Chapter 4 Medical Word Elements

jaund/o

(jaund/ice) yellowing. Jaundice is associated with obstruction in the bile passageways causing bile to back flow into the liver. Bile is absorbed by the blood causing abnormal yellowing of body tissues.

leuk/o

(leuk/o/cyte) white cell, a white blood cell

nucle/o

(nucle/ar) : pertaining to the nucleus

xanth/o

(xanth/osis) abnormal condition of yellow(ness) usually associated with cancerous tumors.

abdomin/o

abdomen (abdomin/al) pertaining to the abdomen

trans-

across, through (trans/abdomin/al) pertaining to (a direction) across or through the abdomen

-metry

act of measuring. (ventricul/o/metry) act of measuring the ventricles.

anter/o

anterior, front (anter/ior) pertaining to the front

peri-

around (peri/umbilic/al) pertaining to (the area) around the umbilicus

poster/o

back (of body), behind, posterior (poster/ior) pertaining to the back (of the body)

dors/o

back (of the body) (dors/al) pertaining to the back of the body.

ventr/0

belly, belly side (ventr/al) pertaining to the belly side (front of the body)

infra-

below, under (infra/cost/al) pertaining to (the area) below the ribs

melan/o

black (melan/oma) black tumor. Melanoma is a malignancy that arises from melanocytes.

cyan/o

blue (cyan/o/tic) pertaining to blueness, usually associated with lack of oxygen in the blood.

somat/o

body (somat/ic) pertaining to the body

eti/o

cause (eti/o/logy) study of the causes of disease.

cyt/o

cell (cyt/o/logist) specialist in the study of cells

thorac/o

chest (thorac/ic) pertaining to the chest

chrom/o

color (hetro/chrom/ic) pertaining to different colors. heterochromia is associated with the iris or sections of the iris of the eyes. This, the individual may have one brown iris and one blue iris.

crani/o

cranium (skull) (crani/al) pertaining to the cranium

hetero-

different (hetero/morph/ous) different form or shape

path/o

disease (path/o/logist) specialist in the study of disease

-pathy

disease. (gastr/o/pathy) disease of the stomach

xer/o

dry (xer/osis) abnormal condition of dryness. Xerosis refers to abnormal dryness of the skin, mucous membranes, or conjunctive.

uktra-

excess, beyond (ultra/son/ic) pertaining to beyond (audible) sound

acr/o

extremity (acr/o/cyan/osis) abnormal condition in which the extremities are blue.

dist/o

far, farthest (dist/al) pertaining to the farthest (point of attachment). Refers to the point farthest from the center (trunk)of the body or from the point of attachment to the body. Thus the fingers are distal to the wrist.

morph/o

form, shape, structure (morph/o/logy) study of form, shape, or structure.

-genesis

forming, producing, orgin (path/o/genesis) origin of a disease

ab-

from, away from (ab/duction) act of bringing away from (midline of the body)

poli/o

gray; gray matter (of brain or spinal cord) (poli/o/myel/itis) inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord.

chlor/o

green (chlor/opia) green vision. Chloropia is a disorder in which viewed objects appear green. It is associated with a toxic reaction to digitalis.

inguin/o

groin (inguin/al) pertaining to the groin. The groin is the depression located between the thigh and trunk.

cephal/o

head (cephal/ad) toward the head

ili/o

ilium (lateral, flaring portion of hip bone). (ili/ac) pertaining to the ilium

-meter

instrument for measuring (therm/o/meter) instrument for measuring heat

-graph

instrument for recording. (radi/o/graph) instrument for recording x-rays, radius (lower arm bone on thumb side)

viscer/o

internal organs (viscer/al) pertaining to internal organs

-gnosis

knowing pro/gnosis) knowing before. Prognosis is the prediction of the course and end of a disease and the estimated chance of recovery.

lumb/o

loins (lower back) (lumb/ar) pertaining to the loins (lower back)

infer/o

lower, below (infer/ior) pertaining to a lower (structure or surface). The inferior surface is the undersurface of a structure or organ, or a place below a structure or organ.

medi/o

middle (medi/al) toward the middle

proxim/o

near, nearest (proxim/al) pertaining to the nearest (point of attachment). Proximal refers to the point closest to the center (trunk) of the body or to the point of attachment to the body. Thus, the elbow is proximal to the wrist.

cervic/o

neck, cervix uteri (neck of the uterus) (cervic/al) pertaining to the neck.

kart/o

nucleus (kary/o/lysis) destruction of the nucleus, results in the death of the cell.

pelv/i

pelvis (pelv/i/meter) instrument for measuring the pelvis.

pelv/o

pelvis (pelv/ic) pertaining to the pelvis

-graphy

process of recording. (arthr/o/graphy) process of recording a joint. Arthrography is the process of recording an image of a joint, such as the knee, shoulder, or elbow, usually with the use of a contrast medium.

radi/o

radiation, x-ray; radius (lower arm bone on thumb side) (radi/o/logist) specialist in the study of radiation. Radiologist are physicians who employ imaging techniques for diagnosing and treating disease.

-gram

record, writing. (arteri/o/gram) record of an artery. An arteriogram is a radiological image of an artery taken after injection of a radiopaque contrast medium.

erythr/o

red (erythr/o/cyte) is a red blood cell

homeo-

same, alike (homeo/plasia) formation of same (tissue)

later/o

side, to one side (later/al) pertaining to a side

son/o

sound (son/o/graphy) process of recording sound, also called ultrasonography. Sonography employs ultrasound (inaudible sound) to produce images. It is a painless, noninvasive imaging technique that does not use x-rays.

-logist

specialist in the study of. (dermat/o/logist) specialist in the study of skin.

spin/o

spine (spin/al) pertaining to the spine

gastr/o

stomach (hypo/gastr/ic) pertaining to (the area) below the stomach.

-logy

study of. (hemat/o/logy) study of blood

caud/o

tail (caud/ad) toward the tail. Caudad is th eopposite of cranial.

hist/o

tissue (hist/o/logy) study of tissues

tom/o

to cut. (tom/o/graphy) process of recording a cut (or slice). Tomography is an imaging procedure that employs a computer to produce images that appear as "slices" of an organ or structure.

ad-

toward (ad/duction) act of bringing toward (the midline of the body)

umbilic/o

umbilicus, navel (umbilic/al) pertaining to the navel.

idi/o

unknown, peculiar (idi/o/path/ic) pertaining to an unknown (cause of) disease.

super-

upper, above (super/ior) pertaining to the upper (area)

albin/o

white (albin/ism) condition of whiteness. Albinism is characterized by a partial or total lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes.

cirrh/o

yellow (cirrh/osis) abnormal yellowing. In cirrhosis, the skin, sclera of the eyes, and mucous membranes take on a yellow color.