Medical Terminology: Prefixes and Meanings

Medical Prefixes and Their Meanings

• Arthr/o: Refers to a joint, a key component in the musculoskeletal system.
• Dent/i: Pertains to teeth, essential for dental health and mechanics of eating.
• Hepat/o: Indicates the liver, a vital organ involved in metabolism and detoxification.
• Gastr/o: Relates to the stomach, crucial for digestion and food processing.
• Leuk/o: Signifies white, commonly used in medical terms related to white blood cells.
• Iatr/o: Associated with treatment and physicians, important in the context of medical care.

Disease and Body Systems Reference

• Path/o: Means disease, a foundational term in pathology and diagnosis.
• Oste/o: Refers to bone, relevant in orthopedics and skeletal health.
• Nephr/o: Indicates the kidney, vital for filtration and waste elimination from the body.
• Bi/o: Means life, fundamental in biology and medical terminology relating to living organisms.
• Fet/o: Refers to fetus, significant in obstetrics and prenatal care.

Additional Medical Terms

• Derm/o: Relates to skin, crucial in dermatology and overall health.
• Electr/o: Indicates electrical activity, important for understanding bodily functions like cardiac rhythms.
• Enter/o: Pertains to intestines, essential in digestive health and gastrointestinal studies.
• Cyt/o: Means cell, a basic unit of life and primary focus in cellular biology.
• Cerebr/o: Refers to the cerebrum, part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions.
• Cardi/o: Associated with the heart, vital in cardiology and circulation.
• Carcin/o: Refers to cancer or cancerous conditions, critical in oncology.
• Cephal/o: Indicates head, often used in neuroanatomy and cranial studies.
• Ren/o: Refers to kidney, another term for nephrology, emphasizing renal health.