Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud

HESC 203: Terminología Médica Cap 17 Sistema Nervioso y Conducta
Prof. Amarilys Irizarry
Word  Parts  Pertaining  to  the  Nervous  System  
 
Roots  for  the  Nervous  System  and  the  Spinal  Cord  
Root   Meaning   Example   Definition  of  Example  
neur/o,  neur/i   nervous  system,   neurotrophin   factor  that  promotes  nerve  
nervous  tissue,   nu-­‐ro-­‐TRO-­‐fin   growth  (troph/o  means  
nerve   “nourish”)  
gli/o   neuroglia   glial   pertaining  to  neuroglia  
GLI-­‐al  
gangli/o,   ganglion   ganglioma   tumor  of  a  ganglion  
ganglion/o   gang-­‐gle-­‐O-­‐mah  
mening/o,   meninges   meningocele   hernia  of  the  meninges  
meninge/o   meh-­‐NING-­‐go-­‐
sele  
myel/o   spinal  cord  (also   hematomyelia   hemorrhage  into  the  spinal  
bone  marrow)   he-­‐mah-­‐to-­‐mi-­‐E-­‐ cord  
le-­‐ah  
radicul/o   spinal  nerve  root   radiculopathy   any  disease  of  a  spinal  nerve  
rah-­‐dik-­‐u-­‐LOP-­‐ root  
ah-­‐the  
 
Roots  for  the  Brain  
Root   Meaning   Example   Definition  of  Example  
encephal/o   brain   anencephaly   absence  of  a  brain  
an-­‐en-­‐SEF-­‐ah-­‐le  
cerebr/o   cerebrum  (loosely,   infracerebral   below  the  cerebrum  
brain)   in-­‐frah-­‐SER-­‐eh-­‐bral  
cortic/o   cerebral  cortex,  outer   corticospinal   pertaining  to  the  cerebral  
portion   kor-­‐tih-­‐ko-­‐SPI-­‐nal   cortex  and  spinal  cord  
cerebell/o   cerebellum   supracerebellar   above  the  cerebellum  
su-­‐prah-­‐ser-­‐eh-­‐BEL-­‐
ar  
thalam/o   thalamus   thalamotomy   incision  of  the  thalamus  
thal-­‐ah-­‐MOT-­‐o-­‐me  
ventricul/o   cavity,  ventricle   intraventricular   within  a  ventricle  
For  Med  Term  students  review  only         UAA  
 in-­‐trah-­‐ven-­‐TRIK-­‐u-­‐
lar  
medull/o   medulla  oblongata   medullary   pertaining  to  the  medulla  
(also  spinal  cord)   MED-­‐u-­‐lar-­‐e  
psych/o   mind   psychogenic   originating  in  the  mind  
si-­‐ko-­‐JEN-­‐ik  
narc/o   stupor,   narcosis   state  of  stupor  induced  
unconsciousness   nar-­‐KO-­‐sis   by  drugs  
somn/o,   sleep   somnolence   sleepiness  
somn/i   SOM-­‐no-­‐lens  
 
Suffixes  for  the  Nervous  System  
Suffix   Meaning   Example   Definition  of  Example  
-­‐phasia   speech   heterophasia   uttering  words  that  are  different  from  
het-­‐er-­‐o-­‐FA-­‐ze-­‐ those  intended  
ah  
-­‐lalia   speech,  babble   coprolalia   compulsive  use  of  obscene  words  
kop-­‐ro-­‐LA-­‐le-­‐ah   (copro-­‐  means  “feces”)  
-­‐lexia   reading   bradylexia   slowness  in  reading  
brad-­‐e-­‐LEK-­‐se-­‐
ha  
-­‐plegia   paralysis   tetraplegia   paralysis  of  all  four  limbs  
tet-­‐rah-­‐PLE-­‐je-­‐ah  
-­‐paresis   partial  paralysis,   hemiparesis   partial  paralysis  of  one  side  of  the  body  
weakness   hem-­‐e-­‐pah-­‐RE-­‐
sis  
-­‐lepsy   seizure   narcolepsy   condition  marked  by  sudden  episodes  
NAR-­‐ko-­‐lep-­‐se   of  sleep  
-­‐phobia   persistent,   agoraphobia   fear  of  being  in  a  public  place  (from  
irrational  fear   ag-­‐o-­‐rah-­‐FO-­‐be-­‐ Greek  agora,  meaning  “marketplace”)  
ah  
-­‐mania   excited  state,   megalomania   exaggerated  self-­‐importance;  
obsession   meg-­‐ah-­‐lo-­‐MA-­‐ “delusions  of  grandeur”  
ne-­‐ah  
 

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