How the Unit 8 Word List Was Built
| Etymology | Prefix1 | Prefix2 | "Pre-Root" | Root Root | "Post-Root" | Suffix1 Word End |
Suffix2 Word End |
Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| abdomin | al | abdominal | ||||||
| adapt | ive | adaptive | ||||||
| aden | oid | adenoid | ||||||
| adenoid | ectomy | adenoidectomy | ||||||
| adenoid | itis | adenoiditis | ||||||
| Latin, ad– or af– + finis, "on the border" | af | fin[is] | ity | affinity | ||||
| a | granul/o | cyte | agranulocyte | |||||
| Latin albumen ovi, "white of an egg" (an almost-pure source of this protein) | albumin | albumin | ||||||
| Phylaxis is a Greek word meaning "protection", as in the phylacterion, an amulet or safeguard against disease (ana– meaning "against" or "backward" here) | ana | phylaxis | anaphylaxis | |||||
| Greek anastomosis, "to furnish with a mouth" | ana | stom[a] | osis | anastomosis | ||||
| an | [h]em | ia | anemia | |||||
| aneurysm | ectomy | aneurysmectomy | ||||||
| Latin angina, "strangling" + pectoris, "chest" | angina | pectoris | angina pectoris | |||||
| ang/i/o | card | itis | angiocarditis | |||||
| ang/i/o | edema | angioedema | ||||||
| ang/i/o | genesis | angiogenesis | ||||||
| ang/i/o | gram | angiogram | ||||||
| ang/i/o | graphy | angiography | ||||||
| ang/i/o | lith | angiolith | ||||||
| ang/i/o | plasty | angioplasty | ||||||
| ang/i/o | poiesis | angiopoiesis | ||||||
| ang/i/o | rrhaphy | angiorrhaphy | ||||||
| ang/i/o | scler | osis | angiosclerosis | |||||
| ang/i/o | scope | angioscope | ||||||
| an | iso | cyt | osis | anisocytosis | ||||
| anti | angin | al | antianginal | |||||
| anti | a | rrhythm | ic | antiarrythmic | ||||
| anti | body | antibody | ||||||
| anti | coagul | ant | anticoagulant | |||||
| anti | diuret | ic | antidiuretic | |||||
| anti | gen | antigen | ||||||
| anti | hyper | tens | ive | antihypertensive | ||||
| aort | algia | aortalgia | ||||||
| aort | ectasia | aortectasia | ||||||
| aort | ic | aortic | ||||||
| aort | itis | aortitis | ||||||
| aort/o | gram | aortogram | ||||||
| aort/o | lith | aortolith | ||||||
| aort/o | rrhaphy | aortorrhaphy | ||||||
| aort/o | tomy | aortotomy | ||||||
| apex | apex | |||||||
| Greek aphairein, "to take away" | apher | esis | apheresis | |||||
| a | plast | ic | aplastic | |||||
| Latin appendere, ap– + pendere, "hang upon" | append | ix | appendix | |||||
| Latin arrestare, "to stop" | arrest | arrest | ||||||
| a/r | rhythm | ia | arrhythmia | |||||
| arter | ectomy | arterectomy | ||||||
| arter/i/o | gram | arteriogram | ||||||
| arter/i | ole | arteriole | ||||||
| arter/i/o | lith | arteriolith | ||||||
| arter/i/o | itis | arteriopathy | ||||||
| arter/i/o | plasty | arterioplasty | ||||||
| arter/i/o | rrhexis | arteriorrhexis | ||||||
| arter/i/o | rrhaphy | arteriorrhaphy | ||||||
| arter/i/o | scler | osis | arteriosclerosis | |||||
| –osus is added to the end of a noun to make an adjective meaning "full of" | arteri[a] | osus | arteriosus | |||||
| arter | itis | arteritis | ||||||
| arter | y | artery | ||||||
| a | splen | ia | asplenia | |||||
| ather | ectomy | atherectomy | ||||||
| ather/o | genesis | atherogenesis | ||||||
| Greek athērē, "porridge, groats"; from the appearance of plaques in blood vessels | ather/o | scler | osis | atherosclerosis | ||||
| atri | al | atrial | ||||||
| atrio | ventricul | ar | atrioventricular | |||||
| Latin atrium, splendid entrance hall in Roman architecture | atrium | atrium | ||||||
| auto | immune | autoimmune | ||||||
| auto | regulat[e] | ion | autoregulation | |||||
| auto | rhythm[us] | ic | ity | autorhythmicity | ||||
| axill[a] | ary | axillary | ||||||
| A–, "not" + Greek "zygos", yoke or pair. The azygos vein is named this because it only appears on one side, usually the right. | a | zyg[on] | os | azygos | ||||
| baro | receptor | baroreceptor | ||||||
| baso | phil | basophil | ||||||
| Latin concavus, con– (here, used for emphasis) + cavus, "hollow" | bi | concave | biconcave | |||||
| bi | cuspid | bicuspid | ||||||
| Bile + Latin rubor, "red" + in, chemical word ending + –emia, blood disease | bili | rub | in | emia | bilirubinemia | |||
| pertaining to the arm and head; "brachi/o–" is a variant of "brachy" which means "short" because the Greeks correctly identified the arm as shorter than the leg (thanks, Lily!). The older name for this artery is the innominate which means "no name"; how can it have no name when the name is "innominate"? | brachi/o | cephal | ic | brachiocephalic | ||||
| brady | card | ia | bradycardia | |||||
| Latin, "pertaining to the hair" | capill[us] | ary | capillary | |||||
| Latin cardiacus | cardiac | cardiac | ||||||
| card/i/o | megaly | cardiomegaly | ||||||
| card/i/o | myo | cyte | cardiomyocyte | |||||
| card/i/o | myo | pathy | cardiomyopathy | |||||
| card/i/o | myo | tomy | cardiomyotomy | |||||
| card/i/o | thorac | ic | cardiothoracic | |||||
| card/i/o | ton | ic | cardiotonic | |||||
| card/i/o | tox | ic | cardiotoxic | |||||
| card/i/o | vascul | ar | cardiovascular | |||||
| card/i/o | ver | sion | cardioversion | |||||
| card | itis | carditis | ||||||
| catheter | iz[e]/a | tion | catheterization | |||||
| cephal | ic | cephalic | ||||||
| chordæ | tendineæ | chordæ tendineæ | ||||||
| Latin "to go in a circle" | circula | tion | circulation | |||||
| circum | flex | circumflex | ||||||
| Latin coagulatus, "to cause curdling"; "congeal" | coagul/a | tion | coagulation | |||||
| coagul/o | pathy | coagulopathy | ||||||
| conduc[t] | tion | conduction | ||||||
| Latin congestus, "to pile up" | congest | ive | congestive | |||||
| contract | ile | contractile | ||||||
| coron | ary | coronary | ||||||
| cyan | osis | cyanosis | ||||||
| cyt | apher | esis | cytapheresis | |||||
| cyto | kine | cytokine | ||||||
| cyto | penia | cytopenia | ||||||
| cyto | toxic | cytotoxic | ||||||
| de | oxygen | ated | deoxygenated | |||||
| Greek phorēsis, "movement of small particles by some unseen force" | dia | phoresis | diaphoresis | |||||
| Latin & Greek, "dilation" | diastole | diastole | ||||||
| diastol[e] | ic | diastolic | ||||||
| different | ial | differential | ||||||
| different | tion | differentiation | ||||||
| Latin dilatare "make wider, enlarge" | dilate | dilate | ||||||
| duct | us | ductus | ||||||
| dys | rrhythm | ia | dysrhythmia | |||||
| Latin echo, from Greek ēkhḗ, sound | echo | card/i/o | gram | echocardiogram | ||||
| echo | card/i/o | graphy | echocardiography | |||||
| effusion | effusion | |||||||
| electr/o | card/i/o | gram | electrocardiogram | |||||
| electr/o | card/i/o | graphy | electrocardiography | |||||
| ellipto | cyt | osis | elliptocytosis | |||||
| embol[us] | ectomy | embolectomy | ||||||
| Latin embolus, "piston of a pump" | embolus | embolus | ||||||
| endo | card | itis | endocarditis | |||||
| endo | card | ium | endocardium | |||||
| endo | scopy | endoscopy | ||||||
| eosin/o | phil | eosinophil | ||||||
| epi | card | ium | epicardium | |||||
| epi | tope | epitope | ||||||
| erythro | cyte | erythrocyte | ||||||
| erythro | cyt | osis | erythrocytosis | |||||
| erythro | poiesis | erythropoiesis | ||||||
| erythro | poiet[ic] | in | erythropoietin | |||||
| externa | externa | |||||||
| extrinsic | extrinsic | |||||||
| femor | al | femoral | ||||||
| Latin fenestra, "window" | fenestra | [a]ted | fenestrated | |||||
| fibrill/a | tion | fibrillation | ||||||
| fibr | in | fibrin | ||||||
| fibr | in/o | gen | fibrinogen | |||||
| fibr | in/o | lysis | fibrinolysis | |||||
| fibr[e] | ous | fibrous | ||||||
| granul/o | cyte | granulocyte | ||||||
| granule + enzyme | gran[ule] | [en]zyme | granzyme | |||||
| Greek háptein, "to fasten" | hapten | hapten | ||||||
| hemato + Greek kritēs, "judge" | hem/at/o | crit | hematocrit | |||||
| hem/at/o | logy | hematology | ||||||
| hem/at/o | poiesis | hematopoiesis | ||||||
| Named after the azygos vein; the bottom half (hemi–) resembles the azygos vein. | hemi | zyg[on] | os | hemiazygos | ||||
| hem/o | glob | in | hemoglobin | |||||
| hem/o | glob | in/o | pathy | hemoglobinopathy | ||||
| hem/o | lysis | hemolysis | ||||||
| hem/o | phil | ia | hemophilia | |||||
| hem/o | rrhage | hemorrhage | ||||||
| hemo + Greek stásis, "to stand"; ancient Greek αἱμόστασις (haimóstasis) means “styptic drug” | hem/o | stasis | hemostasis | |||||
| hem/o | static | hemostatic | ||||||
| hepat/o | splen | itis | hepatosplenitis | |||||
| hist | amine | histamine | ||||||
| hist/o | compatibil[e] | ity | histocompatibility | |||||
| Greek statikos, "causing to stand"; "weigh" | hydro | static | hydrostatic | |||||
| hyper | bili | rub | in | emia | hyperbilirubinemia | |||
| hyper | coagul | ability | hypercoagulability | |||||
| hyper | splen | ism | hypersplenism | |||||
| Proto-Indo-European ten–, "to stretch" | hyper | ten[s] | sion | hypertension | ||||
| hyper | troph | ic | hypertrophic | |||||
| hyper | troph | y | hypertrophy | |||||
| hyper | vol | [h]em | ia | hypervolemia | ||||
| hypo | perfu | sion | hypoperfusion | |||||
| hypo | ten[s] | sion | hypotension | |||||
| hypo | vol | [h]em | ia | hypovolemia | ||||
| Latin ilia, "groin, flank" | il[ia] | iac | iliac | |||||
| immun | ity | immunity | ||||||
| immun/o | compet | ent | immunocompetent | |||||
| The original meaning was "to make a promise together", but this meaning is "expose to risk or hazard" which came later | immun/o | compromis | ed | immunocompromised | ||||
| Latin deficientem, "not having a full or adequate supply" | immun/o | deficient | immunodeficient | |||||
| immun/o | glob | in | immunoglobin | |||||
| immun/o | logy | immunology | ||||||
| immun/o | suppres | sion | immunosuppression | |||||
| The Latin word farcire means "to stuff"; the English word "farce" comes from the same root. In 16th century France, a "farce" was a comedic interlude "stuffed" into a more serious play. | in | farc | tion | infarction | ||||
| Latin inflammare, "to set on fire"; compare English inflammable, "capable of being set on fire" | inflamma | tion | inflammation | |||||
| inguin | al | inguinal | ||||||
| innate | innate | |||||||
| Latin intercalatus, a day inserted into the calendar, now used to indicate something inserted generally | intercalat | ed | intercalated | |||||
| inter | leuk | in | interleukin | |||||
| Latin interstitius, "the space between" | interstit/i | al | interstitial | |||||
| inter | ventric[le]/ul | ar | interventricular | |||||
| intima | intima | |||||||
| Latin intrinsecus, "internal" | intrinsic | intrinsic | ||||||
| Greek iskhein, "to hold" + haima, "blood" (also spelled ischæmia) | isch | [h]em[e] | ia | ischemia | ||||
| Latin jug[um], "yoke" + ulum, diminutive suffix | jugul | ar | jugular | |||||
| Greek lapara, "flank, loins, soft part between the ribs and hips", i.e. the abdomen | lapar/o | splen | ectomy | laparosplenectomy | ||||
| leuk | emia | leukemia | ||||||
| leuk/o | cyte | leukocyte | ||||||
| leuk/o | cyt | osis | leukocytosis | |||||
| leuk/o | penia | leukopenia | ||||||
| lymph | aden | ectomy | lymphadenectomy | |||||
| lymph | aden | itis | lymphadenitis | |||||
| lymph | aden/o | pathy | lymphadenopathy | |||||
| lymph | aden/o | tomy | lymphadenotomy | |||||
| lymph | ang/i | ectasia | lymphangiectasia | |||||
| lymph | ang/i/o | gram | lymphangiogram | |||||
| lymph | ang/i/o | graphy | lymphangiography | |||||
| lymph | ang | itis | lymphangitis | |||||
| lymph | edema | lymphedema | ||||||
| lymph/o | cyte | lymphocyte | ||||||
| lymph | oid | lymphoid | ||||||
| lymph | oma | lymphoma | ||||||
| lymph/o | penia | lymphopenia | ||||||
| macro | cyt | osis | macrocytosis | |||||
| macro | phage | macrophage | ||||||
| margin | al | marginal | ||||||
| The great German histologist Paul Ehrlich called these Mastzellen, "well-fed cells" because he thought they had absorbed large amounts of nutrients into their distinctive granules | mast | mast cell | ||||||
| media | media | |||||||
| Latin mediastīnus, "a common servant"; probably a version of "standing in the middle" | mediastinum | mediastinum | ||||||
| mega | kary/o | cyte | megakaryocyte | |||||
| micro | cyt | osis | microcytosis | |||||
| Latin mitra, "turban"; "hat" based on the valve's resemblance to a Roman Catholic bishop's mitre | mitr | al | mitral | |||||
| Greek klōn, "twig; sprout" | mono | clon[e] | al | monoclonal | ||||
| mono | cyte | monocyte | ||||||
| mono | nucl/e | osis | mononucleosis | |||||
| Latin "to grumble" or "hum" | murmur | murmur | ||||||
| myel[os] | oid | myeloid | ||||||
| myel | oma | myeloma | ||||||
| myel/o | poiesis | myelopoiesis | ||||||
| myo | card/i | al | myocardial | |||||
| myo | card | itis | myocarditis | |||||
| myo | card | ium | myocardium | |||||
| nephr/o | splen/o | pexy | nephrosplenopexy | |||||
| neutr/o | [phil] | penia | neutropenia | |||||
| Neutrophils, the most numerous white blood cells, are the body's normal response to bacterial infection. "Neutrophils dive into pus and die." – Linda Clayton | neutr/o | phil | neutrophil | |||||
| nitro | glycer | in | nitroglycerin | |||||
| norm/o | cyte | normocyte | ||||||
| norm/o | ten[s] | sion | normotension | |||||
| Latin occludere, "fact of being stopped up" | occlusion | |||||||
| oligo | cyt | hem | ia | oligocythemia | ||||
| The original term opsonins (substances that make bacteria more susceptible to immune attack) comes from the Greek opsōnéō, "to buy provisions, to cater" | opson[in] | iz[e]/a | tion | opsonization | ||||
| oxygen | ated | oxygenated | ||||||
| Latin palpitare, "to flutter" | palpita | tion | palpitation | |||||
| pan | cyto | penia | pancytopenia | |||||
| pector | algia | pectoralgia | ||||||
| Latin pectus, "chest" | pector | is | pectoris | |||||
| perfor[ate] | in | perforin | ||||||
| Latin perfundere, "to pour over" | perfu | sion | perfusion | |||||
| peri | card/i | al | pericardial | |||||
| peri | card/i/o | centesis | pericardiocentesis | |||||
| peri | card/i/o | tomy | pericardiotomy | |||||
| peri | card | itis | pericarditis | |||||
| peri | card | ium | pericardium | |||||
| Latin "freckle" or "spot" | petechia | petechia | ||||||
| phago | cyt | osis | phagocytosis | |||||
| phleb | algia | phlebalgia | ||||||
| phleb | arteri | ectasia | phlebarteriectasia | |||||
| phleb | ectomy | phlebectomy | ||||||
| phleb | itis | phlebitis | ||||||
| phleb/o | logist | phlebologist | ||||||
| phleb/o | logy | phlebology | ||||||
| phleb/o | phleb/o | stomy | phlebophlebostomy | |||||
| phleb/o | scler | osis | phlebosclerosis | |||||
| phleb/o | sten | osis | phlebostenosis | |||||
| phleb/o | tom | ist | phlebotomist | |||||
| phleb/o | tomy | phlebotomy | ||||||
| placenta | placenta | |||||||
| plasma | plasma | |||||||
| plasm | apheresis | plasmapheresis | ||||||
| plasm[a] | in | plasmin | ||||||
| plasm | in/o | gen | plasminogen | |||||
| plat | eau | plateau | ||||||
| plate | let | platelet | ||||||
| platelet | [a]pheresis | plateletpheresis | ||||||
| Latin pluris (stem of plus), "more than one, several, many" | pluri | potent | pluripotent | |||||
| Greek poikílos, "spotted; embroidered" | poikilo | cyt | osis | poikilocytosis | ||||
| poly | cyt | hem | ia | polycythemia | ||||
| poplite[us] | al | popliteal | ||||||
| pre | capill[us] | ary | precapillary | |||||
| pressure | pressure | |||||||
| pro– + Latin gestare, "to carry about" | pro | gest | ster[oid] | one | progesterone | |||
| pro | laps[us] | e | prolapse | |||||
| pro | thromb | in | prothrombin | |||||
| pro | thromb | in | ase | prothrombinase | ||||
| pulmon | ary | pulmonary | ||||||
| Latin regurgitare, "to overflow"; from re– + gurgitare, "engulf, flood" | re | gurgita[re] | tion | regurgitation | ||||
| re | perfu | sion | reperfusion | |||||
| Latin restrictivus, "restrict, bind, draw together" | restrict | ive | restrictive | |||||
| Latin resuscitare, re– + "give life to, raise" | re | suscita | tion | resuscitation | ||||
| reticulo | cyte | reticulocyte | ||||||
| semi | lunar | semilunar | ||||||
| sept | al | septal | ||||||
| Greek sēptikos, "full of putrefaction (rotten)" | septic | emia | septicemia | |||||
| septo | plasty | septoplasty | ||||||
| Latin, "wall separating two cavities" | septum | septum | ||||||
| Latin, "watery animal fluid" | serum | serum | ||||||
| sino | atrial | sinoatrial | ||||||
| sinus | oid | sinusoid | ||||||
| sphero | cyte | spherocyte | ||||||
| sphero | cyt | osis | spherocytosis | |||||
| Word coined from sphygmo–, "pulse" + manometer, instrument for measuring the pressure of a gas | sphygmo | mano | meter | sphygmomanometer | ||||
| spleen | spleen | |||||||
| splen | algia | splenalgia | ||||||
| splen | ectomy | splenectomy | ||||||
| splen | itis | splenitis | ||||||
| splen/o | dynia | splenodynia | ||||||
| splen/o | lysis | splenolysis | ||||||
| splen/o | malacia | splenomalacia | ||||||
| splen/o | megaly | splenomegaly | ||||||
| splen/o | pathy | splenopathy | ||||||
| splen/o | ptosis | splenoptosis | ||||||
| splen/o | rrhexis | splenorrhexis | ||||||
| stasis | stasis | |||||||
| sten | osis | stenosis | ||||||
| striat[us] | ed | striated | ||||||
| sub | clav[icula] | ian | subclavian | |||||
| sub | mandibul | ar | submandibular | |||||
| system | ic | systemic | ||||||
| Greek, "contraction" | systole | systole | ||||||
| systol[e] | ic | systolic | ||||||
| tachy | card | ia | tachycardia | |||||
| Originally meant the application of tampons in surgery to control bleeding; now means "plug up"; "smash into" | tamponade | tamponade | ||||||
| tel | ang/i | ectasia | telangiectasia | |||||
| thromb | in | thrombin | ||||||
| thromb/o | cyte | thrombocyte | ||||||
| thromb/o | cyto | penia | thrombocytopenia | |||||
| thromb/o | cyt | osis | thrombocytosis | |||||
| thromb/o | embol | ism | thromboembolism | |||||
| thromb/o | gen | ic | thrombogenic | |||||
| thromb/o | phleb | itis | thrombophlebitis | |||||
| thromb/o | plast | in | thromboplastin | |||||
| thromb | us | thrombus | ||||||
| thym | ic | thymic | ||||||
| thym/o | pathy | thymopathy | ||||||
| thym | us | thymus | ||||||
| titer | titer | |||||||
| tonsil | tonsil | |||||||
| tonsil/l | ectomy | tonsillectomy | ||||||
| tonsil/l | itis | tonsillitis | ||||||
| trans | esophag | eal | transesophageal | |||||
| trans | fusion | transfusion | ||||||
| tri | cuspid | tricuspid | ||||||
| tunica | tunica | |||||||
| umbilic[us] | al | umbilical | ||||||
| Latin, "wandering" (same root as vague and vagabond) | vagus | vagus | ||||||
| valv | ectomy | valvectomy | ||||||
| valvo | tomy | valvotomy | ||||||
| valvul[a] | ar | valvular | ||||||
| valvul | itis | valvulitis | ||||||
| valvul/o | plasty | valvuloplasty | ||||||
| valvul/o | tomy | valvulotomy | ||||||
| Latin varus, "bent outward; bow-legged" (see genu varus in Unit 5) | varic | ose | varicose | |||||
| varic/o | tomy | varicotomy | ||||||
| vascul[um] | ar | vascular | ||||||
| vascul | itis | vasculitis | ||||||
| vas/o | constric | tion | vasoconstriction | |||||
| vas/o | constrict | or | vasoconstrictor | |||||
| vas/o | dila[te] | tion | vasodilation | |||||
| vas/o | dilat[e] | or | vasodilator | |||||
| vas/o | press[ure] | in | vasopressin | |||||
| vas/o | press[ure] | or | vasopressor | |||||
| vas/o | spasm | vasospasm | ||||||
| Latin vegetabilis, "growing, flourishing" | vegeta | tion | vegetation | |||||
| Latin vena, "vein" | vein | vein | ||||||
| Latin vena, "vein" + cavus, "hollow" | vena | cava | vena cava | |||||
| ven | ectomy | venectomy | ||||||
| ven/o | gram | venogram | ||||||
| ven/o | scler | osis | venosclerosis | |||||
| ven/o | spasm | venospasm | ||||||
| ven/o | stasis | venostasis | ||||||
| ven[a] | osus | venosus | ||||||
| ven[a] | ous | venous | ||||||
| Latin, "little belly" | ventr | icle | ventricle | |||||
| ventric[le]/ulo | tomy | ventriculotomy |
