Common PrefixesNumber PrefixesCommon SuffixesSurgical SuffixesProcedural SuffixesCombining Forms Commonly Used in Integumentary System Combining form Meaning Exampleadip/o fat adiposealbin/o white albinismcaus/o burn, burning causalgia cutane/o skin subcutaneous derm/o skin epidermis dermat/o skin dermatitis disphor/o profuse sweating diaphoresis hidr/o sweat anhidrosis ichthy/o scaly, dry ichthyosis kerat/o hard, horny tissue keratosisleuk/o white leukoplakialip/o fat lipomamelan/o black melanocyte myc/o fungus dermatomycosis onych/o nail onycholysispil/o hair pilosebaceous rhytid/o wrinkle rhytidoplasty seb/o oil seborrheatrich/o hair trichomycosis xanth/o yellow xanthoma Suffixes Commonly Used in This SystemSuffix Meaning Example-derma skin scleroderma-opsy view of biopsy-plakia a plate leukoplakia-tome instrument used to cut dermatomeCombining Forms Commonly Used in Musculoskeletal SystemCombining form Meaning Examplearthr/o joint arthrocentesisarticul/o joint articulationburs/o sac bursitischondr/o cartilage chondroplastycost/o rib costectomycrani/o skull craniotomymyel/o bone marrow myelitisorth/o straight orthopedicsoste/o bone osteoporosisspondyl/o vertebra,backbone spondylarthritisthorac/o chest thoracicvertebr/o vertebra,backbone intervertebralfasci/o fascia fasciorrhaphymy/o muscle electromyogramten/o tendon tenodyniatend/o tendon tendotomytendin/o tendon tendinitisSuffixes Commonly Used in This SystemSuffix Meaning Example-kinesia movement dyskinesia-porosis porous osteoporosis-trophy development hypertrophy-malacia abnormal softening osteomalacia Combining form Meaning Exampleangi/o vessel angioplastyaort/o aorta aortic stenosisarter/o, arteri/o artery arteriosclerosisather/o yellowish plaque, fatty substance atherosclerosisatri/o atrium, upper heart chamber atrioventricularcardi/o heart cardiomyopathy cholesterol/o cholesterol hypercholesterolemiacorn/o heart coronary arteries cyan/o blue cyanosisox/o oxygen hypoxiapericardi/o pericardium pericardiocentesis phleb/o vein phlebotomy rrhythm/o rhythm arrhythmia sphygm/o pulse sphygmomanometer steth/o chest stethoscope thromb/o clot thrombolysis valvul/o, valv/o valve valvuloplastyvas/o vessel vasoconstriction vascul/o vessel vascularven/o vein venousventricul/o ventricle, lower heart chamber ventriculotomyMeaning Example Prefixbrady- slow bradycardiatachy- fast tachycardiaMeaning Example Suffix-manometer Instrument to measure pressure sphygmomanometer -ole small arteriole-sclerosis hardening arteriosclerosis-stenosis narrowing angiostenosis-tension pressure hypotension-ule small venuleCombining Forms Commonly Used in This System Combining form Meaning Exampleadenoid/o adenoids adenoidectomy alveol/o alveolus; air sac alveolarbronch/o bronchus bronchoscope bronchi/o bronchus bronchiectasis bronchiol/o bronchiole, small bronchiolitisBronchuscapn/o carbon dioxide acapniaepiglott/o epiglottis epiglottitislaryng/o larynx, voice box laryngospasmlob/o lobe lobectomymuc/o mucus mucusnas/o nose nasopharynxox/o oxygen anoxiapharyng/o pharynx pharyngeal tonsils pleur/o pleura pleurocentesis pneum/o air, lung pneumothorax pneumon/opulmon/o lung pulmonologyrhin/o nose rhinorrhagiasinus/o sinus, cavity pansinusitisspir/o breathing spirometertonsill/o tonsils tonsillectomy trache/o trachea, windpipe tracheotomythorac/o chest thoracalgia Suffixes Commonly Used in This SystemSuffixes Meaning Example-capnia carbon dioxide hypercapnia-ectasis stretching out, dilatation, bronchiectasisexpansion-emia blood condition hypoxemia-oxia oxygen anoxia-pnea breathing dyspneaChapter 7 Digestive systemCombining forms relating to the digestive systemCombining forms Meaning Examplean/o anus anusappend/o, appendic/o appendix appendectomy bucc/o cheek buccolabialcec/o cecum ileocecalcheil/o, labi/o lip cheilorrhaphy chol/e bile, gall cholelithiasis cholangi/o bile duct cholangiotomy cholecyst/o gallbladder cholecystogram choledoch/o common bile duct choledochectomy col/o, colon/o colon colectomydent/o, odont/o tooth orthodontics enter/o small intestine enteritisgastr/o stomach gastrodynia gingiv/o gums gingivectomy gloss/o tongue hypoglossal hepat/o liver hepatitislapar/o abdomen laparotomy lingu/o tongue sublinguallith/o stone lithotripsyor/o mouth oropharynx palat/o palate palatine pancreat/o pancreas pancreatitis pharyng/o pharynx pharyngodynia proct/o anus and rectum proctoptosisrect/o rectum rectalgiasial/o salivary gland sialolithstomat/o mouth stomatologySuffixes relating to the digestive systemSuffix Meaning Example-emisis vomit hematemesis-lithiasis condition of stones cholelithiasis-orexia appetite anorexia-ostomy surgically creating an opening colostomy-pepsia digestion dyspepsia-phagia eat, swallow polyphagia-prandial pertaing to a meal postprandial-tripsy surgical crushing lithotripsyChapter 8 Urinary SystemCombining form albumin/oazot/ocyst/oglomerul/o glycos/olith/omeat/onephr/onoct/ipyel/oren/our/oureter/ourethr/ourin/ovesic/o Meaningalbuminnitrogenbladderglomerulussugar, glucosestonemeatuskidneynightrenal pelviskidneyurineureter, urinary tubeurethraurinebladderExamplealbuminuriaazotemiacystitisglomerulonephritisglycosurialithotripsymeatorrhaphynephromalacianocturiapyelogramrenal transplanturemiaureterectasiaurethrostenosisurinalysisvesicorectalSuffix Meaning Example-lith stone nephrolith -ptosis drooping nephroptosis -tripsy surgical crushing lithotripsy -uria urine, urination hematuriaChapter 9 Reproductive System Combining Forms Relating to the Reproductive SystemChapter 10 Endocrine System Word Building Relating to the Endocrine SystemChapter 11 Nervous SystemCombining Forms Commonly Used in Nervous SystemCombining Form Meaning Examplecephal/o head cephalalgiacerebell/o cerebellum cerebellar cerebellitiis cerebr/o cerebrum cerebral cerebrospinal encephal/o brain encephalomalaciagli/o glue glioneuromamedull/o medulla medulloadrenal mening/o meninges meningitismyelomeningocele meningi/o meninges meningiomamyel/o spinal cord poliomyelitisnarc/o stupor narcohypnosisneur/o nerve neurectomy neuroma phas/o speech aphasiapoli/o gray matter polioencephalopathy pont/o pons pontocerebellar radicul/o nerve root radiculoneuritis thalam/o thalamus thalamocortical ventricul/o ventricle ventriculography Suffixes Commonly Used in Nervous SystemSuffix Meaning Example-algesia sensitivity to pain analgesia-esthesia feeling, sensation anesthesia-kinesia movement bradykinesia-lepsy seizure narcolepsy-paresis weakness hemiparesis-phasia speech dysphasia-plegia paralysis paraplegia-sthenia strength myasthenia-taxia muscle coordination ataxiaChapter 12 Blood and the Lymphatic And Immune System Blood SystemCombining form Meaning Exampleagglutin/o clumping agglutinogenic chrom/o color chromosome coagul/o clotting anticoagulant erythr/o red erythroblastosis fibrin/o fibers, fibrous fibrinogen granul/o granules granulocytosis hem/o blood hemolysis hemat/o blood hematopoiesis leuk/o white leukemia morph/o shape morphology myel/o bone marrow myelomalacia phag/o eat, swallow phagocyte sanguin/o blood sanguinous thromb/o clot thrombosis Lymphatic and Immune SystemCombining form Meaning Exampleaden/o gland adenoma immun/o protection immunoglobulin lymph/o lymph lymphatic lymphaden/o lymph node lymphadenopathy lymphangi/o lymph vessel lymphangiogram splen/o spleen splenomegaly thym/o thymus thymectomy tonsill/o tonsils tonsillectomytox/o poison toxonosis Suffixes Commonly Used in Blood and Lymphatic and Immune System Blood SystemSuffix Meaning Example-apheresis removal, carry away plasmapheresis -cyte cell erythrocyteerythrocytosis-cytosis more than the normalnumber of cells-emia blood condition leukemia-globin protein hemoglobinhematocytopenia -penia abnormal decrease, toofew-poiesis formation hematopoiesis-stasis standing still hemostasis Lymphatic and Immune SystemSuffix Meaning Example-globulin protein immunoglobulin -phage eat, swallow macrophage。