Name: Labadia, Camille Ann R.

Subject: NCM 103-RA Fundamental in Nursing Practice

Year & Section: BSN 1-2 Professor: Dean. Evangeline Simon

50 Medical Terminologies with their Prefixes/Suffixes

Common medical terms Prefixes;
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

Without; Lacking Anemia

A-, An-
Against Contraception
Contra-
Separation; Taking apart Dissection
Dis-
Difficult; Abnormal Dyspnea
Dys
Female Gynecology
Gyn/o-, Gynec-
Bad; Abnormal Malignant
Mal-
Sharp; Acute; Oxygen Oxytocin
Oxy-

Body Part Prefixes;

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

Acous/o- Hearing Acoustic meatus

Aden/o- Gland Adenoid
Adip/o- Fat Adipocyte
Adren/o Gland Adrenal cortex
Angi/o- Blood vessel Angioplasty
Arteri/o- Artery Arteriole
Arthr/o- Joint Arthroplasty
Bucc/o- Cheek Buccal cavity
Bronch/i- Bronchus Bronchioles
Cardi/o- Heart Cardiology
Cephal/o- Head Cephalic flexure
Chol- Bile Cholesterol
Crani/o- Brain Cranium
Cutane- Skin Cutaneous
Cyst/o-, Cysti- Bladder or sac Cystoscopy
Gastr- Stomach Gastrectomy
Hem-, Hema-, Hemat-, Hemo-, Blood Hematopoiesis
Hemat/o-
Hepat/o-, Hepatico- Liver Hepatic portal system
Mamm-, Mast/o- Breast Mammary glands
Mening/o- Meninges Meningitis
Muscul/o-, My/o- Muscle Musculoskeletal, Myocardium
Nephr/o- Kidney Nephron
Neur/i-, Neur/o- Nerve Neuron
Oculo- Eye Oculomotor nerve
Ost-, Oste/o- Bone Osteoporosis
Ot/o- Ear Otolaryngologist
Ovar/i-, Ovario-, Ovi-, Ovo- Ovary Ovarian follicle
Pleur-, Pleur/a-, Pleur/o- Rib, pleura Pleural cavity
Pneum/a- Pneumat/o- Air; Lung Pneumonia
Thromb/o- Blood clot Thrombolytic
Vasculo- Blood vessel Vasculitis
Vertbr- Vertebra; Spine Vertebral column

Color Prefixes;
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

Chlor/o- Green Chlorophyll

Chrom-, Chromato- Color Chromosome
Cyano- Blue Cyanosis
Erythr/o- Red Erythrocyte
Leuk/o- White Leukocyte
Melan/o- Black Melanin

Direction and Position Prefixes;

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

Ab-, Abs- Away from Abductor

Ad- Towards Adductor
Ante- Before; Forward Antenatal
Circum- Around Circumcision
De- Away from; Ending Dehydration
Dia- Across; Through Diagnosis
End/o-, Ent-, Enter/o- Within; Inner Endocrine gland
Epi- Upon; Outside of Epidermis
Ex-, Extra- Beyond Expiration
Meta- Beyond; Change Metabolism
Path/o- Disease Pathologist
Peri- Around Pericardium
Post- Behind; After Postpartum
Sy-, Syl-, Sym-, Syn-, Sys- Together Syndrome
Quantity Prefixes
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

Bi- Two Biceps

Brady- Slow Bradycardia
Diplo- Double Diploid
Hemi- Half Hemihypertrophy
Hetero- Other; Different Heterogeneous
Homo- Same Homozygous genotype
Hyper- Above; Beyond; Excessive Hypertension
Hypo- Under; Deficient Hypotension
Iso- Equal; Like Isointense
Macro- Large; Long; Big Macrophage
Mic-, Micro- Small Microglia
Mon-, Mono- One Monocyte
Olig/o- Few; Little Oliguria
Poly- Many; Excessive Polyuria
Quadri- Four Quadriceps
Semi- Half Semilunar valves
Tachy- Fast Tachycardia
Tetra- Four Tetralogy of Fallot
Tri- Three Triceps
Uni- One Unicellular

Common Suffixes
SUFFIXES MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

-ac Pertaining to Cardiac

-blast, -blasto, -blastic Bud; Germ Myeloblast
-cyte, -cytic Cell Thrombocyte
-dynia Pain; Swelling Thoracodynia
-eal, -ial Pertaining to Esophageal
-ectasis Expansion; Dilation Atelectasis
-emia Blood condition Anemia
-ia Condition Hemophilia
-iasis Condition; Formation of Psoriasis
-ism Condition Hypothyroidism
-ites, -itis Inflammation Arthritis
-ity Pertaining to Immunity
-ium Structure or tissue Epithelium
-lysis, -lytic Break down; Destruction; Osteolytic
-malacia Dissolving Osteomalacia
-megaly Softening Acromegaly
-oid Enlargement Arachnoid trabeculae
-oma Resembling Angiosarcoma
-osis Tumor Endometriosis
-ous Condition; Usually abnormal Aqueous
-pathy Pertaining to Lymphadenopathy
-penia Disease Thrombocytopenia
-phagia, -phagy Deficiency; Lack of Dysphagia
-phasia Eating; Swallowing Aphasia
-plasia, -plastic Speech Hyperplasia
-plegia Growth Hemiplegia
-pnea Paralysis Sleep apnea
-poiesis Breathing Hemopoiesis
-ptosis Production Apoptosis
-rrhage, -rrhagic Falling; Drooping Hemorrhage
-rrhea Bleeding Diarrhea
-sclerosis Flow or discharge Arteriosclerosis
-sis Hardening Agranulocytosis
-stasis Condition Homeostasis
-trophy Level; Unchanging Hypertrophy
-uria Growth Anuria
In the urine

Procedure Suffixes
SUFFIXES MEANING EXAMPLE OF USE
IN MEDICAL TERM

-centesis Surgical puncture to remove Thoracentesis

fluid
-desis Surgical binding Pleurodesis
-ectomy Cut out; Removal Mastectomy
-gram Record; Picture Electrocardiogram
-graph Instrument used to create a Electrocardiograph
record or picture
-graphy To record or take a picture Echocardiography
-meter Device used for measuring Sphygmomanometer
-opsy Visual examination Biopsy
-ostomy Opening Colostomy
-otomy Incision Laparotomy
-pexy Surgical fixation Oophoropexy
-plasty Surgical reconstruction Vertebroplasty
-scope For examining Endoscope
-scopy Examine Endoscopy