Combining Forms Medical Terminology (Ch 3)

Medical Terminology Combining Forms

• hydr/o: Refers to water or fluid, essential for bodily functions.
• absorpt/o: Indicates the process of absorption or taking in substances.
• aliment/o: Pertains to food and nourishment, crucial for survival and health.
• amyl/o: Relates to carbohydrates and starches, important sources of energy.
• an/o: Represents the anus, the opening at the end of the digestive tract.
• appendic/o: Refers to the appendix, a small pouch attached to the cecum.
• bili/o: Denotes bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver.
• cec/o: Pertains to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine.
• celi/o: Relates to the abdomen, the area containing digestive organs.
• chez/o: Refers to the process of passing feces.
• chlor/o: Indicates chloride, an electrolyte involved in various physiological processes.
• cholangi/o: Refers to the bile duct, which transports bile from the liver.
• chol/e: Indicates bile, critical for digestion and fat absorption.
• choledoch/o: Pertains to the common bile duct, a major channel for bile.
• degluti/o: Refers to swallowing, a key function in food intake.
• duoden/o: Denotes the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine where initial digestion occurs.
• emulsific/o: Relates to fat droplets in a liquid, important for digestion.
• esophag/o: Represents the esophagus, the tube connecting throat to stomach.
• fec/o and fec/a: Both refer to feces or stool, waste material excreted from the body.
• gloss/o: Pertains to the tongue, involved in taste and food manipulation.
• gustat/o: Indicates the sense of taste, a critical sensory perception.
• jejun/o: Refers to the jejunum, the middle section of the small intestine.
• ile/o: Pertains to the ileum, the final segment of the small intestine.
• kin/o: Indicates movement, fundamental to many bodily functions.
• lact/o: Refers to milk, significant for nutrition, especially in infancy.
• lapar/o: Pertains to the abdomen, key in surgical and medical terms.
• lingu/o: Relates to the tongue, similarly significant for digestion and speech.
• lip/o: Refers to lipids or fats, vital for energy storage and cell structure.
• mandibul/o: Indicates the mandible, the lower jawbone essential for eating and speaking.
• mastic/o: Pertains to chewing, a critical step in the digestive process.
• or/o: Refers to the mouth, the entry point for food.
• ot/o: Indicates the ear, involved in hearing and balance.
• pancreat/o: Pertains to the pancreas, key in energy metabolism and digestion.
• peps/o: Relates to digestion, the breakdown of food in the stomach.
• pepsin/o: Refers to pepsin, an enzyme that aids in protein digestion.
• peritone/o and periton/o: Both relate to the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity.
• proct/o: Pertains to the rectum and anus, involved in waste elimination.
• pylor/o: Refers to the pylorus, the opening between the stomach and the small intestine.
• rect/o: Indicates the rectum, the final section of the large intestine.
• saliv/o: Relates to saliva, secreted by glands to aid digestion.
• sial/o: Refers to salivary glands, responsible for producing saliva.
• sigmoid/o: Pertains to the sigmoid colon, the S-shaped last part of the colon.
• stal/o: Indicates contraction, significant in muscle and digestive functions.
• stomat/o: Relates to the mouth, involved in both digestion and speech.
• pharyng/o: Refers to the pharynx, the throat area connecting the mouth and esophagus.
• cholecyst/o: Pertains to the gallbladder, storing bile produced by the liver.
• append/o: Indicates small structures, like the appendix, highlighting related anatomical features.