Medical Terminology Flashcards

Medical Terminology Prefixes and Suffixes

• Anti-: Means "against"; e.g., antibacterial prevents bacterial growth.
• Auto-: Indicates "self"; e.g., autoimmune refers to immune responses against one's own tissue.
• Brachy-: Signifies "short"; e.g., brachyesophagus is an unusually short esophagus.
• Brady-: Denotes "slow"; e.g., bradycardia refers to an abnormally slow heartbeat.
• Circum-: Means "around"; e.g., circumoral describes something surrounding the mouth.
• Contra-: Indicates "against"; e.g., contraindicated means not recommended.
• Dia-: Means "through"; e.g., diaplacental refers to passing through the placenta.
• Endo-: Signifies "within"; e.g., endoabdominal means located within the abdomen.
• Hemi-: Indicates "half"; e.g., hemiplegia is paralysis on one side of the body.
• Infra-: Means "positioned beneath"; e.g., infrasternal indicates below the sternum.
• Iso-: Denotes "equal" or "same"; e.g., isometric refers to having the same dimensions.
• Meso-: Signifies "middle" or "median"; e.g., mesoderm is the middle layer of skin.
• Meta-: Means "after"; e.g., metacarpus refers to the bones attached to the carpus.
• Micro-: Indicates "small" or "microscopic"; e.g., microplasia refers to stunted growth.
• Oligo-: Means "few" or "scanty"; e.g., oligospermia pertains to low sperm count.
• Retro-: Indicates "behind" or "backward"; e.g., retroversion refers to a backward turning of the uterus.
• Supra-: Means "above" or "over"; e.g., supramaxillary is above the maxilla.
• Ultra-: Denotes "beyond" or "excessive"; e.g., ultrasonic relates to higher frequency energy waves.
• Uni-: Indicates "one"; e.g., uniglandular involves only one gland.

Medical Terminology Suffixes

• -ad: Means "toward"; e.g., cephalad indicates toward the head.
• -asthenia: Refers to "weakness"; e.g., neurasthenia involves vague symptoms of weakness.
• -cele: Indicates "hernia"; e.g., cystocele is a hernia of the urinary bladder.
• -cidal: Means "destroying" or "killing"; e.g., suicidal means likely to self-harm.
• -clasis: Signifies "breaking"; e.g., osteoclasis is an intentional fracture of bone.
• -cytosis: Indicates a "condition of cells"; e.g., erythrocytosis is the abnormal number of red blood cells.
• -desis: Means "binding"; e.g., arthrodesis refers to stiffening a joint.
• -ectasia: Refers to "expansion" or "dilation"; e.g., neurectasia involves nerve dilation.
• -ectomy: Signifies "removal"; e.g., appendectomy denotes the removal of the appendix.
• -genesis: Means "production of"; e.g., pathogenesis is the development of disease.
• -iasis: Indicates a "pathological condition or state"; e.g., psoriasis is a chronic skin condition.
• -kinesia: Refers to "movement"; e.g., bradykinesia indicates reduced movement.
• -lysis: Means "destruction of"; e.g., electrolysis is the permanent removal of hair.
• -megaly: Denotes "enlargement"; e.g., cephalomegaly refers to an abnormal head enlargement.
• -peresis: Indicates "slight paralysis"; e.g., monoparesis is paralysis of one extremity.
• -parous: Means "producing" or "bearing"; e.g., viviparous signifies bearing live young.
• -pheresis: Indicates "removal"; e.g., leukapheresis refers to the extraction of leukocytes.
• -phoresis: Means "carrying"; e.g., electrophoresis is the movement of particles in an electric field.
• -phthisis: Refers to "wasting away"; e.g., hemophthisis indicates anemia.
• -plasty: Means "surgical repair"; e.g., rhinoplasty pertains to nose plastic surgery.
• -plegic: Indicates "one who is paralyzed"; e.g., quadriplegic refers to paralysis of all four limbs.
• -poiesis: Refers to "formation"; e.g., erythropoiesis is the process of red blood cell formation.
• -ptosis: Means "falling down" or "drooping"; e.g., blepharoptosis refers to drooping of the eyelid.
• -rrhaphy: Indicates "surgical suturing"; e.g., herniorrhaphy is repair of a hernia.
• -rrhexis: Means "rupture"; e.g., cardiorrhexis refers to rupture of the heart wall.
• -scope: Denotes an "instrument for viewing"; e.g., microscope is used to view small objects.
• -somnia: Indicates "sleep"; e.g., insomnia is the inability to sleep.
• -stalsis: Refers to "contraction"; e.g., peristalsis is intestinal contraction movement.
• -stasis: Means "stopping" or "constant"; e.g., homeostasis indicates a state of body equilibrium.
• -stenosis: Denotes "narrowing"; e.g., stenostenosis refers to the narrowing of the parotid duct.
• -tropia: Means "turning"; e.g., esotropia is characterized by crossed eyes.