1. Principles of Health Science
Med Terms
Principles of Health Science

2. Prefixes – usually indicate location, time, or number and come at the beginning of a word
Suffixes – usually indicate the procedure, disease, or condition and come after the root word
Root Words – usually indicate the part of the body involved

3. Combining Vowel
1. usually “o”
2. attached to the root word
3. makes medical terms easier to pronounce
4. is NOT used a when suffix begins with a vowel
5. IS used when suffix begins with a consonant

4. Prefix + Root Word + Suffix = Medical Term
Poly + neur/o + itis = POLYNEURITIS
many + nerves + inflammation = inflammation of many nerves

5. Common Medical Prefixes
a-, an- negative, without
ab- away from
ad- towards
anti- against
ante- before

6. bi- two, both
brachy- short
brady- slow
dys- painful, difficult
dors- back

7. endo- inside
epi- above, upon
hemi- half
hyper- excessive, above, more than
hypo- decrease, below, less

8. inter- between, among
intra- within, inside
macro- large, big
micro- small
mal- bad

9. neo- new
para- beside or below
peri- around
poly- many

10. post- after
sub- below
super- above
supra- above
tachy- fast

11. dextr/o- right side
sinistr/o- left side
olig/o- few or scanty
eu- good, normal, well or easy

12. Common Medical Suffixes
-algia- painful
-asthenia –weakness
-cele –hernia
-centesis -surgical puncture
-ectomy -removal

13. -itis -inflammation/infection
-gram –picture
-malacia -abnormal softening
-megaly- enlargement
-necrosis -death of tissue
-plegia -paralysis

14. -ology -study of
-ostomy -surgical opening
-otomy -surgical incision
-rrhea- flow

15. -pathy –disease
-plasty -surgical repair
-rrhaphy –suture
-sclerosis -abnormal hardening
-scope -instrument to view

16. -rrhage -abnormal bleeding
-rrhexis -rupture
-graphy –process of recording
-stenosis -narrowing

17. -al -pertaining to
-ous -pertaining to
-ical -pertaining to
-ac -pertaining to
-ic - pertaining to

18. -iasis -abnormal condition
-esis -abnormal condition
-ago - abnormal condition
-osis -abnormal condition

19. Common Medical Root Words
acro –extremities
angi/o –vessel
arthr/o- joint
cardi/o –heart
cerebr/o –brain
chrondr/o- cartilage

20. cyte -cell
gastr/o- stomach
hepat- liver
lapar -abdomen
latero- side
mamm/o- breast

21. medial- middle
my/o –muscle
cost/o –ribs
nephr/o -kidney
oophor –ovary
ot/o -ear

22. pneum/o -lung/air
rhino -nose
tend/o -tendon
trachi -trachea (wind pipe)
thorac -chest

23. salpingo -fallopian tube
procto -rectum
oste/o -bone
neur/o -nerve
nas/o -nose

24. myel/o -spinal cord/bone marrow
mast/o –breast
lip/o- fat
laryng - throat
hyster/o -uterus

25. hemo/hemat- blood
enter/o -small intestines
cyst/o -sac/bladder
col/o -large intestines/colon
cervi/c -neck

26. carp -wrist
brachi -arm
arteri/o -artery
aden -gland

27. tonsill - tonsils
lith – stone
appendic- appendix
myc/o- fungus

28. pyel/o- renal pelvis (part of kidney)
py/o – pus
pyr/o- fever

29. cyan/o -blue
eryth/o –red
leuk/o - white
melan/o – black
poli/o - gray

30. dextr/o—right side
sinistr/o– left side
megal/o--large or great
olig/o– scanty or few