How the Unit 4 Word List Was Built
Etymology | Prefix | "Pre-Root" | Root Root | "Post-Root" | Suffix1 Word End |
Suffix2 Word End |
Word |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latin ab–, "off" + radere, "to scrape" | ab | ras | ion | abrasion | |||
Latin ab–, "off" + cedere, "to withdraw", based on the idea that a bodily humor is escaping into the abscess | ab | scess | abscess | ||||
Latin aknas, 6th century misreading of Greek akmas, "point" (cf. acme) | acne | acne | |||||
actin | ic | actinic | |||||
adip/o | cyte | adipocyte | |||||
albin | ism | albinism | |||||
Despite their depictions in fiction, albinos are not evil. | albin | o | albino | ||||
Graft from a different member of the same species | allo | graft | allograft | ||||
Greek alōpēx, "fox", because fox-mange (alōpēkia) is supposedly transferred to humans | alopec | ia | alopecia | ||||
ana | gen | anagen | |||||
andro | gen | androgen | |||||
an | esthe | tic | anesthetic | ||||
angi[o] | oma | angioma | |||||
an | hidr | osis | anhidrosis | ||||
anti | hist | amine | antihistamine | ||||
anti | pruritic | antipruritic | |||||
anti | septic | antiseptic | |||||
a | top | ic | atopic | ||||
a | trich | osis | atrichosis | ||||
a graft from one's own tissue (or an identical twin's) | auto | graft | autograft | ||||
bili | rub | in | bilirubin | ||||
bi[o] | ops | y | biopsy | ||||
bulla | |||||||
Greek karkinos, "crab" + –oma. The Greek physicians named cancers after a crab because their tendency to spread their "claws" into tissues and hold on tenaciously, like a crab. The plural of carcinoma is carcinomata. | carcin | oma | carcinoma | ||||
carot[a] | ene | carotene | |||||
cata | gen | catagen | |||||
The Latin word cauterium means "branding iron", from the Greek kauter, "burn". | cauter[ium] | cauterize | |||||
cauter[ium] | y | cautery | |||||
chemo | surgery | chemosurgery | |||||
chemo | therapy | chemotherapy | |||||
cicatrix | cicatrix | ||||||
circ | ula | tion | circulation | ||||
Latin comedere, "eat up"; originally used to describe parasitic worms, now used to describe the sebaceous secretions that resemble small worms that come out of zits (which, somehow, is even more disgusting than popping a zit.) | comedo | comedo | |||||
corneo | cyte | corneocyte | |||||
crust | crust | ||||||
cryo | surgery | cryosurgery | |||||
cutane | ous | cutaneous | |||||
Latin cubare, "to lie down" (cubicle comes from the same root) | de | cub | itus | decubitus | |||
dendr | itic | dendritic | |||||
de | pigment | ation | depigmentation | ||||
derm | abrasion | dermabrasion | |||||
dermat | algia | dermatalgia | |||||
dermat | itis | dermatitis | |||||
dermato | dynia | dermatodynia | |||||
dermato | fibr | oma | dermatofibroma | ||||
dermato | logy | dermatology | |||||
dermato | lysis | dermatolysis | |||||
dermato | myc | osis | dermatomycosis | ||||
dermato | scop | y | dermatoscopy | ||||
dermat[o] | osis | dermatosis | |||||
dermis | dermis | ||||||
dermo | pathy | dermopathy | |||||
dermo | scopy | dermoscopy | |||||
dys | plas[ie] | tic | dysplastic | ||||
Latin ecchymōsis, "pouring out" | ecchymosis | ecchymosis | |||||
Greek ek (ex) + krīnō, "separate" | ec | crine | eccrine | ||||
Greek ek (ex) + zein "to boil" | ec | zema | eczema | ||||
electro | cauter[ium] | iz[e] | ation | electrocauterization | |||
de | electro | sicc | ation | electrodesiccation | |||
epi | derm | al | epidermal | ||||
epi | dermis | epidermis | |||||
Greek ep[i]– + onúkhion, "little claw" | ep[i] | onych | ium | eponychium | |||
Latin e[x]- + rodere "to gnaw" | e | rosion | erosion | ||||
eryth | ema | erythema | |||||
erythr/o | cyan | osis | erythrocyanosis | ||||
erythr/o | derm | a | erythroderma | ||||
eu | melan[o] | in | eumelanin | ||||
Latin e[x]- + vapor "steam" | e | vapora[te] | tion | evaporation | |||
ex | cision | al | excisional | ||||
ex | cori | ation | excoriation | ||||
fissure | fissure | ||||||
Latin glaber, "hairless, smooth, bald" | glabr | ous | glabrous | ||||
gran | ule | granule | |||||
hemat[o] | hidr[o] | osis | hemathidrosis | ||||
"Graft" is taken from the Greek graphein, "to write", because of the resemblance of a plant graft to a writing pen | hetero | graft | heterograft | ||||
Latin & Greek hidrō, "sweat" | hidr | aden | oma | hidradenoma | |||
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin condition | hidr | aden | itis | hidradentitis | |||
hidro | poiesis | hidropoiesis | |||||
same as allograft | homo | graft | homograft | ||||
hyper | hidr | osis | hyperhidrosis | ||||
hyper | kerato | hyperkeratosis | |||||
hyper | melan | osis | hypermelanosis | ||||
hyper | pigment | ation | hyperpigmentation | ||||
hyper | trich | osis | hypertrichosis | ||||
hypo | derm | icle | hypodermic | ||||
hypo | dermis | hypodermis | |||||
hypo | hidr | osis | hypohidrosis | ||||
hypo | melan | osis | hypomelanosis | ||||
hyp[o] | onych | ium | hyponychium | ||||
hypo | pigment | ation | hypopigmentation | ||||
ichthy | osis | ichthyosis | |||||
Latin impetere, "to attack" (cf. impetus) | impetigo | impetigo | |||||
Latin in– + cidere, "cut" | incision | incision | |||||
intra | derm | al | intradermal | ||||
French jaunice, "yellowness" (jaune is French for "yellow") | jaun | dice | jaundice | ||||
kel | oid | keloid | |||||
kerat | cyte | cyte | in + o | keratinocyte | |||
kerat/o | derma | keratoderma | |||||
kerat/o | gen | ic | keratogenic | ||||
kerat | osis | keratosis | |||||
leuk/o | derm | a | leukoderma | ||||
lip | ectomy | lipectomy | |||||
lip | oma | lipoma | |||||
lip/o | suction | liposuction | |||||
lun | ula | lunula | |||||
macer | ate | macerate | |||||
macule | |||||||
melan | in | melanin | |||||
melan/o | cyte | melanocyte | |||||
melan | oma | melanoma | |||||
melan/o | some | melanosome | |||||
myco | dermat | itis | mycodermatitis | ||||
myc | osis | mycosis | |||||
myring/o | derm/at | itis | myringodermatitis | ||||
necr | osis | necrosis | |||||
neo | plasm | neoplasm | |||||
Latin nevus, "a mark"; now means a mole | nevus | nevus | |||||
nod[e] | ule | nodule | |||||
onych | algia | onychalgia | |||||
onych | ectomy | onychectomy | |||||
onych | ia | onychia | |||||
onych/o | crypt | osis | onychocryptosis | ||||
onych/o + dys | trophy | onychodystrophy | |||||
onych/o | lysis | onycholysis | |||||
onych/o | malacia | onychomalacia | |||||
onych/o | myc | osis | onychomycosis | ||||
onycho | pathy | onychopathy | |||||
onycho | phag | ia | onychophagia | ||||
onycho | tomy | onychotomy | |||||
pachy | derma | pachyderma | |||||
papilla | papilla | ||||||
papill[a] | ary | papillary | |||||
pap[illa] | ule | papule | |||||
par | onych[o] | ia | paronychia | ||||
per | cutane | ous | percutaneous | ||||
permeable | ity | permeability | |||||
petechia | petechia | ||||||
pheo | melan[o] | in | pheomelanin | ||||
pigment | pigment | ||||||
Latin pilus, "hair" + nidus, "nest" | pilo | nid | al | pilonidal | |||
Latin pilus, "hair" + sebaceous gland | pil/o | seba | ceous | pilosebaceous | |||
plaque | plaque | ||||||
pro | tect | ion | protection | ||||
prur[is] | itus | pruritus | |||||
psor | iasis | psoriasis | |||||
pustule | |||||||
rhino | cer | osis | rhinoceros | ||||
rhyti[d] | derm | ia | rhytidermia | ||||
rhytid/o | plasty | rhytidoplasty | |||||
scale | scale | ||||||
scler/o | dermat | itis | sclerodermatitis | ||||
scler | onych | iasis | scleronychia | ||||
sebace | ous | sebaceous | |||||
sebo | lith | sebolith | |||||
sebo | poiesis | sebopoiesis | |||||
sebo | rrhea | seborrhea | |||||
sebo | rrhe[a] | ic | seborrheic | ||||
sebum | sebum | ||||||
sens | ory | sensory | |||||
squam | ous | squamous | |||||
steat[o] | itis | steatitis | |||||
steat[o] | oma | steatoma | |||||
sub | cutan/e | ous | subcutaneous | ||||
Latin unguis, "nail, claw, hoof" | sub | ungu | al | subungual | |||
tel | angi[o] | ectasia | telangiectasia | ||||
tel/o | gen | telogen | |||||
thermo | regulat[e] | ion | thermoregulation | ||||
tinea | tinea | ||||||
topic | al | topical | |||||
trans | derm | al | transdermal | ||||
Greek trikeratos "three-horned" | tri | cerat | ops | triceratops | |||
trich/o | megaly | trichomegaly | |||||
trich/o | myc | osis | trichomycosis | ||||
tumor | tumor | ||||||
Latin ulcerare, "to make sore" | ulcer | ulcer | |||||
Latin unguentum, "ointment" | unguent | unguent | |||||
urtica | r + ia | urticaria | |||||
vascul[um] | ar | vascular | |||||
verruca | verruca | ||||||
ves | icle | vesicle | |||||
vitiligo | vitiligo | ||||||
vulgaris | vulgaris | ||||||
xanth/o | derma | xanthoderma | |||||
xanth[o] | oma | xanthoma | |||||
xanth | osis | xanthosis | |||||
Graft from another species ("stranger-graft") | xeno | graft | xenograft | ||||
xer/o | derma | xeroderma | |||||
xer[o] | osis | xerosis |