Greek and Latin Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words



Med Micro Greek and Latin Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words

|Prefix, Suffix, or Root Word |Meaning |Example |

|A |

|a-, an- |no, not, without |atrophy, abiogenesis |

|ab- |away from, negative, absent |abnormal, abduct |

|ad- |toward, to, in direction of |adduct, adhesion, adrenal |

|aero- |air |aerobic, anaerobic |

|aesthesia |feeling |anesthesia |

|af- |to, toward |afferent |

|agglutin/o |clumping, stick together |agglutinate |

|algesi-, algesio-, -algesia, -algesic, -algia, -algic, |pain, suffering |analgesic, fibromyalgia |

|-algy | | |

|allo- |other, different |allograft |

|alveol/o |air sac, small sac |alveolus |

|angio- |blood vessel |angiogram, angioplasty |

|ante-, anter/o |before, in front of |anterior |

|anti |against |anti-inflammatory, antihistamine |

|aqua, aqu/i, aqu/o, aque/o |water |aqueous |

|arter/o, arteri/o |of or pertaining to artery | arterial, arteriosclerosis |

|-ase |enzyme |sucrase, lactase, amylase |

|athero |plaque, fatty substance |atherosclerosis |

|aut/o |self |autoimmune, autograft |

|B |

|bi-, bis- |twice, double, two |bilateral, bicuspid |

|bio- |life, living |biology, biogenesis |

|C |

|-calyx |covering |glycocalyx |

|capill-, capilla- |hair, hairlike |capillary |

|carcin/o |cancer |carcinogenic, carcinoma |

|cardia, cardi/o, card/o |heart |cardiac, cardiovascular, cardiology |

|-cele |tumor, swelling, pouch |hydrocele |

|-centesis |puncture, aspiration of |amniocentesis |

|cephal/o, -ceps |head |cephalad, hydrocephalic, bicep |

|cerebr/o |brain |cerebrum, cerebral |

|chrom/o |color |chromatin, chromosomes |

|-cide |kill, killing |bactericide, spermicide |

|cirrh/o |orange-yellow, tawny |cirrhosis |

|co-, con- |with, together |coenzyme, cofactor, congenital |

|coccus |round |streptococcus |

|-comial |to care for |nosocomial |

|cyt/o, -cyte |cell |cytology, leukocyte |

|D |

|de- |away from, remove, off, without |dehydrate, debride |

|-demos |people |endemic |

|derma-, dermis, dermat/o, derm/o |skin |dermal, ectoderm, dermatologist |

|di- |twice, double, twofold |disaccharide |

|di-, dis- |take apart, separate |dissect, disinfect |

|dys- |bad, difficult, painful |dysfunctional, dystrophy |

|E |

|e-, ex-, exo- |out, outer, out of, from, external |excise, excrete, exocrine, exotoxin |

|ef- |out, away from |efferent |

|-emia |blood, blood condition |anemia, leukemia |

|en-, end-, endo- |in, within, inside, internal |endoderm, encephalitis |

|entero- |intestine |dysentery, gastroenterologist |

|epi- |over, above, on, upon |epithelium, epidermis |

|erythr/o |red |erythema, erythrocyte |

|etio- |cause |etiology |

|eu- |true, good, well, new |eukaryote |

|extra- |on the outside, beyond, outside |extracellular |

|F |

|-ferent |carrying |efferent, afferent |

|G |

|gaster-, gastr-, gastr/o |stomach, belly |gastric, gastrointestinal, gastritis |

|-genic, -genesis |origin, birth, creation |carcinogenic, biogenesis |

|gingiv- |gum |gingivitis |

|gluco- |sweet |glucose |

|glyc/o, glycos/o |sugar, sweet |glycogen, hyperglycemia, glycocalyx |

|H |

|hem/o, hema, hemat/o |blood, relating to the blood |hemorrhage, hemoglobin, hematoma, hematocrit |

|hemi- |half |hemisphere |

|hepat/o |liver |hepatic vein, hepatitis |

|hom/o, homos |same, alike |homogenous |

|home/o |same, unchanging, constant |homeostasis |

|hydr/o, hydra- |water |hydrolysis, dehydration |

|hyper- |excessive, above, beyond |hyperglycemia, hypertonic |

|hypo- |below, under, decreased |hypoglycemia, hypotonic |

|I |

|iatro- |of or pertaining to a physician |iatrogenic |

|idios- |one’s own, of its own kind |idiopathic |

|im- |not, in, into, inward, to cause |impermeable, impregnate |

|inter- |between, among |intercellular, interstitial |

|intra- |inside, within |intracellular, intravenous, intramuscular |

|iso- |equal, same |isotonic, isometric, isograft |

|-itis |disease, inflammation |bronchitis, arthritis |

|J |

|K |

|kary/o |nucleus, nut, kernel |karyotype, eukaryote |

|kypho- |bent, humped |kyphosis |

|L |

|leuk/o |white |leukocyte, leukemia |

|lip/o |fat |lipid, liposuction, lipoma |

|-logy |study |cytology, histology, hematology |

|lys, lyse, -lysis |breakdown, rupture, destruction, separation |cytolysis, hydrolysis, lysosome |

|M |

|macro- |large, abnormal size or length, long |macromolecule, macrophage |

|mal- |abnormal, bad, inadequate |malnutrition |

|-malacia |soft, softening |osteomalacia |

|mamm/o |of or pertaining to breast |mammary, mammogram |

|mening/o, meningi/o |membrane |meningitis |

|-mer |part |polymer, monomer |

|mes-, meso- |middle |mesoderm |

|meta- |after, behind |metaphase |

|micr/o, micro- |small |microscope |

|mono- |one, single |monomer, monosaccharide |

|morph/o |shape, form, structure |morphology, dimorphism |

|muc/o, mucos/o |mucus |mucosa, mucous membrane, mucus |

|multi- |many, much |multinucleate |

|myc/o |fungus |mycelium, mycology |

|N |

|narc/o |numb, sleep |narcotic |

|necr/o, -necrosis |of or pertaining to death/dead things |necrosis, necrotizing fasciitis |

|neo- |new |neoplasm |

|nephr-, nephra-, nephro- |kidney |nephritis, nephrology |

|nerv/o, neur/i, neur/o |nerve, nerve tissue |neuron, neurology |

|noso- |disease |nosocomial |

|nuc-, nucle-, nucleo- |nut, kernel |nucleus, nucleoplasm |

|O |

|-ology |science or study of |physiology, cardiology |

|-oma |tumor |carcinoma, sarcoma |

|onc/o |tumor |oncogene, oncology |

|osmo- |push |osmosis, osmotic pressure |

|oss/e, oss/i, oste/o, osst/o |bone |osteon, osteocyte, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis |

|ov/i, ov/o |egg |ovary, ovum, oviduct |

|P |

|pall/o, pallid/o |pale, lacking color |pallor |

|pan- |all, entire |pandemic |

|para- |beside, near |parasagittal, parasite |

|-paresis |weak |hemiparesis |

|path-, -pathy |disease |pathogen, osteopathy |

|-ped, -pede, ped/o, pedia, pedis, pes, pod |foot |bipedal, podiatrist |

|pedi/a |child |pediatrician |

|-penia |deficient |osteopenia |

|peri- |surrounding, around |pericardium |

|-phaga, -phage, -phagia, phago- | to eat, devour |macrophage, phagocyte |

|phil, -phile, -philia, -philic, philo- |love, attract |hydrophilic |

|phob/o, -phobia, -phobic |abnormal fear |hydrophobic |

|-phyte |plant |dermatophyte, saprophyte |

|-plasia, plasm-, plasmo-, plast/o |anything formed or molded |plasma, cytoplasm |

|-plegia |paralysis |quadriplegic, paraplegic |

|pleura- |rib, side |pleural cavity |

|pneum/o |lungs |pneumonia |

|pod-, podo- |foot |podiatrist |

|poly- |many |polymer, polysaccharide |

|post- |after, behind |posterior, postoperative |

|pro- |before, foreward |prothrombin, prokaryote, prophylactic, prodromal |

|pre- |before, in front of |precancerous, prenatal |

|pseudo- |false, fake |pseudopodia |

|pulmon-, pulmo- |lung |pulmonary |

|pyo- |pus |pyogenic |

|pyro- |fever |antipyretic |

|Q |

|quadr/i, quadr/o |four |quadriceps, quadriplegic |

|R |

|ren/i, ren/o |kidney |renal |

|retro- |back, backward, behind |retrovirus |

|-rrhage, -rrhagia |bleeding, abnormal excessive fluid discharge |hemorrhage, hemorrhagic |

|-rrhea |abnormal flow, discharge |diarrhea |

|rhino- |nose or pertaining to nose |rhinovirus |

|S |

|sacchar/o |sugar |polysaccharide |

|sapro- |rotten, decay |saprobe, saprophyte |

|sarc/o |flesh, muscular, connective tissue |sarcoma, sarcomere |

|scler/o, -sclerosis |hard, hardening |atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis |

|scoli/o |curved, bent |scoliosis |

|-scope |instrument for viewing |stethoscope, microscope |

|seps/o, sept/i, sept/o |infection, separate |sepsis, septic, septum |

|sero- |serum |serology |

|-site |wheat, food |parasite |

|som-, soma-, somat/o, -some |body |chromosome, lysosome |

| | | |

|-stasia, -stasis, -static |control, maintenance of constant level |homeostasis |

|steth- |chest |stethoscope |

|stomat/o |mouth |stoma |

|-stomosis, -stomy |surgical opening, new opening |colostomy |

|staphylo |clusters |staphylococcus |

|strepto- |chains |streptococcus |

|sub- |under, below, less, smaller than |subcutaneous |

|super-, super/o, supra |above, excessive, higher than |superior, suprarenal, supraorbital |

|sym-, syn- |with, together, united |bilateral symmetry, synapse |

|T |

|tach-, tacho-, tachy- |fast, rapid |tachycardia |

|-taxia, -taxis, taxy |order, arrangement, pattern |ataxia |

|tetan/o |rigid, tense |tetanus |

|tetra- |four |tetrad |

|therm/o, -thermia |heat |hypothermia, endothermic |

|thorac/o, -thorax |chest |pneumothorax, thoracic cavity |

|-ton |tension, to stretch |hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic |

|tox/o, toxic/o, -toxin |poison, poisonous |toxic, toxemia |

|troph/o, -trophic, -trophy |development, nourishment, to feed or eat, food |hypertrophy, hypotrophy, dystrophy |

|U |

|uni- |one |uninucleate |

|V |

|vacca- |cow |vaccine |

|vesicul- |small bladder, blister |vesicle |

|viscos/o |sticky |viscous |

|W |

|X |

|xeno- |foreign, different |xenograft |

|Y |

|Z |

|zygot/o |joined together |zygote |

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