Root: the essential meaning of the word. Combining form: a root with a vowel attached to it, most commonly the letter O. This vowel is known as the combining vowel because it combines the root with the rest of the term. When writing the combining form itself, a slash ( / ) is used to separate the root and combining vowel. As long as the combining vowel links the parts together, a word can have multiple roots. [2] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source Suffix: the end of the term that gives part of the word’s meaning. [3] X Research source Prefix: appears at the beginning of some words to modify its meaning. Example 1: CARDIOLOGY means study of the heart. cardi/o is the combining form (cardi + o), and -logy is the suffix. Example 2: POLYNEUROPATHY means disease of many nerves. poly- is the prefix, neur/o is the combining form (neur + o), and -pathy is the suffix.
If a suffix starts with a vowel, drop the combining vowel. Example 1: NEURAL means pertaining to the nerves. neur/o is the combining form and -al is the suffix. Because the suffix starts with a vowel, the combining vowel is dropped. When using multiple roots, keep the combining vowels even if the second root begins with a vowel. Example 2: GASTROENTEROLOGIST means a doctor specializing in the stomach and intestines. gastr/o is the first combining form, enter/o is the second, and -logist is the suffix. Note that both combining vowels are present.
Example 1: HEMATOLOGY, -logy (study of) + hemat/o (blood) = study of the blood Example 2: HEPATITIS, -itis (inflammation of) + hepat/o (liver) = inflammation of the liver Example 3: INTRAVENOUS, -ous (pertaining to) + intra- (within) + ven/o (vein) = pertaining to within a vein Example 4: TACHYCARDIA, -ia (condition of) + tachy- (fast) + cardi/o (heart) = condition of a fast heartbeat
Example 1: Removal of the uterus = HYSTERECTOMY, -ectomy (removal, excision) + hyster/o (uterus) Example 2: Pertaining to within a muscle = INTRAMUSCULAR, -ar (pertaining to) + intra- (within) + muscul/o (muscle) Example 3: Cancerous tumour = CARCINOMA, -oma (tumour) + carcin/o (cancerous) Example 4: Condition of an overactive thyroid gland = HYPERTHYROIDISM, -ism (condition, process) + thyroid/o (thyroid gland) + hyper- (higher-than-normal)
arthroscopy: ar-THROS-ko-pe atrophy: AT-ro-fe biopsy: BI-op-se electroencephalogram: e-lek-tro-en-SEF-ah-lo-gram erythrocyte: eh-RITH-ro-site hematoma: he-mah-TOH-mah hypertrophy: hi-PER-tro-fe laryngeal: lah-RIN-je-al or lah-rin-JE-al metastasis: meh-TAS-ta-sis oophorectomy: oh-of-oh-REK-to-me or oh-oh-for-EK-to-me relapse: reh-LAPS tachypnea: ta-KIP-ne-ah
hyper- (higher-than-normal) and hypo- (lower-than-normal) sarc/o (flesh) and sacr/o (sacrum) -tomy (incision, cutting into), -ectomy (excision, removal of), and -stomy (opening) -plasia (formation), -phagia (eating or swallowing), and -phasia (speech) hematuria (blood in the urine) and uremia (high levels of urea in the blood) Menorrhea (normal menstrual flow) and menorrhagia (abnormally heavy menstruation)
