Medical Terminology: Key Word Roots & Affixes

Medical Terminology: Key Word Roots and Affixes

• onc/o-: Relates to tumors, indicating abnormal tissue growth.
• onych/o-: Means nail, commonly used in terms related to nail disorders.
• oophor/o-: Refers to the ovary, critical in female reproductive terminology.
• ophthalm/o-: Pertains to the eye or eyeball, used in eye-related medical terms.
• opisth/o-: Indicates a backward bending motion, relevant in anatomical descriptions.
• opto-: Associated with vision and sight, foundational in optometry and ophthalmology.
• ora-: Signifies mouth, useful in discussing oral health and diseases.
• orb-: Represents a circle or dish, often used in anatomical and surgical contexts.
• orchi/o-: Denotes testes or the seed-producing organ, crucial in male reproductive terms.
• -orexia: Refers to appetite, often used in discussing eating disorders.
• -orrhaphy: Means suturing or repair, relevant in surgical terminology.
• orth/o-: Signifies straight, normal, or correct, commonly used in orthopedics.
• os-: Represents the mouth, fundamental in terms related to oral structures.
• oscill/o-: Means to swing, often found in terms related to movement or sound.
• -ose: Indicates sugar, a significant term in biochemistry and nutrition.
• -osis: Represents a condition of or disease, widely used in medical diagnoses.
• osmo-: Relates to smell, important in discussions of olfaction.
• oste/o-: Refers to bone, fundamental in orthopedics and bone-related diseases.
• -ostomy: Describes a mouth-like opening produced through surgery, relevant in gastrointestinal procedures.
• ot/o-: Pertains to the ear, crucial in audiology and otology.
• -otomy: Means cutting or surgical incision, frequently found in surgery-related terms.
• -otripsy: Refers to the crushing of a substance, often used in medical procedures.
• ov/o-: Indicates egg, essential in discussions of reproduction and fertility.
• ox/y-: Relates to sharpness or oxygen molecules, important in physiology.
• pachy-: Means thick, often used in anatomical descriptions.
• palat/o-: Refers to the palate or roof of the mouth.
• pall/o-: Indicates pale or lack of color, relevant in describing conditions like anemia.
• palm/a-: Refers to the palm of the hand, essential in anatomy.
• palpat/o-: Means touching or to touch, used in physical examination terminology.
• palpebra-: Refers to the eyelid, significant in ophthalmic terms.
• palpit-: Indicates quivering or fluttering, often related to heart conditions.
• palsy: Refers to slight or moderate paralysis, used in neurological contexts.
• pan-: Means all, total, or complete, often used in terms describing comprehensive conditions.
• papilla-: Refers to nipple-like structures, important in anatomy and histology.
• para-: Means near, beside, beyond, or abnormal, applicable in various medical contexts.
• -paresis: Indicates paralysis, commonly used in neurology.
• pariet/o-: Refers to the wall or partition within an anatomical context.
• part/o-: Relates to birth or labor, essential in obstetrics.
• patell/o-: Denotes the kneecap or little dish, used in orthopedic discussions.
• path/o-: Refers to disease, fundamental in pathology.
• paus/o-: Indicates stoppage, often used in discussions of physiological processes.
• pect/o-: Pertains to the chest, significant in cardiology and respiratory terminology.
• ped-: Refers to foot or feet, fundamental in podiatry.
• pedi-: Means child, often used in pediatric terminology.
• pedicul/o-: Refers to lice, significant in discussions of infestations.
• peli-: Indicates purple, often used in dermatological descriptions.
• pell-: Refers to skin, crucial in discussions of dermatology.
• pelvi/o-: Pertains to the base, basin, or pelvis, important in gynecology.
• pen/o-: Refers to tail or penis, applicable in male reproductive health.
• -penia: Indicates a decrease in number, often used in hematology and immunology contexts.