angi/o

Meaning: Vessel (usually blood or lymph)

Example: Angioplasty – a procedure to mechanically widen a narrowed or blocked blood vessels.

aort/o

Meaning: Aorta

Example: Aortostenosis– narrowing of the aorta.

Meaning: Aorta

Example: Aortostenosis– narrowing of the aorta.

arteri/o

Meaning: Artery

Example: Arteriogram– an xray of an artery.

ather/o

Meaning: Fatty plaque

Example: Atheroma– a fatty deposit or plaque within the wall of an artery

capillar/o

Meaning: Capillaries (the smallest blood vessels)

Example: capillaroscope – an instrument used to examine capillaries.

cardi/o

Meaning: Heart

Example: Cardiomyopathy – the general term for diseases that affect the heart muscle

chrom/o, chromat/o

Meaning: Color

Example: Hemochromatosis – a condition where excess iron is stored in the body, affecting skin color.

erythr/o

Meaning: Red

Example: Erythrocyte – a red blood cell.

hem/o, hemat/o

Meaning: Blood

Example: Hemoglobin– a protein in red blood cells.

isch/o

Meaning: Restriction, deficiency

Example: Ischemic– a condition or process involving restricted blood flow to a part of the body.

leuk/o

Meaning: White

Example: Leukocyte – a white blood cell.

my/o

Meaning: Muscle

Example: Myocardium – the muscular tissue of the heart.

phleb/o

Meaning: Vein

Example: Phlebotomy – the process of making an incision into a vein, typically to draw blood.

scler/o

Meaning: Hardening

Example: Sclerotherapy – a treatment method used to harden and close off abnormal or damaged blood vessels such as varicose veins.

sten/o

Meaning: Narrowing

Example: Stenocardia - a condition of chest pain caused by the narrowing of blood vessels to the heart.

thromb/o

Meaning: Clot

Example: Thrombosis – formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel.

• valvul/o

Meaning: Valve

Example: Valvulopathy – a disease or disorder affecting the heart valves.

vas/o

Meaning: Vessel

Example: Vasospasm – A sudden constriction of a blood vessel.

ven/o

Meaning: Vein

Example: Venous – related to the veins.

alges/o

Meaning: Sensitivity to pain

Example: Analgesic – a medication that reduces or eliminates pain.

cephal/o

Meaning: Head

Example: Cephalalgia – a headache.

cerebr/o

Meaning: Brain, cerebrum

Example: Cerebrospinal – relating to the brain and spinal cord.

cerebell/o

Meaning: Cerebellum (part of the brain)

Example: Cerebellitis – inflammation of the cerebellum.

concuss/o

Meaning: To shake violently

Example: Concussion – a violent shaking of the brain, often due to injury.

crani/o

Meaning: Skull

Example: Craniotomy – a surgical incision into the skull.

dur/o

Meaning: Dura mater (outermost layer of the meninges)

Example: Subdural – located beneath the dura mater.

encephal/o

Meaning: Brain

Example: Encephalopathy – a disease of the brain.

esthesi/o

Meaning: Sensation, feeling

Example: Anesthesia – loss of sensation, typically induced for medical procedures.

gangli/o, ganglion/o

Meaning: Ganglion (a cluster of nerve cell bodies)

Example: Ganglioneuroma – a tumor of a nerve ganglion.

hydr/o

Meaning: Water, fluid

Example: Hydrocephalus – an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain.

lob/o

Meaning: Lobe

Example: Lobectomy – surgical removal of a lobe of the brain.

ment/o

Meaning: Mind, chin

Example: Dementia – a decline in mental abilities, typically due to disease or injury.

mening/o, meningi/o

Meaning: Meninges (membranes covering the brain and spinal cord)

Example: Meningitis – inflammation of the meninges.

mon/o

Meaning: One, single

Example: Monoplegia – paralysis of one limb.

myel/o

Meaning: Spinal cord, bone marrow

Example: Myelitis – inflammation of the spinal cord.

neur/o, neur/i

Meaning: Nerve

Example: Neurology – the study of the nervous system.

phas/o

Meaning: Speech

Example: Paraphasia – a condition in which a person substitutes incorrect words, sounds, or non-words in their speech.

poli/o

Meaning: Gray matter (of the brain or spinal cord)

Example: Poliomyelitis – an infectious disease affecting the gray matter of the spinal cord.

Meaning: Gray matter (of the brain or spinal cord)

Example: Poliomyelitis – an infectious disease affecting the gray matter of the spinal cord.

pont/o

Meaning: Pons (a part of the brainstem)

Example: Pontocerebellar – relating to the pons and cerebellum.

psych/o

Meaning: Mind

Example: Psychiatry – the study and treatment of mental illness

radic/o, radicul/o, rhiz/o

Meaning: Nerve root

Example: Radiculodynia – pain caused by irritation or injury to the nerve roots.

vag/o

Meaning: Vagus nerve (a cranial nerve)

Example: Vagotomy – surgical cutting of the vagus nerve.