Ear & Hearing: Prefixes and Roots Flashcards

Prefixes and Root Words Related to Ear and Hearing

• presby-: Indicates aging or old age.
• Acoust/o: Pertains specifically to hearing.
• Audi/o: Relates to hearing and sound.
• Chochie/o: Refers to the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear.
• Labyrinth/o: Describes the labyrinth, an intricate structure in the inner ear involved in balance and hearing.
• Laryng/o: Relates to the larynx, essential for phonation.
• Myc/o: Represents fungus, potentially relevant to ear infections.
• Myring/o: Denotes the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane, crucial for sound transmission.
• Ot/o: Refers to the ear, encompassing all auditory and balance-related functions.
• Rhin/o: Indicates the nose, an important aspect of the respiratory system often associated with ear health.
• Staped/o: Pertains to the stapes, one of the three middle ear bones involved in hearing.
• Tympan/o: Relates to the eardrum or tympanic membrane, similar to Myring/o, emphasizing its role.

Suffixes Related to Ear and Hearing

• -algia: Signifies pain, applicable in conditions affecting the ear and hearing pathways.
• -cusis: Refers to hearing, often used in terms like presbycusis (age-related hearing loss).
• -cusia: Another variant signifying hearing, similar to -cusis.
• -metry: Indicates the process of measuring, often used in audiometric tests.
• -plasty: Refers to surgical repair, relevant in procedures involving hearing restoration.
• -rrhea: Signifies flow or discharge, which may relate to ear infections.
• -ic: Denotes pertaining to, used in various medical terminology related to ear anatomy.
• Neur/o: Refers to nerves, important in hearing and balance processes.
• -oma: Indicates a tumor, relevant in discussions about potential growths affecting ear structures.
• -osis: Signifies a condition, often used to describe pathological states affecting the ear or hearing.