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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