A.

FORMATION
A prefix usually indicates location, time, number,
or status. A prefix always comes at the beginning
of a word. ROOT
A word root acts as the foundation of most PREFIX
medical terms. It usually describes the part of the
body or color. A word root cannot stand alone. A
suffix must be added to complete the term.
SUFFIX
A suffix usually indicates the procedure,
condition, disorder, or disease. A suffix always
comes at the end of a word.
Combining form: When a suffix beginning with a consonant is added to a root, a vowel
(usually an o) is inserted between the root and the suffix to aid in pronunciation.
Examples:
Terminology Prefix Root Suffix
1. Anhydrous an- hydr -ous
without water without or no water adjective ending
2. Radiographer radi/o -er
a person who radiation or job or professional
takes pictures radioactivity titles
using radiation graph
a picture or
recording
3. Hypogastric Hypo- gastr -ic
located below the below stomach adjective ending
stomach
B. COMMON PREFIXES, ROOTS, AND SUFFIXES
PREFIXES
a-; an- absence of, without auto- self
ab- away from baro- pressure
ad- to, towards, near, increase bi- two, both, double
ambi- both blast- immature cell
ana- up brady- slow
ante- before cata- down
anti-,contra- against circum- around

1 Introduction to Medical Terminology

contra- against, opposite neo- new
de- down, without, removal, loss pan- all
dia- across, apart, through, complete para- near, beside
dis- absence, removal, separation per- through
dys- bad, difficult, painful peri- around, surrounding,
-ec, ecto- out, outside poly- many, much
em-/en- in, within post- after
endo- within pre- before, in front of
epi- upon, above, on, over pro- in front of, before, forward
ex-, extra- out, outside, over pseudo- false
exo- out of re- again, back
hemi- half, one side retro- backward, behind
homo-, homeo- same, unchanging semi- half
hyper- excessive sub- below, under
hypo- below, deficient, under super-, supra- above, extreme
infra- below, beneath syn-/sym- with, together, beside
inter- between tachy- rapid
intra- within, inside tetra- four
ipsi- same trans- across, through, over
iso- equal, same tri- three
macro- large, abnormally large ultra- excessive, beyond
mal- bad, poor uni- one
meta- beyond, change venter- abdomen
micro- small
ROOTS
aden/o gland cerebr/o cerebrum
adip/o fat cheil lips
angi/o blood vessel chrom/o color
arteri/o artery cis/o to cut
arthr/o joint/articulation coccyg/o coccyx (tailbone)
bi/o life cost/o rib
carcin/o cancer crani/o cranium, skull
cardi/o heart crin/o secrete
cephal/o head cyan/o blue

Introduction to Medical Terminology 2

cyst/o sac, urinary bladder my/o muscle
cyt/o cell nas/o, rhin/o nose
dent/o tooth nephr, ren kidney
dermat/o skin neur/o nerve
dorsi back ocul, opthalm/o eye
electr/o electricity onc/o tumor
encephal/o brain stoma, stomat mouth
enter/o intestine os/te/o bone
erythr/o red ot/o ear
gastr/o stomach ovari/o ovary
gloss/o tongue ox/o oxygen
glutos buttock path/o disease
glyc/o sugar, glucose, sweet pecto chest
gnos/o knowledge ped/o child
gyn/o, gynec/o woman pneum, pulmon, pnea lung, air, breathing
hem/haemat/o blood poli/o gray
hepat/o liver proct/o, rect/o rectum
hist/o, histi/o tissue psych/o mind
hyster/o, uter/o uterus py/o pus
iatr/o treatment radi/o x-rays
kyph/o bent, hump ren/o kidney
labi/o lip sacr/o sacrum
later/o side sarc/o flesh
leuk/o white thromb/o clot, clotting
lingu/o tongue ur/o urinary tract, urine
mamm/o, mast/o breast vascul/o vessel
medi/o middle vir/o virus
melan/o black vulv/o vulva
myc fungus
SUFFIXES
-ac pertaining to -blast embryonic, immature
-al pertaining to -cele hernia, bulging or protrusion
-algia pain -chezia defecation
-ase enzyme -cyesis pregnancy

3 Introduction to Medical Terminology

-cyte cell -meter device for measuring
-centesis surgical puncture -mission to send
-desis surgical fixation of a bone or -necrosis tissue death
joint, surgical binding, fusion
-oid resembling, like
-drome to run
-ole little, small
-dynia pain
-ology the study of
-eal pertaining to
-oma tumor, mass, swelling
-ectasis, -ectasia expansion or dilation
-or one who
-ectomy excision, cutting out, surgical
-ous pertaining to
removal, resection
-opsy viewing with a microscope
-emesis vomiting
-ose pertaing to, full of
-emia/aemia blood
-osis abnormal condition
-fusion coming together; to pour
-ostomy creation of an artificial opening
-genesis formation of
to the body surface
-genic pertaining to producing
-otomy surgical incision
-gram record
-partum birth,labor
-graph instrument for recording
-pathy disease condition
-graphy process of recording
-penia abnormal reduction, deficiency
-ia condition
-pepsia digestion
-iac pertaining to
-pexy surgical fixation
-ian specialist
-phagia/phagy eating or swallowing
-iasis condition, presence of
-phobia exaggerated fear
-ic, ical pertaining to
-physis to grow
-ion process
-plasia abnormal formation
-ior pertaining to
-plasm formation
-ism condition, process
-plasty surgical repair
-ist specialist
-plegia paralysis
-itis inflammation
-pnea breath, respiration
-lepsy seizure
-poiesis producing or formation
-lith a stone, calcification
-prandial meal
-lysis disintegration, setting free,
-praxis act, activity, practice use
loosening, breakdown,
separation, destruction
-malacia softening -primi first
-megaly enlargement -ptysis spitting

Introduction to Medical Terminology 4

-rhage/rhagia bleeding -stenosis abnormal narrowing
-rhaphy suturing, closing -sthenia strength
-rhea flow or discharge -therapy treatment
-rrhexis rupture -thorax chest
-salpinx uterine (fallopian) tube -tic pertaining to
-sclerosis abnormal hardening -tome instrument to cut
-scope examining instrument -tomy cutting, incision
-scopy internal/visual examination -tropy development, nourishment
-sis state of -ule little, small
-somes body -um,-ium structure, tissue, thing
-spasm muscular contraction -uria urine or urination
-stalsis contraction, constriction -uresis urination
-stasis control

PERTAINING TO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS

-ac -ago abnormal condition, disease
-al -esis abnormal condition, disease
-ar -ia abnormal condition, disease
-ary -iasis abnormal condition, disease
-eal -ion condition
-ical -ism condition, state of
-ic -osis abnormal condition, disease
-ine
NOUN ENDINGS
-ior
-a noun ending
-ory
-e noun ending
-ous
-um singular noun ending
-tic
-us singular noun ending
-y noun ending

5 Introduction to Medical Terminology

 PRACTICE
SUFFIXES
I. Match the suffixes on the right with their meanings on the left.
Meanings Suffixes
1. flow or discharge d a. -pathy
2. visual examination j b. -ectomy
3. surgical repair e c. -itis
4. surgical incision or cutting i d. -rrhea
5. surgical removal b e. -plasty
6. inflammation c f. -algia, -dynia
7. the study of h g. -megaly
8. pain, suffering f h. -ology
9. enlargement g i. -otomy
10. disease a j. -scopy
II. Divide the terms into word parts (prefix, root or suffix). Use a slash (/) to separate
them.
1. An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix.
2. The term arthralgia means pain in a joint or joints.
3. The term gastroenteritis describes an inflammation of the stomach and small intestine.
4. Arthroscopy is the visual examination of the internal structure of a joint.
5. Myoplasty is the surgical repair of a muscle.
III. Select the correct answer and write it on the line provided.
1. In the term myopathy, the suffix -pathy means __________.
A. abnormal condition B. disease
C. inflammation D. swelling
2. The term __________ means pain in the stomach.
A. appendicitis B. gastrectomy C. gastralgia D. gastrostomy
3. The term __________ describes any pathologic change or disease in the spinal cord.
A. myelopathy B. myopathy C. pyelitis D. pyrosis
4. The term __________ is the frequent flow of loose or watery stools.
A. hemorrhage B. diarrhea C. otorrhea D. otorrhagia

Introduction to Medical Terminology 6

5. In the term hepatomegaly, hepat(o)- means liver and -megaly means __________.
A. enlargement B. softening C. disease D. pain
6. Which of the following terms means the study of the mouth? __________
A. gastralgia B. stomatology C. stomatomycosis D. gastritis
7. In the term neuroplasty, neur/o means nerve and -plasty means __________.
A. surgical removal B. surgical incision C. surgical repair D. softening
8. The term tonsillectomy means __________ of the tonsils.
A. surgical removal B. surgical incision C. surgical repair D. softening
9. The term __________ is the study of the ears, nose and throat.
A. cardiology B. otorhinolaryngology
C. neonatology D. dermatology
10. __________ is the inflammation of the skin.
A. arthritis B. gastritis C. dermatitis D. rhinitis

IV. Complete the terms (describing areas of medicine and the specialist) based on their
meanings as given below.
Areas of medicine Terminology Specialist
1. study of urinary tract
2. study of women and
women’s  diseases
3. study of blood
4. study of tumors
5. study of the kidneys
6. study of nerves
7. treatment of children
8. study of x-rays
9. study of the eyes
10. study of the stomach and
intestines
11. study of glands that secrete
hormones
12. treatment of the mind
13. study of disease
14. study of the heart

7 Introduction to Medical Terminology

PREFIXES
I. Give the meanings of the following prefixes.

1. dia- 8. endo-

2. pro- 9. retro-

3. auto- 10. trans-

4. a-;an- 11. peri-

5. hyper- 12. ex-

6. hypo- 13. sub-

7. epi- 14. re-

II. Underline the prefix in the following terms and give the meaning of the entire term.
Terms Meanings
1. diagnosis a. the membrane surrounding the heart
2. prognosis b. pertaining to under the skin
3. subhepatic c. process of cutting back (in the sense of cutting out)
4. pericardium d. complete knowledge; a decision about the nature of the
5. hyperglycemia patient’s  condition  after  the  appropriate  tests  are  done
6. hypodermic e. condition of deficient (low) sugar in the blood
7. epigastric f. condition of excessive sugar in the blood
8. resection g. blood condition of low numbers of erythrocytes or
9. hypoglycemia deficient hemoglobin in the red blood cells
10. anemia h. before knowledge; a prediction about the outcome of
treatment, and given after the diagnosis
i. pertaining to above the stomach
j. pertaining to below the liver
III. Complete the following terms based on their meanings as given below.
Post- Meta- Hyper- Epi- Anti- (x2)
syn Neo
1. pertaining to new birth: ________natal
2. after death:________mortem
3. increase in development (size of cells): ________trophy

Introduction to Medical Terminology 8