Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms

1 prefixes , suffixes , and Combining Forms The ability to break down medical terms into separate components or to recognize a complete word depends on mastery of the Combining Forms (roots or stems) and the prefixes and suffixes that alter or modify the meaning and usage of the Combining form . The Combining Forms are usually derived from Latin or Greek nouns, verbs, or adjectives. prefixes are placed before the Combining form , and suffixes are added after. Term Meaning Example 1. a- without, lack of aphasia 2. ab- away from abductor 3. -able capable viable 4. acou- hearing acoustics 5. acr- extremity acromegaly 6. ad- to, toward, near to adrenal 7. adeno- gland adenoma 8. -al expressing relationship neural 9. -algia pain gastralgia 10.

2 An- without, lack of anaerobic 11. ana- up, back, again anatomy 12. angio- vessel angiography 13. ante- before, forward antecubital 14. anti- against, reverse antiperistalsis 15. arthr- joint arthritis 16. -ary associated with urinary 17. -asis condition, state of homeostasis 18. auto- self autolysis 19. bi- twice, double bicuspid 20. bio- live biology 21. -blast- bud, germ fibroblast 22. brady- slow bradycardia 23. -c expressing relationship cardiac 24. carcin- cancer carcinogenic 25. cardio- heart cardiopathy 26. cata- down, according to catabolism 27. cephal- head cephalic 28. -cele hollow blastocele 29. cerebro- brain cerebrospinal 30. chol- bile acholic 31. cholecyst- gallbladder cholecystokinin 32. chondr- cartilage chondrocyte 33. -cide kill bactericide Term Meaning Example 34.

3 Circum- around, about circumduction 35. -clast- smash, break osteoclast 36. co- with, together coenzyme 37. com- with, together commissure 38. con- with, together convergence 39. contra- against, opposite contralateral 40. crypto- hidden cryptorchidism 41. cysto- bladder or sac cystocele 42. -cyte- cell erythrocyte 43. cyto- cell cytoskeleton 44. de- away from dehydrate 45. derm- skin dermatology 46. di- two diploid 47. dia- through, apart, across diapedesis 48. dis- reversal, apart from dissect 49. -duct- draw abduct 50. -dynia pain mastodynia 51. dys- difficult, bad dysmentia 52. e- out, away from eviscerate 53. ec- out from ectopic 54. ecto- on outer side ectoderm 55. -ectomy cut out appendectomy 56. -edem- swell myoedema 57. em- in empyema 58. -emia blood anemia 59. en- in encephalon 60.

4 Endo- within endometrium 61. entero- intestine enteritis 62. epi- upon, on epidermis 63. erythro- red erythrocyte 64. eu- well, good euphoria 65. ex- out, away from exhalation 66. exo- outside, on outer side exogenous 67. extra- outside extracellular 68. -ferent carry afferent 69. - form expressing resemblance fusiform 70. gastro- stomach gastrodynia 71. -genesis produce, origin pathogenesis 72. gloss- tongue hypoglossal 73. glyco- sugar, sweet glycolysis 74. -gram a drawing myogram 75. -graph instrument that records myograph 76. hem- blood hemolysis Term Meaning Example 77. hemi- half hemiplegia 78. hepato- liver hepatitis 79. hetero- different, other heterozygous 80. hist- tissue histology 81. homeo- same homeostasis 82. hydro- wet, water hydrocephalus 83. hyper- over, above, excessive hypertrophy 84.

5 Hypo- under, below, deficient hypotension 85. -ia expressing condition neuralgia 86. -iatr- treat, cure pediatrics 87. -id expressing condition flaccid 88. im- not impermeable 89. in- in, into injection 90. infra- below infraorbital 91. inter- between intercostals 92. intra- within intraocular 93. -ism condition, state of dimorphism 94. iso- equal isotonic 95. -it is inflammation gastritis 96. -ity expressing acidity 97. kerato- cornea or horny tissue keratinization 98. -kin- move kinesiology 99. leuko- white leukocyte 100. -liga- bind ligament 101. lip- fat lipolysis 102. -logy study histologly 103. -lysis breaking up, dissolving glycolysis 104. macro- large macrophage 105. mal- bad malnutrition 106. malaco- soft osteomalacia 107. mast- breast mastectomy 108. mega- great megacolon 109.

6 Melano- black melanocyte 110. meso- middle, mid mesoderm 111. meta- beyond, after, change metastasis 112. micro- small microorganism 113. mito- thread, filament mitosis 114. mono- one, single monosaccharide 115. -morph- form morphology 116. multi- many, much multinucleated 117. myelo- marrow, spinal cord myeloid 118. myo- muscle myocardium 119. narco- numbness narcotic Term Meaning Example 120. neo- new neonatal 121. nephro- kidney nephrectomy 122. neuro- nerve neuritis 123. oculo- eye oculomotor 124. odonto- tooth or teeth odontomy 125. -oid expressing resemblance epidermoid 126. oligo- few, scanty, little oliguria 127. -oma tumor carcinoma 128. -op- see myopia 129. ophthalm- eye ophthalmology 130. ortho- straight, normal orthodontics 131. -ory referring to olfactory 132. -ose full of adipose 133.

7 -osis a condition of osteoporosis 134. osteo- bone osteocyte 135. oto- ear otolith 136. -ous expressing material serous 137. para- beside, beyond, near to paranasal 138. -pathy disease cardiopathy 139. -penia deficiency thrombocytopenia 140. per- through, excessive permeate 141. peri- around periosteum 142. -phag- eat dysphagia 143. -phas- speak, utter aphasia 144. -phil- like, love hydrophilic 145. phleb- vein phlebotomy 146. -phobia fear hydrophobia 147. -plas- form , grow neoplasm 148. -plegia paralyze paraplegia 149. -pne- breathe apnea 150. pneumo- air, gas, or lungs pneumothorax 151. pod- foot podiatry 152. -poie- make hematopoiesis 153. poly- many, much polycythemia 154. post- after, behind postpartum 155. pre- before, in front of prenatal 156. pro- before, in front of prosect 157.

8 Procto- anus, rectum proctoscope 158. pseudo- false pseudostratified 159. psycho- mind, soul psychosomatic 160. pyo- pus pyoderma 161. re- back, again, contrary reflect 162. retro backward, located behind retroperitoneal Term Meaning Example 163. -rrhagia burst forth, pour hemorrhage 164. -rrhea flow, discharge rhinorrhea 165. sarco- flesh or fleshy sarcoma 166. sclero- hard arteriosclerosis 167. -scope examine endodcope 168. semi- half semilunar 169. somato- body somatotropin 170. -stasis stop, stand still hemostasis 171. steno- narrow stenosis 172. -stomy to make an artificial opening tracheostomy 173. sub- under subcutaneous 174. super- above, upper, excessive supercilia 175. supra- above, upon suprarenal 176. sym- together, with symphysis 177. syn- together, with synapsis 178.

9 Tachy- fast, swift tachycardia 179. therm- heat thermometer 180. -tomy cut, incise phlebotomy 181. tox- poison antitoxin 182. trans- across, through, beyond transection 183. tri- three triceps 184. -troph- nourish hypertrophy 185. -tropic changing, influencing gonadotropic 186. -uria urine polyuria 187. vene- vein venesection 188. viscer- internal organ visceromotor