Medical Terminology (Speedy Study Guides). Speedy Publishing

      

      Medical Terminology

      Medical Terminology often uses words created using prefixes and suffixes in Latin and Ancient Greek. In medicine, their meanings, and their etymology, are informed by the language of origin. Prefixes and suffixes, primarily in Greek—but also in Latin, have a dropable -o-. Medical roots generally go together according to language: Greek prefixes go with Greek suffixes and Latin Prefixes with Latin Suffixes.

      COMMON MEDICAL ROOT WORDS

      The root of a word is its main part and core meaning. These common medical root words give you a general idea of what you’re dealing with or specify a body part.

      Abdomin/o: Abdomen

      Aden/o: Gland

      Anter/o: Front

      Arteri/o: Artery

      Audi/o: Hearing

      Bio: Life

      Brachi/o: Arm

      Bronch/i, bronch/o: Bronchus

      Carcin/o: Cancer

      Cardi/o: Heart

      Col/o: Colon

      Cyt/o: Cell

      Derm/a, derm/o, dermat/o: Skin

      Dors/i, dors/o: Back or posterior

      Encephal/o: Brain

      Gastr/o: Stomach

      Gynec/o: Female

      Hemat/o: Bl ood

      Hist/o, histi/o: Tissue

      Intestin/o: Intestine

      Lapar/o: Abdomen, loin or flank

      Lymph/o: Lymph vessels

      My/o: Muscle

      Neur/o: Nerve

      Ocul/o: Eye

      Ophthalm/o: Eyes

      Optic/o, opt/o: Seeing, sight

      Or/o: Mouth

      Ot/o: Ear

      Path/o: Disease

      Pharmac/o: Drug

      Pulmon/o: Lungs

      Sept/o: Infection

      Thorac/o: Chest/thorax

      Thyr/o: Thyroid gland

      Trachel/o: Neck or necklike

      Trich/o: Hair or hairlike

      Ventr/i, ventr/o: Front of body

      Viscer/o: Viscera (internal organs)

      GENERAL WORDS

      Part

      -ac

      andr-, andro-

      auto-

      bio-

      chem-, chemo-

      cyt-, cyto-

      -blast-, -blasto, -blastic

      -cyte, -cytic

      fibr-, fibro-

      gluco-, glycol-

      gyn-, gyno-, gynec-