmology
diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders
pathology
diagnosis of the cause and nature of disease
pediatrics
diagnosis and treatment of children's disorders
psychiatry
diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the mid
radiology
diagnosis using x-ray studies
surgery
Treatment by manual (SURG- means hand) or operative methods
allergist
treatment of hypersensitivity reactions
cardiologist
treats heart disease
geriatrician
treats diseases of old age
oncologist
diagnoses and treats malignant and benign tumors
pathologist
diagnoses disease by analysis of cells
radiation oncologist
treats disease with high energy radiation
urologist
treats and performs surgery on the urinary tract and male reproductive system
col/o
colon, large intestine
dermat/o
skin
endocrin/o
endocrine glands
esthesi/o
sensation
ger/o
old age
iatr/o
treatment
laryng/o
voice box
nos/o
disease
obstetr/o
midwife
ondont/o
tooth
onc/o
tumor
ophthalam/o
eye
opt/o
eye
optic/o
eye
orth/o
straigh
ot/o
ear
ped/o
child
pysch/o
mind
pulmon/o
lung
radi/o
x-rays
rect/o
rectum
rheumat/o
flow, fluid
ur/o
urinary tract
vascul/o
blood vessel
aort/o
aorta
arteri/o
artery
arteriol/o
arteriole
angi/o
vessel
cardi/o
heart
coron/o
heart
an/o
anus
cholecyst/o
gallbladder
col/o
colon
colon/o
colon
esophag/o
esophagus
gastr/o
stomach
or/o
mouth
pancreat/o
pancreas
rect/o
rectum
sigmoi/o
sigmoid colon
stomat/o
mouth
adren/o
adrenal gland
adrenal/o
adrenal gland
hypophys.o
pituary gland
pancreat/o
pancreas
colp/o
vagina
vagin/o
vagina
hyster/o
uterus
metri/o
uterus
uter/o
uterus
o/o
egg
oophor/o
ovary
ovari/o
ovary
salping/o
fallopian tube
lymph/o
lymph fluid
lymphaden/o
lymph node
lymphangi/o
lymph vessel
balan/o
penis
orch/o
testis
orchi/o
testis
orchid/o
testis
prostat/o
prostate gland
arthr/o
joint
chondr/o
cartilage
crani/o
skull
ligament/o
ligament
my/o
muscle
myos/o
muscle
muscul/o
muscle
oste/o
bone
cerebell/o
cerebellum
cerebr/o
cerebrum
encephal/o
brain
myel/o
spinal cord
neur/o
nerve
bronch/o
broncial tube
bronchiol/o
bronchiole
laryng/o
larynx
nas/o
nose
rhin/o
nose
pharyng/o
pharynx
phren/o
diaphragm
pneumon/o
lung
pulmon/o
lung
cutane/o
skin
derm/o
skin
dermat/o
skin
pil/o
hair
trich/o
hair
onych/o
nail
ungu/o
nail
ocul/o
eye
ophthalm/o
eye
phak/o
lens of eye
retin/o
retina
aur/o
ear
ot/o
ear
myring/o
eardrum
tympan/o
eardrum
cyst/o
urinary bladder
vesic/o
urinary bladder
nephr/o
kidney
ren/o
kidney
pyel/o
renal
ureter/o
ureter
urethr/o
urethra