|
Prefix/Root |
Meaning/Example* |
|
A- or AB- |
Away, lack of: abnormal, departing from normal |
|
A- or AN- |
From, without: asepsis, without infection |
|
ACR- |
An extremity: acrodermatitis, a dermatitis of the limbs |
|
AD- |
To, toward, near: adrenal, near the kidney |
|
ADEN- |
Gland: adenitis, inflammation of a gland |
|
ALG- |
Pain: Neuralgia, pain extending along nerves |
|
AMBI- |
Both: ambidextrous, referring to both hands |
|
ANTE- |
Before: antenatal, occurring or having been formed before birth |
|
ANTI- |
Against: antiseptic, against or preventing sepsis |
|
ARTH- |
Joint: arthritis, inflammation of a joint |
|
AUTO- |
Self: autointoxication, poisoning by toxin generated in the body |
|
BI- or BIN- |
Two: binocular, pertaining to both eyes |
|
BIO- |
Life: biopsy, inspection of living organism (or tissue) |
|
BLAST- |
Bud, a growing thing in early stages: blastocyte, beginning cell not yet differentiated |
|
BLEPH- |
Eyelids: blepharitis, inflammation of an eyelid |
|
BRACHI- |
Arm: brachialis, muscle for flexing forearm |
|
BRACHY- |
Short: brachydactylia, abnormal shortness of fingers and toes |
|
BRADY- |
Slow: bradycardia, abnormal slowness of heartbeat |
|
BRONCH- |
Windpipe: bronchiectasis, dilation of bronchial tubes |
|
BUCC- |
Cheek: buccally, toward the cheek |
|
CARCIN- |
Cancer: carcinogenic, producing cancer |
|
CARDI- |
Heart: cardialgia, pain in the heart |
|
CEPHAL- or CEPHALO- |
Head: cephalic measurements |
|
CHEIL- |
Lip: cheilitis, inflammation of the lip |
|
CHOLE- |
Bile: cholecyst, the gallbladder |
|
CHONDR- |
Cartilage: chondrectomy, removal of a cartilage |
|
CIRCUM- |
Around: circumocular, around the eyes |
|
CLEID- |
Clavicle: cleidocostal, pertaining to clavicle and ribs |
|
COLP- |
Vagina: colporrhagia, vaginal hemorrhage |
|
CONTRA- |
Against, opposed: contraindication, indication opposing usually indicated treatment |
|
COST- |
Rib: intercostal, between the ribs |
|
COUNTER- |
Against: counterirritation, an irritation to relieve some other irritation (e.g., a liniment) |
|
CRANI- |
Skull: craniotomy, surgical opening in skull |
|
CRYPT- |
Hidden: cryptogenic, of hidden or unknown origin |
|
CUT- |
Skin: subcutaneous, under the skin |
|
CYST- |
Sac or bladder: cystitis, inflammation of any bladder |
|
CYTO- |
Cell: cytology, scientific study of cells; cytometer, a device for counting and measuring cells |
|
DACRY- |
Lacrimal glands: dacryocyst, tear-sac |
|
DERM- or DERMAT- |
Skin: dermatoid, skinlike |
|
DI- |
Two: diphasic, occurring in two stages or phases |
|
DIS- |
Apart: disarticulation, taking a joint apart |
|
Prefix/Root |
Meaning/Example* |
|
DYS- |
Pain or difficulty: dyspepsia, impairment of digestion |
|
ECTO- |
Outside: ectoretina, outermost layer of retina |
|
EM- or EN- |
In: encapsulated, enclosed in a capsule |
|
ENCEPHAL- |
Brain: encephalitis, inflammation of the brain |
|
END- |
Within: endothelium, layer of cells lining heart, and blood and lymph vessels |
|
ENTERO- |
Intestine: enterosis, falling of intestine |
|
EPI- |
Above or on: epidermis, outermost layer of skin |
|
ERYTHRO- |
Red: erythrocyte, red blood cell |
|
EU- |
Well: euphoria, well feeling, feeling of good health |
|
EX- or E- |
Out: excretion, material thrown out of the body or the organ |
|
EXO- |
Outside: exocrine, excreting outwardly (opposite of endocrine) |
|
EXTRA- |
Outside: extramural, situated or occurring outside a wall |
|
FEBRI- |
Fever: febrile, feverish |
|
GALACTO- |
Milk: galactose, a milk sugar |
|
GASTR- |
Stomach: gastrectomy, excision of the stomach |
|
GLOSS- |
Tongue: glossectomy, surgical removal of tongue |
|
GLYCO- |
Sugar: glycosuria, sugar in the urine |
|
GYNEC- |
Women: gynecology, science of diseases pertaining to women |
|
HEM- or HEMAT- |
Blood: hematopoiesis, forming blood |
|
HEMI- |
Half: heminephrectomy, excision of half the kidney |
|
HEPAT- |
Liver: hepatitis, inflammation of the liver |
|
HETERO- |
Other (opposite of homo): heterotransplant, using skin from a member of another species |
|
HIST- |
Tissue: histology, science of minute structure and function of tissues |
|
HOMO- |
Same: homotransplant, skin grafting by using skin from a member of the same species |
|
HYDR- |
Water: hydrocephalus, abnormal accumulation of fluid in cranium (skull) |
|
HYPER- |
Above, excess of: hyperglycemia, excess of sugar in blood |
|
HYPO- |
Under, deficiency of: hypoglycemia, deficiency of sugar in blood |
|
HYSTER- |
Uterus: hysterectomy, excision of uterus |
|
IDIO- |
Self or separate: idiopathic, a disease self-originated (of unknown cause) |
|
IM- or IN- |
In: infiltration, accumulation in tissue of abnormal substances (such as an IV) |
|
IM- or IN- |
Not: immature, not mature |
|
INFRA- |
Below: infraorbital, below the orbit |
|
INTER- |
Between: intermuscular, between the muscles |
|
INTRA- |
Within: intramuscular, within the muscle |
|
KERAT- |
Horn, cornea: keratitis, inflammation of the cornea |
|
LACT- |
Milk: lactation, secretion of milk |
|
LEUK- |
White: leukocyte, white cell |
|
MACRO- |
Large: macroblast, abnormally large red cell |
|
MAST- |
Breast: mastectomy, excision of the breast |
|
MEG- or MEGAL- |
Great: megacolon, abnormally large colon |
|
MENT- |
Mind: dementia, deterioration of the mind |
|
MER- |
Part: merotomy, division into segments |
|
MESA- |
Middle: mesaortitis, inflammation of the middle coat of the aorta |
|
META- |
Beyond, over, change: metastasis, change in the site of a disease, spreading (often refers to cancer) |
|
MICRO- |
Small: microplasia, dwarfism |
|
MY- |
Muscle: myoma, tumor made of muscular elements |
|
MYC- |
Fungi: mycology, science and study of fungi |
|
NECRO- |
Corpse, dead: necrosis, death of cells adjoining living tissue |
|
NEO- |
New: neoplasm, any new growth or formation |
|
NEPH- |
Kidney: nephrectomy, surgical excision of kidney |
|
NEURO- |
Nerve: neuron, nerve cell |
|
ODONT- |
Tooth: odontology, dentistry |
|
OLIG- |
Little: oligemia, deficiency in volume of blood |
