Medical Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes - Certified Professional Coder CPC
- What does the suffix "-rrhage" or "-rrhagia" mean in medical terminology?
- Bursting forth; excessive bleeding. Derived from Greek 'rhegnynai,' it signifies sudden outflows, particularly of blood, as in hemorrhage.
- What does the suffix "-otomy" mean in medical terminology?
- Incision; cutting into. From Greek 'tome,' it denotes surgical cuts into tissues or organs, like laparotomy for abdominal incision.
- What does the combining form "oste/o" mean in medical terminology?
- Bone. Derived from Greek 'osteon,' it denotes bone structures in medical words, like osteoporosis for bone porosity.
- What does the combining form "neur/o" mean in medical terminology?
- Nerve. Originating from Greek 'neuron,' it forms the basis for nerve-related terminology, like neurology for nerve study.
- What does the suffix "-algia" mean in medical terminology?
- Pain. Derived from Greek 'algos,' it specifies sensations of discomfort or ache, like myalgia for muscle pain.
- What does the prefix "brady-" mean in medical terminology?
- Slow. Derived from Greek 'bradys,' it denotes reduced speed or rate in physiological contexts, such as in bradycardia for slow heart rate.
- What does the prefix "hyper-" mean in medical terminology?
- Above normal; excessive. Originating from Greek, it signifies levels exceeding normal, as seen in hypertension for high blood pressure.
- What does the suffix "-emia" mean in medical terminology?
- Blood condition. From Greek 'haima,' it refers to states or conditions of the blood, exemplified by anemia for blood deficiency.
- What does the suffix "-ostomy" mean in medical terminology?
- Surgical creation of an opening. Based on Greek 'stoma,' it refers to artificial openings created surgically, such as tracheostomy for a tracheal opening.
- What does the prefix "tachy-" mean in medical terminology?
- Fast; rapid. From Greek 'tachys,' it indicates increased speed or rapidity in medical terms, like tachycardia for rapid heart rate.
- What does the combining form "cardi/o" mean in medical terminology?
- Heart. From Greek 'kardia,' it serves as the root for heart-related terms, such as cardiology for heart study.
- What does the suffix "-ectomy" mean in medical terminology?
- Surgical removal; excision. Derived from Greek 'ektome,' it signifies operative excisions of body parts, such as hysterectomy for uterus removal.
- What does the prefix "peri-" mean in medical terminology?
- Around; surrounding. Based on Greek 'peri,' it describes encircling or surrounding structures, exemplified by pericardium around the heart.
- What does the prefix "inter-" mean in medical terminology?
- Between. Originating from Latin 'inter,' it signifies positions or relations between entities, like intercostal between ribs.
- What does the suffix "-osis" mean in medical terminology?
- Abnormal condition. Originating from Greek '-osis,' it indicates diseased or unusual states, such as cirrhosis for liver abnormality.
- What does the prefix "sub-" mean in medical terminology?
- Under; below. From Latin 'sub,' it indicates positions beneath or lower levels, as in subcutaneous under the skin.
- What does the suffix "-itis" mean in medical terminology?
- Inflammation. From Greek '-itis,' it denotes inflammatory processes in organs or tissues, such as appendicitis for appendix inflammation.
- What does the suffix "-oma" mean in medical terminology?
- Tumor; mass. From Greek '-oma,' it describes swellings or neoplasms, like lipoma for a fatty tumor.
- What does the suffix "-plasty" mean in medical terminology?
- Surgical repair; reconstruction. From Greek 'plassein,' it indicates procedures to reshape or restore form, like angioplasty for vessel repair.
- What does the prefix "intra-" mean in medical terminology?
- Within. From Latin 'intra,' it denotes locations or actions inside a structure, such as intravenous within a vein.
- What does the prefix "endo-" mean in medical terminology?
- Within; inner. From Greek 'endon,' it specifies internal or innermost layers, as in endothelium lining blood vessels.
- What does the prefix "hypo-" mean in medical terminology?
- Below normal; deficient. From Greek 'hypo,' it refers to insufficient or lower-than-normal states, such as hypoglycemia for low blood sugar.
- What does the combining form "gastr/o" mean in medical terminology?
- Stomach. From Greek 'gaster,' it is used in terms pertaining to the stomach, such as gastritis for stomach inflammation.
- What does the combining form "dermat/o" mean in medical terminology?
- Skin. From Greek 'derma,' it refers to skin in various terms, such as dermatitis for skin inflammation.
- What does the prefix "epi-" mean in medical terminology?
- Upon; on; above. Derived from Greek 'epi,' it indicates positions on or over surfaces, like epidermis as the outer skin layer.