Suffixes - the word part attached at the end of the word that usually, but not always,
indicates the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease.
Prefixes - the word part attached at the beginning of the word that usually, but not
always, indicates location, time, number, or status
Word roots - the word parts usually, but not always, indicate the body part involved
● cyan/o means blue
● erythr/o means red
● leuk/o means white
● melan/o means black
● poli/o means gray
Suffixes related to Pathology:
● -algia means pain and suffering
● -dynia means pain
● -itis means inflammation
● -megaly means enlargement
● -malacia means abnormal softening
● -necrosis means tissue death
● -sclerosis means abnormal hardening
● -stenosis means abnormal narrowing
Suffixes related to Procedures:
● -centesis is a surgical puncture to remove fluid for diagnostic purposes or to
remove excess fluid
● -graphy means producing a picture or record
● -gram means a picture or record
● -plasty means surgical repair
● -scopy means visual examination
The ‘’double R’’ Suffixes:
● -rrhage and -rrhagia mean bleeding
● -rraphy means surgical suturing to close a wound
● -rrhea means flow or discharge and refers to the flow of most bodily fluids
, ● Prenatal - time and events before birth
● Perinatal - time and events surrounding birth
● Postnatal - time and events after birth
Prefixes describing direction, quantity, size, and amount:
ab- away from, negative, absent ad- toward, to, in direction of
dextro- right side sinistro- left side
ex- out of, outside, away from in- in, into, not, without
macro- large, abnormal size, or long micro- small
mega- , megalo- large, great oligo- scanty, few
pre- before post- after, behind
dys- bad, difficult, painful
eu- good, normal, easy
hyper- excessive, increased
hypo- deficient, decreased
inter- between or among
intra- within or inside
sub- under, less, below
super- , supra- above or excessive
Sign - objective evidence of disease
Symptom - subjective evidence of a disease
Syndrome - a set of signs and symptoms that occur together as part of a specific
disease process
Diagnosis - the identification of a disease
Differential diagnosis - an attempt to determine which one of several possible
diseases is causing the signs and symptoms present
Prognosis - a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease
Acute condition - rapid onset, severe course, relatively short duration
Chronic condition - long duration
Remission - the temporary, partial, or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a
disease without a cure
