Understanding Medical Terms
At first glance, medical terminology can seem like a foreign language. But often the key to understanding medical terms is focusing on their components (prefixes, roots, and suffixes). For example, spondylolysis is a combination of "spondylo, " which means vertebra, and "lysis," which means dissolve, and so means dissolution of a vertebra.
The same components are used in many medical terms. "Spondylo" plus "itis, " which means inflammation, forms spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae. The same prefix plus "malacia, " which means soft, forms spondylomalacia, a softening of the vertebrae.
Knowing the meaning of a small number of components can help with interpretation of a large number of medical terms. The following list defines many commonly used medical prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
| a(n) |
absence of |
|
malac |
soft |
| acou, acu |
hear |
|
mamm(o) |
breast |
| aden(o) |
gland |
|
mast(o) |
breast |
| aer(o) |
air |
|
megal(o) |
large |
| alg |
pain |
|
melan(o) |
black |
| andr(o) |
man |
|
mening(o) |
membranes |
| angi(o) |
vessel |
|
my(o) |
muscle |
| ankyl(o) |
crooked, curved |
|
myc(o) |
fungus |
| ante |
before |
|
myel(o) |
marrow |
| anter(i) |
front, forward |
|
nas(o) |
nose |
| anti |
against |
|
necr(o) |
death |
| arteri(o) |
artery |
|
nephr(o) |
kidney |
| arthr(o) |
joint |
|
neur(o) |
nerve |
| articul |
joint |
|
nutri |
nourish |
| ather(o) |
fatty |
|
ocul(o) |
eye |
| audi(o) |
hearing |
|
odyn(o) |
pain |
| aur(i) |
ear |
|
oma |
tumor |
| aut(o) |
self |
|
onc(o) |
tumor |
| bi, bis |
double, twice, two |
|
oophor(o) |
ovaries |
| brachy |
short |
|
ophthalm(o) |
eye |
| brady |
slow |
|
opia |
vision |
| bucc(o) |
cheek |
|
opsy |
examination |
| carcin(o) |
cancer |
|
orchi(o) |
testes |
| cardi(o) |
heart |
|
osis |
condition |
| cephal(o) |
head |
|
osse(o) |
bone |
| cerebr(o) |
brain |
|
oste(o) |
bone |
| cervic |
neck |
|
ot(o) |
ear |
| chol(e) |
bile, or referring to gall-bladder |
|
path(o) |
disease |
| chondr(o) |
cartilage |
|
ped(o) |
child |
| circum |
around, about |
|
penia |
deficient, deficiency |
| contra |
against, counter |
|
peps, pept |
digest |
| corpor |
body |
|
peri |
around |
| cost(o) |
rib |
|
phag(o) |
eat, destroy |
| crani(o) |
skull |
|
pharmaco |
drug |
| cry(o) |
cold |
|
pharyng(o) |
throat |
| cut |
skin |
|
phleb(o) |
vein |
| cyan(o) |
blue |
|
phob(ia) |
fear |
| cyst(o) |
bladder |
|
plasty |
repair |
| cyt(o) |
cell |
|
pleg(ia) |
paralysis |
| dactyl(o) |
finger or toe |
|
pnea |
breathing |
| dent |
tooth |
|
pneum(ato) |
breath, air |
| derm(ato) |
skin |
|
pneumon(o) |
lung |
| dipl(o) |
double |
|
pod(o) |
foot |
| dors |
back |
|
poie |
make, produce |
| dys |
bad, faulty, abnormal |
|
poly |
much, many |
| ectomy |
excision (removal by cutting) |
|
post |
after |
| emia |
blood |
|
poster(i) |
back, behind |
| encephal(o) |
brain |
|
presby |
elder |
| end(o) |
inside |
|
proct(o) |
anus |
| enter(o) |
intestine |
|
pseud(o) |
false |
| epi |
outer, superficial, upon |
|
psych(o) |
mind |
| erythr(o) |
red |
|
pulmon(o) |
lung |
| eu |
normal |
|
pyel(o) |
pelvis of kidney |
| extra |
outside |
|
pyr(o) |
fever, fire |
| gastr(o) |
stomach |
|
rachi(o) |
spine |
| gen |
become, originate |
|
ren(o) |
kidneys |
| gloss(o) |
tongue |
|
rhag |
break, burst |
| glyc(o) |
sweet, or referring to glucose |
|
rhe |
flow |
| gram, graph |
write, record |
|
rhin(o) |
nose |
| gyn |
woman |
|
scler(o) |
hard |
| hem(ato) |
blood |
|
scope |
instrument |
| hemi |
half |
|
scopy |
examination |
| hepat(o) |
liver |
|
somat(o) |
body |
| hist(o) |
tissue |
|
spondyl(o) |
vertebra |
| hydr(o) |
water |
|
steat(o) |
fat |
| hyper |
excessive, high |
|
sten(o) |
narrow, compressed |
| hypo |
deficient, low |
|
steth(o) |
chest |
| hyster(o) |
uterus |
|
stom |
mouth, opening |
| iatr(o) |
doctor |
|
supra |
above |
| infra |
beneath |
|
tachy |
fast, quick |
| inter |
among, between |
|
therap |
treatment |
| intra |
inside |
|
therm(o) |
heat |
| itis |
inflammation |
|
thorac(o) |
chest |
| lact(o) |
milk |
|
thromb(o) |
clot, lump |
| lapar(o) |
flank, abdomen |
|
tomy |
incision (operation by cutting) |
| latero |
side |
|
tox(i) |
poison |
| leuk(o) |
white |
|
uria |
urine |
| lingu(o) |
tongue |
|
vas(o) |
vessel |
| lip(o) |
fat |
|
ven(o) |
vein |
| lys(is) |
dissolve |
|
vesic(o) |
bladder |
| mal |
bad, abnormal |
|
xer(o) |
dry |
|
