Basic Word Structure

There are five important elements of medical terms:

• Root = foundation of the term

• Suffix = word ending

• Prefix = word beginning

• Combining vowel = vowel (usually o) that links the root to the suffix or the root to another root

• Combining form = combination of the root and the combining vowel

Combining Forms:

• aden/o = gland

• adren(al)/o = adrenal gland

• angi/o = vessel (blood)

• anter/o = front

• aort/o = aorta (largest artery)

• arter(i)/o = artery 

• arthr/o or articul/o =  joint

• arther/o = plaque (fatty substance)

• atri/o = atrium (upper heart chamber)

• audi(t)/o = hearing

• aur(icul)/o = ear

• aut/o = self, own

• bacteri/o = bacteria

• bi/o = life

• bil/i = bile; gall

• brachi/o = arm

• bucc/o = cheek

• capillar/o = capillary

• carcin/o = cancerous, cancer

• cardi/o = heart

• celi/o = abdomen; belly

• cephal/o = head

• cerebell/o = cerebellum

• cerebr/o = cerebrum

• cholecyst/o = gallbladder

• chondr/o = cartilage

• chron/o =

• cis/o = to cut

• crin/o = to secrete (to form and give off)

• col(on)/o = colon

• coron/o = heart

• cost/o = rib

• crani/o = skull

• cry/o = cold

• cutane/o = skin

• cyst/o = urinary bladder; a sac or a cyst

• cyt/o = cell

• dent/i = tooth; teeth

• derm/o = skin

• dors/o = back (of body)

• duoden/o = duodenum

• encephal/o = brain

• enter/o = intestines (usually small intestine)

• epitheli/o = skin; epithelium

• erythr/o = red

• esophag/o = esophagus

• estr/o = female

• gastr/o = stomach

• neur/o = nerve

• oste/o = bone

• path/o = disease

• sarc/o = flesh

• sect/o = to cut

• thromb/o = clot, clotting

 Suffixes:

• -al = pertaining to

• -algia = pain

• -ary = pertaining to

• -ase = enzymes

• -ation = process, condition

• -blast = embryonic; immature cell

• -cele = hernia

• -centesis = surgical puncture to remove fluid

• -constriction = narrowing

• -crine = secrete; separate

• -crit = separate

• -cyte = cell

• -derma = skin

• -dilation = widening; stretching; expanding

• -dynia = pain

• -ecstasi(s/a) = dilation; widening

• -ectomy = excision, removal

• -edema = swelling

• -ema = condition

• -emia = blood condition

• -emisis = vomitting

• -eal = pertaining to

• -esis = action; condition; state of

• -itis = inflammation

• -scopy = process of visually examining

• -sis = state of; condition

• -tomy = process of cutting, incision

Tip - There are MANY suffixes that mean pertaining to, it is not just one or two!

Common Prefixes:

• a-, an- = no, not, without

• ab- = away from

• ad- = toward

• bi- = two

• brachy- = short

• brady- = slow

• cata- = down

• con- = together; with

• contra-  = against; opposite

• de- = lack of; down; less; removal of

• dia- = complete, through

• dys- = bad; painful; difficult; abnormal

• ec- = out; outside

• en- = in; within

• end(o)- = within

• epi- = above; upon; on

• ex(o)- = out; away from

• hyper- = excessive, above, more than normal

• hypo- = deficient, below, under, less than normal

• peri- = surrounding, around

• pro- = before, forward

• re- = back, backward, again

• retro- = behind

• sub- = below, under

• trans- = across, through

Chabner, D.-E. (2021). The language of medicine. Elsevier.