Word Elements A - O Flashcards
a-
without; not
ab-
from; away from
abdomin/o
abdomen
abort/o
to miscarry
-ac
Pertaining to
acid/o
acid
acous/o
hearing
acr/o
extremity
acromi/o
acromion (projection of the scapula)
-cusis
hearing
ad-
toward
ad
toward
aden/o
gland
adenoid/o
adenoids
adip/o
fat
adren/o
adrenal glands
adrenal/o
adrenal glands
aer/o
air
af-
toward
agglutin/o
clumping, gluing
agora-
marketplace
-al
pertaining to
albin/o
white
albumin/o
albumin (protein)
-algesia
pain
algia
pain
allo-
other, differing from the normal
alveol/o
alveolus; air sac
ambly/o
dull, dim
amni/o
amnion (amniotic sac)
an-
without; not
an/o
anus
ana-
against; up; back
andr/o
male
aneurysm/o
widened blood vessel
angi/o
vessel (usually blood or lymph)
aniso-
unequal; dissimilar
ankyl/o
stiffness; bent, crooked
ante-
before, in front of
anter/o
anterior, front
anthrac/o
coal, coal dust
anti-
against
aort/o
aorta
append/o
appendix
appendic/o
appendix
aque/o
water
-ar
pertaining to
arche
beginning
arteri/o
artery
arteriol/o
arteriole
arthr/o
joint
-ary
pertaining to
asbest/o
asbestos
-asthemia
weakness, debility
astr/o
star
-ate
having the form of; possessing
atel/o
incomplete; imperfect
ather/o
fatty plaque
-ation
process (of)
atri/o
atrium
audi/o
hearing
audit/o
hearing
aur/o
ear
auricul/o
ear
auto-
self, own
ax/o
axis; axon
azot/o
nitrogenous compounds
bacteri/o
bacteria (singular, bacterium)
balan/o
glans penis
bas/o
base (alkaline, opposite of acid)
bi-
two
bi/o
life
bil/i
bile, gall
-blast
embryonic cell
blast/o
embryonic cell
blephar/o
eyelid
brachi/o
arm
brachy-
short
brady-
slow
bronch/o
bronchus (plural, bronchi)
bronchi/o
bronchus (plural, bronchi)
bronchiol/o
bronchiole
bucc/o
cheek
calc/o
calcium
calcane/o
calcaneum (heel bone)
capnia
carbon dioxide (CO2)
carcin/o
cancer
cardi/o
heart
-cardia
heart condition
carp/o
carpus (wrist bones)
cata-
down
caud/o
tail
cauter/o
heat, burn
cec/o
cecum
-cele
hernia; swelling
-centesis
surgical puncture
cephal/o
head
ceps
head
-ception
conceiving
cerebell/o
cerebellum
cerebr/o
cerebrum
cervic/o
neck; cervix uteri (neck of the uterus)
chalic/o
limestone
cheil/o
lip
chem/o
chemical; drug
chlor/o
green
chol/e
bile, gall
cholangi/o
bile vessel
cholecyst/o
gallbladder
choledoch/o
bile duct
chondr/o
cartilage
chori/o
chorion
choroid/o
choroid
Note pigmented vascular layer of eyeball between retina and sclera
chrom/o
color
chromat/o
color
-cide
killing
cine-
movement
circum-
around
cirrh/o
yellow
-cision
a cutting
-clasia
to break; surgical fracture
-clasis
to break; surgical fracture
-clast
to break; surgical fracture
clavicul/o
clavicle (collar bone)
-cleisis
closure
clon/o
clonus (turmoil)
-clysis
irrigation, washing
coccyg/o
coccyx (tailbone)
cochle/o
cochlea
col/o
colon
colon/o
colon
colp/o
vagina
condyl/o
condyle
coni/o
dust
conjunctiv/o
conjunctiva
-continence
to hold back
contra-
against; opposite
cor/o
pupil
core/o
pupil
corne/o
cornea
coron/o
heart
corp/o
body
corpor/o
body
cortic/o
cortex
cost/o
ribs
crani/o
cranium (skull)
crin/o
secrete
-crine
secrete
cruci/o
cross
cry/o
cold
crypt/o
hidden
culd/o
cul-de-sac
-cusia
hearing
-cusis
hearing
cutane/o
skin
cyan/o
blue
cycl/o
ciliary body of the eye; circular; cycle
-cyosis
pregnancy
cyst/o
bladder
cyt/o
cell
-cyte
cell
dacry/o
tear; lacrimal apparatus (duct, sac, or gland)
dacryocyst/o
lacrimal sac
dactyl/o
fingers; toes
de-
cessation
dendr/o
tree
dent/o
teeth
derm/o
skin
-derma
skin
dermat/o
skin
-desis
binding, fixation (of a bone or joint)
di-
double
dia-
through; across
dipl-
double
dipl/o
double
dips/o
thirst
dipsia
thirst
dist/o
far, farthest
dors/o
back (of the body)
duct/o
to lead; carry
-duction
act of leading, bringing, conducting
duoden/o
duodenum (first part of the small intestine)
dur/o
dura mater; hard
-dynia
pain
dys-
bad; painful; difficult
eal
pertaining to
ec-
out; out from
echo-
a repeated sound
ectasis
dilation, expansion
ecto-
outside; outward
-ectomy
excision, removal
-edema
swelling
ef-
away from
electr/o
electricity
-ema
state of; condition
embol/o
embolus (plug)
-emesis
vomiting
-emia
blood condition
emphys/o
to inflate
en-
in, within
encephal/o
brain
end-
in, within
endo-
in, within
enter/o
intestine (usually small intestine)
eosin/o
dawn (rose-colored)
epi-
above; upon
epididym/o
epididymis
epiglott/o
epiglottis
episi/o
vulva
erythem/o
red
erythemat/o
red
erythr/o
red
eschar/o
scab
-esis
condition
eso-
inward
esophag/o
esophagus
esthes/o
feeling
-esthesia
feeling
eti/o
cause
eu-
good; normal
ex-
out; out from
exo-
outside; outward
extra-
outside
faci/o
face
fasci/o
band, fascia (fibrous membrane supporting and separating muscles)
femor/o
femur (thigh bone)
-ferent
to carry
fibr/o
fiber, fibrous tissue
fibul/o
fibula (smaller bone of the lower leg)
fluor/o
luminous, fluorescent
galact/o
milk
gangli/o
ganglion (knot or knotlike mass)
gastr/o
stomach
-gen
forming, producing; origin
gen/o
forming, producing; origin
-genesis
forming, producing; origin
genit/o
genitalia
gest/o
pregnancy
gingiv/o
gum(s)
glauc/o
gray
gli/o
glue; neuroglial tissue
-glia
glue; neuroglial tissue
globin
protein
glomerul/o
glomerulus
gloss/o
tongue
glott/o
glottis
gluc/o
sugar, sweetness
glucos/o
sugar, sweetness
glyc/o
sugar, sweetness
glycos/o
sugar, sweetness
gnos/o
knowing
-gnosis
knowing
gon/o
seed (ovum or spermatozoon)
gonad/o
gonads, sex glands
-grade
to go
-graft
transplantation
-gram
record, writing
granul/o
granule
-graph
instrument for recording
-graphy
process of recording
-gravida
pregnant woman
gyn/o
woman, female
gynec/o
woman, female
hallucin/o
hallucination
hedon/o
pleasure
hem/o
blood
hemangi/o
blood vessel
hemat/o
blood
hemi-
one half
hepat/o
liver
hetero-
different
hidr/o
sweat
hist/o
tissue
histi/o
tissue
home/o
same, alike
homeo-
same, alike
homo-
same
humer/o
humerus (upper arm bone)
hydr/o
water
hyp-
under, below; deficient
hyp/o
under, below; deficient
hyper-
excessive; above normal
hypn/o
sleep
hypo-
under, below; deficient
hyster/o
uterus (womb)
-ia
condition
iac
pertaining to
-iasis
abnormal condition (produced by something specified)
iatr/o
physician; medicine; treatment
-iatry
medicine; treatment
-ic
pertaining to
-ical
pertaining to
-icd
noun ending
ichthy/o
dry; scaly
-ician
specialist
icle
small, minute
-icterus
jaundice
idi/o
unknown; peculiar
ile
pertaining to
ile/o
ileum (third part of the small intestine)
ili/o
ilium (lateral, flaring portion of the hip bone)
im-
not
immun/o
immune, immunity, safe
in-
in; not
ine
pertaining to
infer/o
lower, below
infra-
below, under
inguin/o
groin
insulin/o
insulin
inter-
between
intestin/o
intestine
intra-
in, within
ion
the act of
;ior
pertaining to
irid/o
iris
is
noun ending
isch/o
to hold back; block
ischi/o
ischium (lower portion of the hip bone)
ism
condition
iso-
same; equal
ist
specialist
isy
state of; condition
itic
pertaining to
it is
inflammation
ive
pertaining to
-ization
process (of)
jaund/o
yellow
jejun/o
jejunum (second part of the small intestine)
kal/i
potassium (an electrolyte)
kary/o
nucleus
kerat/o
horny tissue; hard; cornea
ket/o
ketone bodies (acids and acetones)
keton/o
ketone bodies (acids and acetones)
kinesi/o
movement
-kinesia
movement
kinet/o
movement
kyph/o
humpback
labi/o
lip
labyrinth/o
labyrinth (inner ear)
lacrim/o
tear; lacrimal apparatus (duct, sac, or gland)
lact/o
milk
-lalia
speech, babble
lamin/o
lamina (part of vertebral arch)
lapar/o
abdomen
laryng/o
larynx (voice box)
later/o
side; to one side
lei/o
smooth
leiomy/o
smooth muscle (visceral)
-lepsy
seizure
lept/o
thin, slender
leuk/o
white
lingu/o
tongue
lip/o
fat
lipid/o
fat
-listhesis
slipping
-lith
stone, calculus
lith/o
stone, calculus
lob/o
lobe
log/o
study of
-logist
specialist in the study of
-logy
study of
lord/o
curve, swayback
-lucent
to shine; clear
lumb/o
loins (lower back)
lymph/o
lymph
lymphaden/o
lymph gland (node)
lymphangi/o
lymph vessel
lysis
separation; destruction; loosening
macro-
large
mal-
bad
-malacia
softening
mamm/o
breast
-mania
state of mental disorder, frenzy
mast/o
breast
mastoid/o
mastoid process
maxill/o
maxilla (upper jaw bone)
meat/o
opening, meatus
medi-
middle
medi/o
middle
mediastin/o
mediastinum
medull/o
medulla
mega-
enlargement
megal/o
enlargement
-megaly
enlargement
melan/o
black
men/o
menses, menstruation
mening/o
meninges (membranes covering the brain and spinal cord)
meningi/o
meninges (membranes covering the brain and spinal cord)
ment/o
mind
meso-
middle
meta-
change; beyond
metacarp/o
metacarpus (hand bones)
metatars/o
metatarsus (foot bones)
-meter
instrument for measuring
metr/o
uterus (womb); measure
metri/o
uterus (womb)
-metry
act of measuring
mi/o
smaller; less
micr/o
small
micro-
small
mono-
one
morph/o
form, shape; structure
muc/o
mucus
multi-
many, much
muscul/o
muscle
mut/a
genetic change
my/o
muscle
myc/o
fungus (plural, fungi)
mydr/o
widen, enlarge
myel/o
bone marrow; spinal cord
myos/o
muscle
myring/o
tympanic membrane (eardrum)
myx/o
mucus
narc/o
stupor; numbness; sleep
nas/o
nose
nat/o
birth
natr/o
sodium (an electrolyte)
necr/o
death, necrosis
neo-
new
nephr/o
kidney
neur/o
nerve
neutr/o
neutral; neither
nid/o
nest
noct/o
night
nucle/o (kary/o)
nucleus
nulli-
none
nyctal/o
night
obstetr/o
midwife
ocul/o
eye
odont/o
teeth
-oid
resembling
-ole
small, minute
olig/o
scanty
-oma
tumor
omphal/o
navel (umbilicus)
onc/o
tumor
onych/o
nail
oophor/o
ovary
-opaque
obscure
ophthalm/o
eye
-opia
vision
-opsia
vision
-opsy
view of
opt/o
eye, vision
optic/o
eye, vision
or/o
mouth
orch/o
testis (plural, testes)
orchi/o
testis (plural, testes)
orchid/o
testis (plural, testes)
-orexia
appetite
orth/o
straight
-ory
pertaining to
-ose
pertaining to; sugar
-osis
abnormal condition; increase (used primarily with blood cells)
-osmia
smell
oste/o
bone
ot/o
ear
ous
pertaining to
ovari/o
ovary
ox/i
oxygen
ox/o
oxygen
-oxia
oxygen
TO TURN “A” TO PLURAL
Retain a and add e.’ EX: PLEURA AND PLEURAE
TO TURN “AX” TO PLURAL
Drop x and add ces. EX: THORAX AND THORACES
TO TURN “EN” TO PLURAL
Drop en and add ina.EX: LUMEN AND LUMINA
TO TURN “IS” TO PLURAL
Drop is and add es. EX: DIAGNOSIS AND DIAGNOSES
TO TURN “IX” TO PLURAL
Drop ix and add ices. EX: APPENDIX AND APPENDICES
TO TURN “EX” TO PLURAL
Drop ex and add ices. EX: APEX AND APICES
TO TURN “MA” TO PLURAL
Retain ma and add ta. EX: CARCINOMA AND CARCINOMATA
TO TURN “ON” TO PLURAL
Drop on and add a. EX: GANGLION AND GANGLIA
TO TURN “UM” TO PLURAL
Drop um and add a. EX: BACTERIUM AND BACTERIA
TO TURN “US” TO PLURAL
Drop us and add i. EX: BRONCHUS AND BRONCHI
TO TURN “Y” TO PLURAL
Drop y and add ies. EX: DEFORMITY AND DEFORMITIES
