Medical Terminology: Common Word Roots

Medical Terminology - Common Word Roots

• Combining Forms and Their Meanings: A table is provided listing combining forms (prefixes, suffixes, and roots) and their corresponding meanings. Examples include:
  • abdomen/o - abdomen
  • abort/o - miscarriage
  • acr/o - extremity
  • aden/o - gland
  • adren/o - adrenal gland
  • albin/o - white
  • alveol/o - air sac
  • andr/o - male
  • angi/o - blood vessel
  • append/o - appendix
  • arteri/o - artery
  • arthr/o - joint
  • ather/o - fatty plaque
  • audi/o - hearing
  • bacteri/o - bacteria
  • blast/o - germ, bud, developing cell
  • blephar/o - eyelid
  • brachi/o - arm
  • bronch/i,o - airway, bronchus
  • carcin/o - cancer
  • cardi/o - heart
  • carp/o - wrist
  • caud/o - tail
  • cephal/o - head
  • cerebr/o - brain, cerebrum
  • cervic/o - neck, cervix
  • cholecyst/o - gallbladder
  • chondr/o - cartilage
  • colp/o or colpo - vagina
  • coron/o - heart
  • cost/o - rib
  • crani/o - skull, cranium
  • cutane/o - skin
  • cyan/o - blue
  • cyst/o - bladder, sac
  • cyt/o - cell
  • derm, dermat/o - skin
  • encephal/o - brain
  • enter/o - small intestine
  • erythr/o - red
  • esophag/e,o - gullet, esophagus
  • fasci/o - fascia
  • gastr/o - stomach
  • gingiv/o - gums
  • glomerul/o - little ball, glomerulus
  • gloss/o - tongue
  • gonad/o - sex gland
  • gravid/o - pregnancy
  • gyn, gynec/o - woman
  • hem, hemat/o - blood
  • hepat/o - liver
  • hom/o - same
  • hyster/o - uterus
  • iatr/o - physician
  • lact/o - milk
  • lapar/o - abdomen
  • laryng/o - voice box, larynx
  • leuk/o - white
  • lingu/o - tongue
  • mamm/o - breast
  • mast/o - breast
  • melan/o - black
  • men, menstru/o - menstruation
  • mening/l,o - membrane
  • ment/o - mind
  • metr/l,o - uterus
  • muscul/o - muscle
  • my/o - muscle
  • nas/o - nose
  • nat/o - birth
  • necr/o - death
  • nephr/o - kidney
  • neur/o - nerve
  • nosocom/o - hospital
  • obstetr/o - midwife
  • ocul/o - eye
  • ophthalm/o - eye
  • opt/o - eye
  • oophor/o - ovary
  • orchi, orchid/o - testis
  • orth/o - straight
  • oste/o - bone
  • ot/o - ear
  • ox/i - oxygen
  • ped/o - child
  • pharyng/o - throat, pharynx
  • pneum/o - air, lung
  • pulmon/o - lung
  • ren/o - kidney
  • rhin/o - nose
  • salping/o - trumpet, fallopian tube
  • schiz/o - to divide, split
  • sinus/o - cavity
  • spir/o - breathe
  • stern/o - chest, sternum
  • thorac/o - chest, thorax
  • thromb/o - clot
  • thyroid/o - resembling a shield, thyroid
  • tox/o - poison
  • trache/o - windpipe, trachea
  • tympan/o - eardrum
  • umbilic/o - navel, umbilicus
  • ur, urin/o - urine

Additional Head and Body Part Roots

• cephal, cerebr, crani (head)
• cardi, (heart)
• myο (muscle)

Note: There are further listed body parts from additional slide images.