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Appendix A: Medical Terminology and Abbreviations
in Manual for Pharmacy Technicians
CONTENTS
Table A-1. Prefixes
Table A-2. Suffixes
Table A-3. Word Roots
Common Medical Terms and Definitions by Body System
Nervous System
Cardiovascular System
Respiratory System
Musculoskeletal System
Endocrine System
Immune System
Hematologic System
Gastrointestinal System
Urinary System
Other Body Systems
The Eyes
The Ears
The Dermatologic System
Reproductive System
Familiarity with and understanding medical terms and abbreviations is critical to the success of a pharmacy technician.
Learning medical terminology may seem like learning a whole new language. Most medical terms; however, are built from component parts, called word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. The root is the base component of the word, which is modified by the addition of a prefix or suffix. Prefixes are modifying components placed in front of the word root. Examples include pre-, post-, and sub-. Suffixes appear at the end of the word root and are connected to the root by a combining vowel, for example, -ism, -itis, -ous. Combining vowels (most often ‘o’) are often used to link roots to suffixes and to join roots when a term includes more than one root. These combining vowels are often shown along with the root as a combining form, as in “bronch/o.”
The process of defining a medical term starts with identifying and defining the components and then combining those definitions into a coherent whole. For example, consider the word bronchoscopy. First, divide the word into its components: “bronch/o” and “scopy.” Then, define each of the parts: bronch/o means bronchus, and -scopy means the process of viewing. Therefore, bronchoscopy means the process of viewing the bronchus.
What is the definition of electrocardiogram? First, break the word into its parts: “electro-,” “cardi/o,” and “ gram.” Second, define each part: electro- means electricity; cardi/o means heart; and -gram means record. Finally, put the definitions together to get the
Tables A-1, A-2, and A-3 include the meanings of many of the most common word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Familiarity with these components parts will help you understand medical terminology.
After you have reviewed the meanings of component parts, read through the common medical terms by body system. Each term is accompanied by its pronunciation, definition, and an analysis of term structure.
Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a-; an-; ana- | no; not; without |
| ab- | away from |
| ante- | before; forward |
| anti- | against |
| auto- | self |
| bi- | two; double; both |
| brady- | slow |
| carcin- | cancerous |
| contra- | against; opposite |
| dys- | difficult; painful |
| ect- | outside; out |
| en- | within; in |
| endo- | within |
| epi- | above; upon |
| ex- | out |
| gynec/o- | woman |
| hemi- | half |
| hyper- | above; excessive |
| hypo- | below; deficient |
| infra- | below; inferior |
| inter- | between |
| intra- | within |
| iso- | same; equal |
| macro- | large |
| mal- | bad; poor; abnormal |
| meta- | change; after; beyond |
| micro- | small |
| multi- | many |
| neo- | new |
| non- | not |
| oligo- | few; less |
| pan- | all |
| para- | near; beside |
| per- | through |
| peri- | around; surrounding |
| poly- | many; excessive |
| post- | after |
| pre- | before; in front of |
| primi- | first |
| retro- | behind; backward; upward |
| semi- | half |
| sub- | below; under |
| super- | above; over; excess |
| supra- | above, on top of |
| sym- | with |
| syn- | together; with |
| tachy- | fast |
| tri- | three |
| uni- | one |
| xero- | dry |
Suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -ac; -al; -ar; -ary | pertaining to |
| -algia | pain |
| -blast | germ or bud |
| -cele | hernia; herniation |
| -centesis | surgical puncture |
| -crine | to secrete |
| -crit | to separate |
| -cyte | cell |
| -cytosis | condition of cells |
| -desis | binding together |
| -ectomy | surgical removal; excision |
| -emesis | vomit |
| -emia | blood |
| -genesis; -genic; -gen | origin; producing; forming |
| -globin; -globulin | protein |
| -gram | record |
| -graph | instrument for recording |
| -graphy | process of recording |
| -ia; -iac; -ic | pertaining to |
| -iasis | formation or presence of |
| -ism | condition |
| -itis | inflammation |
| -ium | structure or tissue |
| -lepsy | seizure |
| -lysis; -lytic | break down |
| -malacia | softening |
| -megaly | enlargement |
| -metry | process of measuring |
| -oid | resembling; like |
| -(o)logist | specialist in the study or treatment of |
| -(o)logy | study of |
| -oma | tumor |
| -osis | abnormal condition |
| -ostomy | creation of an opening |
| -otomy | incision into |
| -ous | pertaining to |
| -paresis | paralysis |
| -pathy | disease |
| -penia | decreased number |
| -pepsia | digestion |
| -pexy | suspension or fixation |
| -phagia | eating; swallowing |
| -phobia | abnormal fear |
| -phonia | voice; sound |
| -phoresis | carrying; transmission |
| -phoria | feeling; mental state |
| -plasty | surgical repair |
| -plegia | paralysis |
| -pnea | breathing |
| -poiesis | formation |
| -r/rhage; -r/rhagia | bursting forth |
| -rrhea | flow; discharge |
| -rhexis | rupture |
| -sclerosis | hardening |
| -scope | instrument for viewing |
| -scopy | process of viewing |
| -somnia; somn/o | sleep |
| -spasm | involuntary contraction or twitch |
| -stasis | control; stop |
| -stenosis | narrowing |
| -therapy | treatment |
| -thorax | chest; pleural cavity |
| -tocia; toc/o | labor; birth |
| -tripsy | crushing |
| -trophy | growth; development |
| -tropin | nourish; develop; stimulate |
Word Roots
| Root | Meaning |
|---|---|
| abdomin/o | abdomen |
| aden/o | gland |
| adip/o | fat |
| amnio | amnion |
| andr/o | male; man |
| angi/o | vessel |
| aque/o | watery |
| arteri/o | artery |
| arteriol/o | arteriole |
| arthr/o | joint |
| ather/o | fat; fatty plaque |
| audi/o | hearing; sound |
| aur/o | ear |
| balan/o | glans penis |
| bili | bile; gall |
| blephar/o | eyelid |
| bronch/o | bronchus |
| bronchiol/o | bronchiole |
| bucc/o | cheek |
| burs/o | joint |
| calc/i | calcium |
| capnia | carbon dioxide |
| carcin/o | cancer |
| cardi/o | heart |
| carp/o | wrist bones |
| cephal/o | head |
| cerebr/o | cerebrum |
| cirrh/o | yellow |
| chol/e | bile; gall bladder |
| cholangi/o | bile duct |
| cholecyst/o | gall bladder |
| chondr/o | cartilage |
| coagul/o | clotting |
| cochle/o | cochlea |
| col/o | colon |
| colp/o | vagina (sheath) |
| conjuctiv/o | conjunctiva |
| cor/o; coron/o | heart |
| corne/o | cornea |
| cost/o | rib |
| crani/o | cranium; skull |
| cry/o | cold |
| cut/o; cuti; cutane/o | skin |
| cyan/o | blue |
| cyst/o | bladder; sac |
| cyt/o | cell |
| dacry/o | tears |
| dent | tooth |
| derm/o; dermat/o | skin |
| dipl/o | two; double |
| dips/o | thirst |
| duoden/o | duodenum |
| dur/a | dura mater |
| electr/o | electricity |
| embry/o | embryo |
| encephal/o | brain |
| enter/o | intestines |
| eosin/o; erythr/o | red |
| epididym/o | epididymis |
| episi/o | vulva |
| esophag/o | esophagus |
| esthesi/o | sensation |
| fasci/o | fascia |
| femor/o | femur |
| fet/o; fet/i | fetus |
| fibul/o | fibula |
| fund/o | fundus |
| gastr/o | stomach |
| gingiv/o | gums |
| glauc/o | silver; gray |
| gli/o | nerve cell |
| glomerul/o | glomerulus |
| tongue | |
| gluc/o; glyc/o | glucose; sugar |
| gonad/o | sex glands |
| gravid/a; gravid/o | pregnancy |
| gyn/o; gyn/e; gynec/o | woman |
| hemat/o; hem/o | blood |
| hemangi/o | blood vessel |
| hepat/o | liver |
| hidr/o | sweat |
| hormone/o | hormone; an urging on |
| humer/o | humerus |
| hydr/o | water; fluid |
| hyster/o | uterus |
| ile/o; ili/o | ileum |
| immune/o | protection |
| jejun/o | jejunum |
| kal/i | potassium |
| kerat/o | cornea |
| ket/o; keton/o | ketone bodies |
| kinesi/o | movement |
| lacrim/o | tears |
| lact/o | milk |
| lapar/o | abdominal wall |
| laryng/o | larynx |
| ligament/o | ligament |
| lingua | tongue |
| lip/o | fat |
| lith/o | stone |
| lumb/o | lower back |
| lymph/o | lymph |
| mamm/o; mast/o | breast |
| melan/o | black |
| men/o | menses; menstruation |
| mening/o; meningi/o | meninges (membrane) |
| metacarp/o | hand bones |
| metatars/o | foot bones |
| morph/o | form; shape |
| muc/o | mucus |
| my/o | muscle |
| myc/o | fungus |
| myel/o | bone marrow; spinal cord |
| myring/o | eardrum |
| narc/o | sleep |
| nas/o | nose |
| nat/o; natal | birth; delivery |
| nephr/o | kidney |
| neur/o | nerve |
| noct/o; nyctal/o | night |
| ocul/o; ophthalm/o; opt/o | eye |
| onych/o | nail |
| oophor/o | ovary |
| or/o | mouth |
| orch/o; orchi/o; orchid/o | testis; testicle |
| orth/o | straight |
| oste/o | bone |
| ot/o | ear |
| ovari/o | ovary |
| oxi | oxygen |
| pachy/o | thick |
| pancreat/o | pancreas |
| par/o; part/o | bear; labor; childbirth |
| patell/o | kneecap |
| pector/o | chest |
| ped | children |
| pelv/i | pelvis |
| perine/o | perineum |
| peritone/o | peritoneum |
| phag/o | eat or swallow |
| phalang/o | finger and toe bones |
| pharyng/o | pharynx |
| phleb/o | vein |
| phot/o | light |
| mind or diaphragm | |
| pil/o | hair |
| pneum/o | lungs; air |
| pod/o; podi | foot |
| presby/o | old age |
| proct/o | rectum |
| psych/o; psych/i | mind or soul |
| pub/o | pubis; pubic bone |
| pulmon/o | lungs |
| py/o | pus |
| pyel/o | renal pelvis |
| quadr/i | four |
| radi/o | radius |
| rect/o | rectum |
| ren/o | kidney |
| reticul/o | a net |
| retin/o | retina |
| rhabdomy/o | skeletal muscle; striated muscle |
| rheum | watery discharge |
| rhin/o | nose |
| salping/o | eustachian or uterine tube |
| sarc/o | flesh |
| schiz/o | split |
| semin/o | semen |
| septi | bacteria |
| sial/o | saliva |
| sinus/o | sinus |
| somat/o | body |
| sperm/o; spermat/o | sperm |
| spher/o | round |
| sphygm/o | pulse |
| spir/o | breathe; breath |
| splen/o | spleen |
| spondyl/o | vertebra; vertebral column |
| steth/o | chest |
| stoma; stomat/o | mouth |
| synovi/o | joint |
| tars/o | ankle bones |
| ten/o; tend/o; tendon/o; tendin/o | tendon |
| test/o; testicul/o | testis; testicle |
| thorac/o | chest |
| thromb/o | clot |
| thyr/o | thyroid gland |
| trache/o | trachea |
| tympan/o | eardrum |
| urethr/o | urethra |
| ur/o | urinary tract |
| vas/o; vascul/o | vessel |
| ven/o | vein |
| xanth/o | yellow |
Nervous System
Other Body Systems
© 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. All Right Reserved.