Medical Terminology: Root Words

• Medical terminology involves root words that define specific body parts, conditions, or procedures.

Root Words and Their Meanings

• Adeno means gland, as in adenopathy (gland disease).
• Angio refers to vessel, exemplified by angioplasty (surgical repair of vessel).
• Arthro signifies joint, evident in arthritis (inflammation in joint).
• Bucco denotes cheek, seen in buccoversion (turning toward the mouth).
• Carcino indicates cancer, such as carcinoma (cancerous tumor).
• Cardio relates to heart, as in cardiomyopathy (any disease of the heart).
• Cephalo means head, like in cephaloc (pertaining to the head).
• Cerebro refers to cerebrum, found in cerebral (pertaining to cerebrum).
• Colo or Colono signifies colon, for example, colectomy (excision of the colon).
• Cutaneo denotes skin, as in subcutaneous (below the skin).
• Cysto means filled sac or pouch, bladder, illustrated by cystic (pertaining to or having cysts).
• Duodeno refers to duodenum, exemplified by duodenostomy (surgical creation of the opening of the duodenum).
• Entero signifies small intestine, as in enteric (pertaining to small intestine).
• Esophago relates to esophagus, such as esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus).
• Gastro means stomach, for instance, gastrectomy (removal of stomach).
• Glosso signifies tongue, as in glossitis (inflammation of tongue).
• Glyco denotes sugar, like in glycolysis (splitting of sugar).
• Hepato refers to liver, seen in hepatitis (inflammation of liver).
• Jejuno signifies jejunum, for example, jejunectomy (resection of the jejunum).
• Laparo means abdomen, illustrated by laparoscope (instrument to view abdomen).
• Myo relates to muscle, as in myoblast (immature muscle cell).
• Neuro signifies nerve, such as neural (pertaining to nerve).
• Nephro denotes kidney, for example, nephromegaly (enlarged kidney).
• Odonto refers to tooth, teeth, seen in periodontics (dental specialty that deals with the study and treatment of tissues around the teeth).
• Onco means tumor, like in oncology (study of tumors).
• Patho signifies disease, as in pathology (study of disease).
• Pharyngo refers to pharynx, exemplified by pharyngospasm (spasm of the pharynx).
• Rhino denotes nose, such as rhinorrhea (discharge from nose).
• Sarco signifies flesh, for example, sarcoma (flesh tumor).
• Sclero means hard, illustrated by sclerosis (hardening of tissue).
• Sepso refers to infection, as in sepsis (condition of infection).
• Stoma/Stomo denotes mouth, like in Xerostomia (dryness of the mouth).
• Thoraco refers to chest, seen in thoracic (pertaining to chest).
• Tracheo signifies trachea, for example, tracheotome (instrument used to incise the trachea).
• Uro refers to urine, as in urology (study of urinary tract).
• Veno denotes vein, such as venous (pertaining to vein).