Common Prefixes and their meanings.
| Root | Meaning | Example |
| Acou, Acu | hearing | Acoustics |
| Acro, Acro | extremity | Acromium |
| Aden, Adeno | gland | Adenoma – tumor with a gland like structure |
| Adip | fat | Adipose tissue |
| Alg, Algia | pain | Neuralgia – pain along a nerve |
| Angi(o) | vessel | Angiocardiography – x-ray of the blood vessels and heart |
| Ater (i) | Arteries | Ateriosclerosis – hardening of the arteries |
| Artgrm Arthro | Joint | arthropathy – disease of joint |
| Aut, Auto | Self | Autolysis- destruction of cells of the body |
| Bio | life, living | Biopsy – examination of tissue removed from a living body |
| Blast | germ, bud | Blastocyte – an embryonic or undiferrentiated cell |
| Brachi | arm | Biceps Bracii – the biceps located on the arm |
| Blephar | eyelid | Biepharitis – inflammation of the eyelids |
| Bronch | trachea, windpipe | Bronchoscopy – direct visual examination of the bronchii |
| bucc | cheek | Buccocrvical – pertaining to the cheek and neck |
| carcin | cancer | carcinogenic – causing cancer |
| caud, caudal | tail | away from the head, inferior |
| cecr, cecro | pertaining to death | necrotic tissue |
| cephal | head | hydrocephalus – enlargement of the head |
| cerbro | brain | cerebrospinal fluid – fluid in the cranium and spinal canal |
| cheil | lip | Cheilosis – dry scaling of the lip |
| Chir | hand | Chiropractic – system of healthcare based on manual manipulation of the spine |
| Chole | bile, gall | Cholecystogram – x-ray of the gall bladder |
| Chrondr, chondri, chondrio | cartilage | chondrocyte – cartilage cell |
| Chrom, chromat, chromato | color | hyperchromic – highly colored |
| colo | colon | colon |
| corp, corpor | the body | |
| cortic | outer layer | |
| cost | rib | costal cartilage |
| crani | skull | craniotomy – surgical opening of the skull |
| cry, cryo | cold | cryotherapy – using cold for therapy |
| cut | skin | subcutaneous – under the skin |
| cysti, cysto | sac/bladder | cystoscope – instrument to look at the interior of the bladder |
| cyt, cyto, cyte | cell | cytology – the study of cells |
| dactyl, dactylo | digits of fingers | polydactylia – above normal number of fingers or toes |
| dent | teeth | dentist |
| derma, dermato | skin | dermatosis – skin disease |
| digit | finger/toe | |
| entero | intestine | enteritis – inflammation of the intestine |
| erythr | red | erythrocyte – red blood cell |
| fasci | a band | |
| febr | fever | |
| fil | thread | |
| gangli | swelling, plexus | |
| gastr | stomach | gastrointestinal – pertaining to the stomach and intestines |
| gloss, glosso | tongue | hypoglossal – located under the tongue |
| gyn (ec) | female | |
| hem, hemat | blood | hematoma – blood beneath the skin |
| hepat, hepato | liver | hepatitis – inflammation of the liver |
| hist, histio | tissue | histology – study of tissues |
| homeo, homo | unchanging/steady | homeostasis – achievement of a steady state |
| hydro | water | hydrotherapy – water therapy |
| hyster | uterus | hysterectomy – surgical removal of the uterus |
| ileo, ileum | part of the intestine | ileocecal valve – folds at the opening between ileum and cecum |
| ilio, ilium | flaring part of hip bone | iliosacral – pertaining to the ilium and sacrum |
| labi | lip | |
| lachry, lacri | tears | nasolacrimal – pertinent to the nose and lachrymal apparatus |
| laryngo | windpipe | |
| leuco, leuko | white | leukocyte – white blood cell |
| lingu | tongue | |
| lip,lipo | fat | lipoma – fatty tumor |
| Mamm | breast | mammography |
| Mast | breast | mastitis |
| massa | to feel, touch | |
| masser | to massage | |
| melan | black | |
| men | month | |
| meningo | membrane | meningitis – inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord and brain |
| metro | uterus | endometrium – lining of the utereus |
| morpho | form/shape | morphology – study of form and structure of things |
| myhelo | marrow, spinal cord | poliomyeitis – inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord |
| myo | muscle | myocardium – heart muscle |
| narc | numbness/stupor | narcotic |
| nephro | kidney | nephrosis – degeneration of kidney tissue |
| neuro | nerve | neuroblastoma – malignant tumor of the nervous system |
| nutri | nutrition | |
| oculo | eye | binocular – pertaining to the two eyes |
| odont | tooth | orthodontic – proper positioning of the teeth |
| oo | egg | oocyte |
| ophthalm | eye | ophthalmology – science of the eye and it’s diseases |
| or | mouth | orifice |
| orb | circle | |
| oss,osseo, osteo | bone | ostema – bone tumor |
| oto | ear | otosclerosis – formation of bone in the labyrinth of the ear |
| patho | disease | Pathology – study of disease |
| pec, pek | solidify | pectose |
| pept, pepto | digestion | |
| phag, phago | to eat | phagocytosis – a cell that eats migroorganisme, other cells |
| pharyng | throat | |
| philic,philo | to like/have affinity for | hemophilic – have an affinity to bleeding |
| phob, phobia | fear | massageshoolphobia – fear of massage school |
| phot | light | |
phren mind/diaphragm
pleur(o) the lining of the chest cavity Pleuritis – inflammation
pneumo lung pneumothorax – air in the thoracic cavity
pod foot podiatry – study of foot disorders
procto anus/rectum proctoscopy
pseud, pseudo false pseudoangina – false angina
psycho soul/mind psychology, psychiatry
pulmo lung
pyel pelvis
pyo pus pyuria – pus in urine
pyloro opening between stomach and duodenum
reno, ren kidney
rhin, rhino nose
sarc flesh
scler, sclero hard scleroderma – hardening of the skin
sep, septic poison/toxic septicemia – presence of bacterial toxins in blood (blood poisoning)
ser watery substance
soma, somato body somatic – of the body
splen(o) spleen
spondylo relationship to the spine
statis, stat stand still homeostasis – achievement of a steady state
tars ankle tarsals
therm heat thermometer
thorac chest
tom, tomo section/layer
tox poison
ur(o), uret, ureth urine, urinary
viscer organ
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