Medical Terminology
#Biology
Table 1
Body Part/ Component
| Body Part / Component | Greek Root | Latin Root | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdomen | lapar(o)- | abdomin- | laparoscopy |
| Arm | brachi(o)- | – | brachial plexus |
| Armpit | – | axill- | axillary nerve |
| Back | – | dors- | dorsal digital vein |
| Bile | – | chol(e)- | cholaemia |
| Bladder | cyst(o)- | vesic(o)- | cystitia/vesicular |
| Blood | haemat-, hemat- (haem-, hem-) | sangui-, sanguine- | sanguinous |
| Blood Clot | thromb(o)- | – | thrombosis |
| Blood Vessel | angi(o)- | vascul-, vas- | provascular |
| Body | somat-, som- | corpor- | metasomatic |
| Bone | oste(o)- | ossi- | osteopath/ossification |
| Bone Marrow, Marrow | myel(o)- | medull- | myelocytes/medullary |
| Brain | encephal(o)- | cerebr(o)- | encephalitis/intracerebral |
| Breast | mast(o)- | mamm(o)- | mastoidectomy/mammography |
| Cell | -cyte, cyt(o)- | erythrocytes, cytoblast | |
| Chest | steth(o)- | – | stethoscope |
| Cheek | – | bucc- | buccolingual |
| Cornea | kerat(o)- | acrokeratoelastoidosis | |
| Ear | ot(o)- | aur- | macrotia/auroscopy |
| Eggs, Ova | oo- | ov- | oocyte/ovocyte |
| Eye | ophthalm(o)- | ocul(o)- | ophtalmologist |
| Eyelid | blephar(o)- | cili-; palpebr- | blepharonasofacial/cillosis/palpebral fissure |
| Fallopian Tubes | salping(o)- | – | salpingectomy |
| Fat, Fatty Tissue | lip(o)- | adip- | alipogenic/adipocyte |
| Finger | dactyl(o)- | digit- | digital vein/ dactylalgia |
| Forehead | – | front(o)- | anterofrontal |
| Foot | -pod- | – | podiatry |
| Gallbladder | cholecyst(o)- | fell- | cholecystatony |
| Genitals, Sexually Undifferentiated | gon(o)-, phall(o)- | – | gonocele/phallic |
| Gland | aden(o)- | – | adenization |
| Glans Penis or Clitoridis | balan(o)- | – | balanoplasty |
| Gums | – | gingiv- | gingivobuccoaxial |
| Hair | trich(o)- | capill- | trichotillomania/capillarectasia |
| Hand | cheir(o)-, chir(o)- | manu- | chiropodology/manubrium |
| Head | cephal(o)- | capit(o)- | cephalic vein/capitate |
| Heart | cardi(o)- | cordi- | cardiovascular |
| Hip, Hip-joint | – | cox- | coxarhtropathy |
| Horn | cerat(o)- | cornu- | angioceratoma/corniform |
| Intestine | enter(o)- | – | enterograph |
| Jaw | gnath(o)- | – | Gnathic index |
| Joint | articul(o)- | arthr- | articulation/arthritis, arthralgia |
| Kidney | nephr(o)- | ren- | pyelonephritis/renicardiac |
| Knee | gon- | genu- | genupectoral |
| Lip | cheil(o)-, chil(o)- | labi(o)- | macrocheilia/labiodental |
| Liver | hepat(o)- (hepatic-) | jecor- | hepatitis |
| Loins, Pubic Region | episi(o)- | pudend- | episioitis/pudendagra |
| Lungs | pneumon- | pulmon(i)- (pulmo-) | pneumonia/pulmocardiac |
| Marrow, Bone Marrow | myel(o)- | medull- | amyelotrophy/medulla oblongata |
| Mind | Psych-, phren- | ment- | psychology/phrenology/dementia |
| Mouth | stomat(o)- | or- | stomatopathy/oral |
| Muscle | my(o)- | muscul- | amyocardia/musculoskeletal |
| Nail | onych(o)- | ungui- | melanonychia/ subungual |
| Navel | omphal(o)- | umbilic- | omphaloncus/umbilical cord |
| Neck | trachel(o)- | cervic- | trachelocele/cervicardiac |
| Nerve; The Nervous System | neur(o)- | nerv- | idionerual/nervous |
| Nipple, Teat | thele- | papill-, mammill- | theleplasty/papillary/mammillitis |
| Nose | rhin(o)- | nas- | rhinallergosis/nasal cavity |
| Ovary | oophor(o)- | ovari(o)- | oophorectomy/hyperovaria |
| Pelvis | pyel(o)- | pelv(i)- | endopyelotomy/endopelvic |
| Penis | pe(o)- | – | peotomy |
| Pupil (of The Eye) | cor-, core-, coro- | – | anisocoria |
| Rib | pleur(o)- | cost(o)- | pleurocentesis/costalgia |
| Rib Cage | thorac(i)-, thorac(o)- | – | thoracic |
| Shoulder | om(o)- | humer(o)- | omarthritis/humeroulner |
| Sinus | – | sinus- | sinusitis |
| Skin | dermat(o)- (derm-) | cut(ane)-, cuticul- | dermatologist, subcutaneous |
| Skull | crani(o)- | – | cranioclast |
| Spine | rhachi(o)-, spondyl(o)- | rachioplegia/spondylomalacia | |
| Stomach | gastr(o)- | ventr(o)- | gastromyorrhea/ventriduction |
| Testis | orchi(o)-, orchid(o)- | – | orchichorea |
| Tissue | hist(o)-, histio- | histionic | |
| Throat (upper Throat Cavity) | pharyng(o)- | – | pharyngitis |
| Throat (lower Throat Cavity/voice Box]) | laryng(o)- | – | laryngitis |
| Thumb | – | pollic- | pollical |
| Tooth | odont(o)- | dent(i)- | allotridontia/dentinogenesis |
| Tongue | gloss-, glott- | lingu(a)- | entoglossal/lingual artery |
| Toe | dactyl(o)- | digit- | See finger |
| Uterine Tubes | sarping(o)- | sarping(o)- | salpingectomy |
| Uterus | hyster(o)-, metr(o)- | uter(o)- | hysterocele/uterine |
| Vagina | colp(o)- | vagin- | colposcopy |
| Vein | phleb(o)- | ven- | phelbarteriodyalisis/venous |
| Vulva | episi(o)- | vulv- | episiorrhaphy/vulvovaginitis |
| Womb | hyster(o)-, metr(o)- | uter(o)- | See uterus |
| Wrist | carp(o)- | carp(o)- | carpopedal |
| Xiphisternum | xiph- | – | xiphoid process |
| Zygote | zygo- | – | zygosis |
Table 2
Color
| Color | Greek root | Latin root | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| black | melano- | - | melanocyte |
| blue | cyano- | - | cyanosis |
| gray | polio- | - | poliomyelitis |
| green | chlor(o)- | - | chlorephidrosis |
| purple | porphyr(o)- | purpur-, purpureo- | Porphyroblast/uropurpurin |
| red | erythr(o)-, rhod(o)- | rub-, rubr- | erythrocyte/rhodopsin rubella |
| red-yellow | cirrh(o)- | - | cirrhosis |
| white | leuc-, leuk- | alb- | leukocyte/albinuria |
| yellow | xanth(o)- | flav- | xanthemia/medulla ossium flava |
Disease/Condition
| Disease/Condition | Greek root | Example |
|---|---|---|
| abnormal condition | -iasis | amebiasis |
| abnormal fear | -phobia | aquaphobia |
| abnormal softening | -malacia | arteriomalacia |
| pain | -algia -dynia | cheiralgia, gastrodynia |
| ambryonic/immature | -blast | blastocyst |
| condition of | -sis, -y | actinobacillosis, epilepsy |
| dilation, expansion | -ectasis | atelectasis |
| disease | -pathy | acropathy |
| disintegration | -lysis | aminolysis |
| displacement | -ectopia | neurectopia |
| drooping | -ptosis | glossoptosis |
| enlargement | -megaly | hepatomegaly |
| excessive abnormal flow | -rrhage, -rrhagia | hemorrhage, salpingorrhagia |
| flow; discharge | -rrhea | glychorrea |
| formation, development | -plasm, -plasia | cytoplasm, displasia |
| hardening | -sclerosis | encephalosclerosis |
| hernia, protrusion | -cele | bronchocele |
| inflammation | -itis | dermatitis |
| narrowing | -stenosis | gastrostenosis |
| paralysis | -plegia | iridoplegia |
| presence of blood | -emia | acnemia |
| produces, generates | -genesis | antiketogenesis |
| producing | -genic | algogenic |
| rupture | -rrhexis | myorrhexis |
| state, condition | -ia; -ism | acetonemia |
| substance in urine | -uria | citrullinuria |
| swelling | -edema | cephaledema |
| tumor, mass | -oma | acrospiroma |
| unusual or diseased condition | -osis | acanthosis |
| vomiting | -emesis | melenemesis |
| weakness | -paresis | enteroparesis |
Adjectives
| Description | Greek Root | Latin Root | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| all, total | holo- | - | holocrine gland |
| big, huge, large | mega-, megal(o)- | magn(i)- | atriomegaly/magnification |
| biggest. largest | - | maxim- | gluteus maximus |
| double | diplo- | dupli- | diploneural/duplication |
| equal | iso- | equi- | anisodactyly/equinovalgus |
| few | oligo- | pauci- | oligoamnios/paucisynaptic |
| great | mega-, megal(o)- | magn(i)- | acromegalia/magnification |
| half | hemi- | Semi- (demi from French) | hemianopia/semicircular |
| huge | megal(o)- | magn(i)- | megalocardia/magnocellular |
| less | hypo- | - | hypovolemia |
| little | micro | - | microscope |
| long | macr(o)- | long(i)- | macroadenoma/caput longum |
| many, much | poly- | multi- | polyadenous/multiarticular |
| more, in excess | hyper- | - | hypertension |
| part, partly | mero | - | merocline gland |
| proto | First, most important | - | protoerythrocyte |
| short | brachy- | brev(i)- | brachycardia/brevicollis |
| small | micr(o)- | parv(i)- (rare), -ula. -ule | microadenoma/pulsus parvus, follicle/nodule |
| smallest | - | minim- | digitus minimum |
| twice/two | dis- | bis- | disomy/bisacromial |
| one | mono | un(i)- | monoamelia/unilateral |
Adjectives 2
| Description | Greek Root | Latin Root | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| above | epi- | super, supra | epidermic/suprascapular |
| across, through | dia | trans/per | diacetyl/transretinal/per os |
| around/surrounding | peri- | circum- | peripapillary/circumarticular |
| away from deriving from | apo | de | apocrine desensitize |
| before | ante- | Pre, pro | antebrachium preanesthetic/prochordal |
| beneath | - | infra- | infraclavicular |
| behind, in the back | - | dors(o)-, dors(i)- | dorsal branch |
| behind, after | meta | post | metacarpum/postaxial |
| between, among | inter | intercostal | |
| Inside, within | endo- | intra | endoscopy |
| left | levo- | laev(o)-, sinistr- | levocardia/sinistrocular |
| middle | mes(o)- | medi- | acromesomelia |
| right | dexi(o)- | dextr(o)- | dexiocardia/dextrogastria |
| side | - | lateral | anterolateral tract |
| outside | ec- exo | extra- | ectopic/exocrine/extrabuccal |
| underneath | hypo- | sub- | hypoglossal/subcutaneous |
| within | - | intra | intrabdominal |
| Description | Greek Root | Latin Root | Example |
| bad, incorrect | cac(o)-, dys- | mal(e)- | cacosmia,dyspepsia, malabsorption |
| bent, crooked | ankyl(o)- | - | ankyloglossia |
| broad, wide | eury- | lat(i)- | eurycephalic/latissimus dorsi |
| cold | cry(o)- | frig(i)- | cryoanesthesia/frigidity |
| dead | necr(o)- | mort- | adiponecrosis/antemortem |
| different, additional | hetero- | - | cardiac heterotaxia |
| equal | is(o)- | equ(i)- | isoantibody/equiaxial |
| FALSE | pseud(o)- | - | pseudoarthrosis |
| female, feminine | thely- | - | thyeligenic |
| flat | platy- | plan(i)- | platyglossal/planigraphy |
| good, well | eu- | ben(e)-, bon(i)- | eucholia/beneceptor |
| hard | scler(o)- | dur(i)- | atherosclerotic/dura mater |
| heavy | bar(o)- | grav(i)- | bariatrics/gravida |
| hollow | coel(o)- | cav(i)- | coelomycete/cavity |
| irregular | poikil(o) | - | osteopoikilosis |
| male, masculine | - | vir- | virile |
| narrow | sten(o)- | angust(i)- | aortostenosis/aorta angusta |
| new | neo- | nov(i)- | neoblastic/de novo |
| normal, correct, straight | orth(o)- | rect(i)- | orthopedics/rectum |
| old | paleo- | veter- | paleocortex/veterans |
| separate, teaking apart | - | dis- | dissection, disease |
| sharp | oxy- | ac- | paroxysm/acute |
| slow | brady- | tard(i)- | bradycinesia/tardive |
| fast | tachy- | celer- | tachyarrythmia/pulsus celer |
| soft | malac(o)- | moll(i)- | malacoplakia/fibroma molle |
| thick | pachy- | crass(i)- | acropachy/crassamentum |
| varied, various | poikilo- | vari- | poikiloblast/acne varioliformis |
| well, good | eu- | ben(e)- | eudipsia/benign |