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!) | 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 | |||||
| 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 | |||||
| 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 |
