a, an-

no, not, without, lack of, apart

anti-, contra-

against

-ac            -ose

-ad            -ous

-al             -tic

-ar            -us

-ary           -y

-ic             -ile

-ior

-esis

-ia

-iatry

-ician

-ism

-ist

-osis

-y

-cle

-icle

-ole

-ula

-ule

ab- norm -al

ab-        away from

norm     rule

-al         pertaining to

Pertaining to away from the norm or rule.

adhes  -ion

adhes   stuck to

-ion      process

Literally means a process of being stuck together.

antipyretic

an′tē-pī-ret′ik

anti-  pyret  -ic

anti-     against

pyret    fever

-ic        pertaining to

Pertaining to an agent that is used to lower an elevated body temperature (fever).

antiseptic

anti-  sept   -ic

anti-   against

sept    putrefaction

-ic      pertaining to

Pertaining to an agent that works against sepsis (putrefaction).

antitussive

an′tē-tŭs′iv

anti-   tuss   -ive

anti-   against

tuss    cough

-ive     nature of, quality of

Pertaining to an agent that works against coughing.

asepsis

ă-sep′sis

a-  -sepsis

a-         without

sepsis-  decay

Without decay; sterile

autonomy

aw-ton′ō-mē

auto-  nom  -y

auto-   self

nom    law

-y       condition

Condition of being self-governed; to function independently.

axillary

ak′sil-ār′ē

axill   -ary

axill   armpit

-ary   pertaining to

Pertaining to the armpit

bi(o)  -opsy

bi(o)    life

-opsy   to view

Surgical removal of a small piece of tissue for microscopic examiniation.

cachexia

kă-kek′sē-ă

cac-   -hexia

cac-     bad

-hexia  condition

Condition of ill health, malnutrition, and wasting.

centi-  -grade

centi-    one hundred, one hundredth

-grade   a step

Literally means having 100 steps or degrees; unit of temperature mearsurement.

centimeter

centi-   -meter

centi-     one hundred, one hundredth

-meter   measure

Unit of measurement in the metric system; one hundredth of a meter.

chem/o   -therapy

chem/o    chemical

-therapy  treatment

The use of chemical agents in the treatment of disease.

dia-    -gnosis

dia-       through

-gnosis  knowledge

Determination of the cause and nature of a disease.

diaphoresis

dī′ă-fō-rē′sis

dia-  -phoresis

dia-           through

-phoresis   to carry

To carry through sweat glands; profuse sweating

dis-  infect   -ant

dis-      apart

infect   to infect

-ant     forming

Chemical substance that can be applied to objects to destroy pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria.

epi- dem -ic

epi-    upon

dem   people

-ic      pertaining to

Pertaining to among the people; the rapid, widespread occurance of an infectious disease.

etiology

ē′tē-ol′ŏ-jē

eti/o  -logy

eti/o   cause

-logy  study of

Study of the cause of disease.

ex-  cis  -ion

ex-  out

cis   to cut

-ion process

Process of cutting out, surgical removal.

febrile

fē′brīl

Pertaining to fever, a sustained body temperature above 98.6 F.

Unit of weight in the metric system; a cubic centimeter or a millimeter of water is equal to the weight of a gram.

hetero-  gene  -ous

hetero-   different

gene       formation, produce

-ous       pertaining to

Pertaining to a different formation; composed of unlike substances.

in-  cis  -ion

in-     in, into

cis     to cut

-ion   process

Process of cutting into.

kil/o  -gram

kil/o     a thousand

-gram  a weight

Unit of weight in the metirc system; 1000g; a kilogram is equal to 2.2 lb.

Unit of volume in the metric system; 1000ml; a liter is equal to 33.8 fl oz or 1.0567 qt

macr/o-  scop  -ic

macr/o-  large

scop       to examine

-ic          pertaining to

Pertaining to objects large enough to be examined by the naked eye.

mal-  format  -ion

mal-      bad

format   a shaping

-ion       process

Process of being badly shaped, deformed.

malign  -ant

malign   bad kind

-ant       forming

Formation of a bad kind; growing worse, harmful, cancerous.

micro-  -gram

micro-

-gram

Unit of weight in the metric system; 0.0001 mg

micro- organ  -ism

micro-  small

organ   organ

-ism     condition

Small living organisms that are not visable to the naked eye.

micro-  -scope

micro-  small

-scope  instrument for examining

Scientific instrument designed to view small objects.

milli-  -gram

milli-    one-thousandth

-gram  a weight

Unit of weight in the metric system; 0.001 g

milli-   -liter

milli-   one-thousandth

-liter   liter

Unit of volume in the metric systeml 0.001 L

necrosis

nĕ-krō′sis

necr  -osis

necr   death

-osis  condition

Abnormal condition of tissue death

neopathy

nē-op′ă-thē

neo-  -pathy

neo-     new

-pathy  disease

new disease.

oncology

ong-kol′ŏ-jē

onc/o  -logy

onc/o   tumor

-logy   study of

Study of tumors.

paracentesis

par′ă-sen-tē′sis

para-  -centesis

para-        beside

-centesis  surgical puncture

Surgical puncture of a body cavity for fluid removal.

pro-   -gnosis

pro-       before

-gnosis  knowledge

Literally means a state of foreknowledge; prediction of the course of a disease and the recovery rate of the affected person.

prophylactic

prō′fi-lak′tik

prophylact  -ic

prophylact   guarding

-ic              pertaining to

Pertainng to preventing or protecting against disease or pregnancy.

pyrogenic

pī′rō-jen′ik

pyr/o  -genic

pyr/o   heat, fire

-genic  formation, produce

Pertaining to the production of heat; a fever.

syn-   -drome

syn-      together, with

-drome  that which runs together

A group of signs and symptoms occurring together that characterize a specific disease or pathological condition.

therm/o -meter

therm/o  hot, heat

-meter    instrument to measure

An instrument used to measure degree of heat, especially the temperature of a person.

topography

tō-pog′ră-fē

top/o  -graphy

top/o      place

-graphy  recording

Decription of a body part in relation to the anatomic region in which it is located.

ab-  ras  -ion

ab-   away from

ras   to scrape off

-ion  process

Process of scraping away from a surface, such as skin or teeth, by friction.

anesthetize

ă-nes′thĕ-tīz

an-  esthet  -ize

an-       without, lack of

esthet   feeling, sensation

-ize       to make

To induce a feeling of or sensation with the administration of an anestheic.

arous   -al

arous  alertness, to rise

-al      pertaining to

Pertaining to a state of alertness or consciousness.

a-  symmetric  -al

a-                lack of, without

symmetric    symmetry

-al               pertaining to

Unequal in size or shape. Without proportion of the body or parts of the body.

asystole

ā-sis′tō-lē

a-  systole

a-         without

systole  contraction

Litterally means without contraction of the heart.

comat  -ose

comat  a deep sleep

-ose     pertaining to

Pertaining to a state of deep sleep; total lack of consciousness.

epithelium

 ep′i-thē′lē-ŭm

epi-  thel/i  -um

epi-     upon, above

thel/i   nipple

-um     tissue structure

Structure that covers the internal and external organs of the body and the lining of vessels, body cavities, glands, and organs.

exogenous

eks-oj′ĕ-nŭs

ex (o)-  gen  -ous

ex (o)   out

-gen     formation, produce

-ous     pertaining to

Pertaining to originating outside the body or an organ of the body produced from external causes, such as disease caused by a bacterial or viral agent foreign to the body.

gynecoid

gī′nĕ-koyd

gynec  -oid

gynec  female

-oid     resemble

Literally means to resemble a female; gynecoid pelvis is the normal shape of the birth canal that allows for the exit of an average fetus.

hypertrophy

hī-pĕr′trō-fē

hyper-  -trophy

hyper-   excessive

-trophy  nourishment

Literally means excessive nourishment; the increase in the size of an organ, structure, or the body caused by an increase in the size of cells rather than the number of cells; also called overgrowth.

infect   -ion

infect  to infect

-ion    process

Process whereby a pathogenic (disease producing) microorganism invades the body, reporduces, multiplies, and causes disease.

ir-   regul   -ar

ir-       not

regul   rule

-ar      pertaining to

Pertaining to not being regular.

nasolabial

nā′zō-lā′bē-ăl

nas/o  labi  -al

nas/o    nose

labi       lip

-al        pertaining to

Pertaining to the nose and lip.

palpate

pal′pāt

palp  -ate

palp  touch

-ate  use, action

To use the hands or fingers to examine by touch; to feel.

ster  -oid

ster  solid

-oid  resemble

Literally means resembling a solid substance; applies to any one of a large group of substances chemically related to sterols; natural steroid hormones include the androgens, estrogens, and adrenal cortex secretions.

afebrile

ā-feb′ril

a-  febr  -ile

a-     without

febr  fever

-ile   pertaining to

Pertaining to without fever; the patient's temperature would be within a normal range of 98.6 F

bifurcate

bī-fŭr′kāt

bi-  furc  -ate

bi-     two

furc   fork

-ate  use, action

Having two forks or two branches or two divisions; forked.

extraocular

eks′tră-ok′yū-lăr

extra-  ocul  -ar

extra-    outside

ocul       eye

-ar        pertaining to

Pertaining to outside the eye, as used in describing the extraocular eye muscles.

hyperactive

hyper-  act  -ive

hyper-     excessive

act          act

-ive        nature of, quality of

Nature or quality of excessive activity; this can refer to the entire organism or to a particular enitity such as a thyroid, heart, or muscles.

hypoplasia

hī′pō-plā′zē-ă

hypo-  -plasia

hypo-   under

-plasia  formation

Underdevelopment of a tissue, organ, or body.

in-  somn  -ia

in-       not

somn   sleep

-ia       condition

Condition of not being able to sleep.

multi-  foc  -al

multi-    many

foc        focus

-al        pertaining to

Pertaining to or arising from many locations.

pericardial

peri-   cardi   -al

peri-   around

cardi   heart

-al      pertaining to

Pertaining to the pericardium (a fibrous sac surrounding the heart).

polydactyly

pol′ē-dak′ti-lē

poly- dactyl  -y

poly-     many

dactyl    finger or toe

-y         pertaining to

Pertaining to having more than the normal number of fingers or toes.

re-  -act

re-   again

-act  to act

Literally means to act again; to respond to a stimulus.

re-  gurgiatat  -ion

re-          backward

gurgitat   to flood

-ion         process

Process of backward flow of solids or foods from the stomach to the mouth or the backflow of blood through a heart valve.

subacute

sŭb′ă-kyūt′

sub-  acute

sub-    below

acute  sharp

Literally means below sharp. It is used to describe the course of a disease process or the healing process following tissue injury; designed as the mid-ground between acute and chronic.

super-   infect  -ion

super-   upper, above

infect    infect

-ion      process

An infection following a previous infectionproduced by an overgrowth of a resistent strain of bacteria, fungi, or yeast.

Any perceptible change in the function of the body that indicates disease.

un   consci   -ous

un         not

consci    aware

-ous      pertaining to

An abnormal state in which the person is not aware of his or her environment.