Root Words/Combining Forms Flashcards
abdomin/o
abdomen, abdominal cavity
abras/o
to rub away
acid/o
solution or substance w/ pH less than 7
acou/o; acoust/o
hearing
acr/o
extremity
aden/o
gland
albumin/o
albumin (protein)
alges/o
pain
alveol/o
air sac, alveolus
amni/o; amnion/o
amnion, amniotic fluid
an/o
anus
andr/o
male
angi/o; angin/o
blood vessel
ankyl/o
fused, not straight
anter/o; anteri/o
front
aort/o
aorta
append/o
hang onto, appendix
aracn/o
spider
arter/o; arteri/o
artery
asthen/o
weakness
atel/o
incomplete
ather/o
fat
atri/o
atrium
aud/o; audi/o
hearing
aur/o
ear
aut/o
self
azot/o
urea, nitrogen
bacter/o; bacteri/o
bacteria
balan/o
glans penis
bi/o
life
bil/i
bile
blast/o
germ, bud, developing cell
blephar/o
eyelid
brachi/o
arm
bronch/i; bronch/o
airway, bronchus
burs/o
purse or sac, bursa
calc/i
calcium
carcin/o
cancer
card/o; cardi/o
heart
carp/o
wrist
cartil/o
gristle, cartilage
caud/o
tail
cec/o
blind intestine, cecum
cel/o
hernia, protrustion
celi/o
abdomen, abdominal cavity
cellul/o
small chamber
cephal/o
head
cerebell/o
cerebellum, little brain
cerebr/o
brain, cerebrum
cervic/o
cervix, neck
cheil/o
lip
chem/o
chemistry
chir/o
hand
chol/e
bile, gall
choledoch/o
common bile duct
chondr/o; chondri/o
gristle, cartilage
chori/o
membrane, chorion
chrom/o; chromat/o
color
chron/o
time
cirrh/o
orange
col/o; colon/o
colon
colp/o
vagina
con/i
dust
condyl/o
knuckle of a joint
conjunctiv/o
to bind together, conjunctiva
cor/o; core/o
pupil
corne/o
horny, cornea
coron/o
crown, circle, heart
cortic/o
tree bark, outer covering, cortex
cost/o
rib
cran/o; crani/o
skull, cranium
crin/o
to secrete
crypt/o
hidden
culd/o
cul-de-sac
cutane/o
skin
cyan/o
blue
cyst/o
bladder, sac
cyt/o
cell
dacry/o
tear
dent/o
teeth
derm/o; dermat/o
skin
dipl/o
double
dips/o
thirst
disk/o
flat shape, intervertebral disk
dist/o
away
diverticul/o
small blind pouch, diverticulum
dors/o
back
duct/o
lead, move
duoden/o
twelve, duodenum
dur/o
hard
ech/o
to bounce, sound
elast/o
change shape
electr/o
electricity
embol/o
a plug
embry/o
embryo
emmetr/o
according to measure
encephal/o
brain
enter/o
small intestine
epididym/o
epididymus
episi/o
vulva
eryth/o; erythr/o
red
esophag/e; esophag/o
gullet, esophagus
eti/o
cause (of disease)
fasci/o
fascia
femor/o
thigh
fet/o
fetus
fibr/o
fiber
fibul/o
clasp or buckle, fibula
flex/o
bend
fung/o
fungus
gangli/o; ganglion/o
knot, swelling
gastr/o
stomach
gen/o; gene/o
formation, cause, produce
ger/o; geront/o
old age
gingiv/o
gums
gli/o
glue, neuroglia
glomerul/o
little ball, glomerulus
gloss/o
tongue
glott/o
opening into the windpipe
gluc/o
glucose, sugar, sweet
glut/o
buttock
glyc/o; glycos/o
glycogen, glucose, sugar, sweet
gnos/o
knowledge
gravid/o; gravidar/o
pregnancy
gyn/o; gynec/o
woman
halit/o
breath
hem/o; hemat/o
blood
hemorrh/o
likely to bleed
hepat/o
liver
hern/o; herni/o
rupture or protrusion through weakened membrane or wall
heter/o
other
hidr/o
sweat
hist/o
tissue
hom/o; home/o
sameness, unchanging
hormon/o
to set in motion
hydr/o
water
hyster/o
uterus
iatr/o; iatri/o
to heal
idi/o
person, self
ile/o
to roll, ileum
ili/o
flank, hip, groin
immun/o
exempt, immunity
infect/o
to enter, invade
infer/o; inferi/o
below
inguin/o
groin
ir/o; irid/o
rainbow, iris
isch/o
to hold back, deficiency, blockage
ischi/o
haunch, hip joint, ischium
jejun/o
empty, jejunum
kal/i
potassium
kerat/o
hard, horny tissue
ket/o; keton/o
ketone bodies
kinesi/o
motion
kyph/o
hump
labyrinth/o
maze, inner ear
lacrim/o
tear
lact/o
milk
lamin/o
thin, lamina
lapar/o
abdomen
laryng/o
voice box, larynx
later/o
side
lei/o
smooth
leuk/o
white
lingu/o
tongue
lip/o
fat, lipid
lith/o
stone
lob/o
a rounded part, lobe
lord/o
bent forward
lumb/o
loin, lower back
lymph/o
clear water or fluid
lys/o
break apart, dissolution
mal/o
bad
mamm/o
breast
man/o
thin
mast/o
breast
maxill/o
upper jaw bone
meat/o
opening, passage
medi/o
middle
melan/o
dark, black
men/o; menstru/o
month, menstruation
mening/i; mening/o
membrane, meninges
menisc/o; menisci/o
crescent-shaped moon, meniscus
ment/o
mind
metr/i; metr/o
uterus
mon/o
one
muc/o; myx/o
mucus
my/o; myos/o
muscle
myc/o
fungus
myel/o; myelon/o
bone marrow; spinal cord, medulla, myelin sheath
myring/o
membrane, eardrum
narc/o
numbness
nas/o
nose
nat/o
birth
natr/o
sodium
necr/o
death
nephr/o
kidney
neur/o
sinew or cord, nerve; fascia
noct/o
night
nucl/o; nucle/o
kernel, nucleus
nyct/o; nyctal/o
night, nocturnal
obstetr/o
midwife, prenatal development
ocul/o
eye
olig/o
few in number
omphal/o
umbilicus (navel)
onc/o
tumor
onych/o
nail
oophor/o
ovary
ophthalm/o
eye
opt/o
eye, vision
or/o
mouth
orch/o; orchi/o; orchid/o
testis, testicle
organ/o
tool
orth/o
straight, normal
oste/o
bone
ot/o
ear
ov/o
egg
ovari/o
ovary
ox/i
oxygen
pachy/o
thick
palat/o
roof of the mouth, palate
pancreat/o
sweetbread, pancreas
par/o
parturition or labor
pariet/o
wall
patell/o
small pan, patella
path/o
disease
pector/o
chest
ped/o; pediatr/o
child
pedicul/o
body louse
pelv/i; pelv/o
pelvis, washbasin
pen/o
penis
peps/o; pept/o
digestion
perine/o
perineum
peritone/o
to stretch over, peritoneum
petr/o
stone
phac/o
lens
phag/o
eat, swallow
phak/o
lens
phalang/o
row of soldiers, phalanx
pharyng/o
throat, pharynx
phas/o; phasi/o
speech
phleb/o
vein
phot/o
light
phragm/o; phragmat/o
partition
physi/o
nature
physis/o
growth
plas/o
change
plegi/o
paralysis
pleur/o
rib, pleura
pneum/o; pneumat/o; pneumon/o
air, lung
pod/o
foot
poikil/o
irregular
poli/o
gray
polyp/o
a small growth, polyp
por/o
small hole
poster/o; posteri/o
back
presby/o
old age
prim/i
first
proct/o
rectum, anus
prostat/o
prostate gland
proxim/o
near
pseud/o
false
psych/o
mind
pub/o
grown up, pubis
puerper/i; puerper/o
childbirth
pulmon/o
lung
py/o
pus
pyel/o
renal pelvis
pylor/o
gatekeeper, pylorus
quadr/i; quadr/o
four
rachi/o
spine, vertebral column
radi/o
light energy, radiation; spoke of a wheel, radius
radic/o; radicul/o
nerve root
rect/o
straight, erect, rectum
ren/o
kidney
retin/o
net, retina
rhabd/o
rod
rheumat/o
discharge
rhin/o
nose
rhytid/o
wrinkle
rrhythm/o
repetition, rhythm
rubin/o
red pigment
sacr/o
sacred, sacrum
salping/o
tube (usually eustachian or fallopian)
sarc/o
flesh, meat
scler/o
thick, hard; sclera
scop/o
to view
scoli/o
curved
seb/o
sebum, oil
semin/o
seed, sperm
sept/o
wall, partition
septic/o
putrefying
sial/o
saliva
sigmoid/o
the letter S
sinus/o
cavity
skelet/o
dried up, skeleton
somat/o
body
somn/o
sleep
son/o
sound
spadias/o
rip, tear
spasm/o
sudden, involuntary muscle contraction
sperm/o; spermat/o
seed, sperm
sphygm/o; sphyx/o
pulse
spin/o
spine, thorn
spir/o
to breathe
splen/o
spleen
spondyl/o
vertebra
staped/o
stirrup, stapes
staphyl/o
grape-like clusters; Staphylococcus
steat/o
fat
sten/o
narrowness, constriction
stern/o
chest, sternum
steth/o
chest
stigmat/o
point
stomat/o
mouth
strept/o
twisted or gnarled; Streptococcus
super/o; superi/o
above
synov/o; synovi/o
binding of eggs, synovial
tars/o
flat surface, tarsum
tax/o; taxi/o
reaction to a stimulus
ten/o; tend/o; tendin/o
to stretch out, tendon
tens/o
pressure
test/o; testicul/o
testis, testicle
thalam/o
inner chamber, thalamus
thel/i
nipple
therm/o
heat
thorac/o
chest, thorax
thromb/o
clot
thym/o
wart-like, thymus gland
thyr/o
shield, thyroid
toc/o
birth, labor
tom/o
to cut
ton/o
tone, tension, pressure
tonsill/o
almond, tonsil
tox/o; toxic/o
poison
trache/o
windpipe, trachea
trachel/o
cervix, neck
trich/o
hair
tubercul/o
little mass or swelling
tympan/o
eardrum
umbilic/o
navel
ur/o
urine
ureter/o
ureter
urethr/o
urethra
urin/a; urin/o
urine
uter/o
womb, uterus
uvul/o
grape, uvula
vagin/o
sheath, vagina
vag/o
vagus nerve
valvul/o
little valve
varic/o
dilated vein
vas/o
blood vessel; duct
vascul/o
small blood vessel
ven/o
vein
ventr/o
front, belly
ventricul/o
little belly, cavity, ventricle
vers/o
turn
vertebr/o
joint, vertebra
vesic/o
vesicle, seminal vesicle
vir/o
virus
vitr/o; vitre/o
glassy
vulv/o
vulva
xer/o
dry
zo/o
animal
