| Root |
Meaning |
Examples |
| Algia |
Pain |
Cardialgia (heart); gastralgia (stomach); neuralgia (nerve) |
Audi,
audio |
Hear, hearing |
Audiometer (measure); audiophone (voice instrument for deaf ) |
| Bio |
Live |
Biology (study of living); biostatistics (vital statistics); biogenesis (origin) |
Cau,
caus |
Burn |
Caustic (suffix added to make adjective); cauterization; causalgia (burning pain); electrocautery |
| Centesis |
Puncture, perforate |
Thoracocentesis (chest); pneumocentesis (lung); arthrocentesis (joint); enterocentesis (intestine) |
| Clas, claz |
Smash, break |
Osteoclasis (bone); odontoclasis (tooth) |
| Duct |
Draw |
Ductal (suffix added to make adjective); oviduct (egguterine tube or fallopian tube); periductal (per means around); abduct (prefix meaning lead away from) |
| Dynia |
Pain |
Mastodynia (breast); pleurodynia (chest); esophagodynia (esophagus); coccygodynia (coccyx) |
Ecta,
ectas |
Dilate |
Venectasia(dilation of vein); cardioectasis (heart); ectatic (suffix added for adjective) |
| Edem |
Swell |
Myo edema (muscle); lymphedema (lymph);(a is a suffix added to make a noun) |
| Esthes |
Feel |
Esthesia (suffix added to make noun); anesthesia (an is prefix) |
| Fiss |
split |
Fissure; fission (suffixes added to make nouns) |
Flex,
flec |
Bend |
Flexion (suffix added to make noun); flexor (suffix added); anteflect, (prefix added meaning before bending forward) |
| Flu, Flux |
Flow |
Fluctuate; fluxion; affluent (abundant flowing) |
Geno,
genesis |
Produce, origin |
Genotype; homogenesis (same origin); pathogenesis (disease origin of disease); heterogenesis (prefix added, meaning other alteration of generation) |
| Iatro, iatr |
Treat, cure |
Geriatrics (old age); pediatrics (children) |
Kine,
kino,
kineto,
kinesio |
Move |
Kinetogenic (producing movement); kinetic (suffix added to make adjective); kinesiology (study) |
| Liga |
Bind |
Ligament (suffix added to make noun) ligat ligature |
| Logy |
Study |
Parasitology (parasites); bacteriology (bacteria); histology (tissues) |
| Lysis |
Breaking up, dissolving |
Hemolysis (blood); glycolysis (sugar); autolysis (selfdestruction of cells) |
Morph,
morpho |
Form |
Morphology; amorphous (no definite form); pleomorphic (more occurring in various forms polymorphic (many) |
| Olfact |
Smell |
Olfactophobia (fear); olfactory (suffix added to make adjective) |
Op,
opto |
See |
Amblyopia (dull dimness of vision); presbyopia (old impairment of vision in old age); optic; myopia (myein, meaning shut nearsighted) |
| Palpit |
Flutter |
Palpitation |
Par,
partus |
Labor |
Postpartum (after birth); parturition (act of giving birth); para i, ii, iii, iv, etc., are symbols of number of births |
| Pep |
Digest |
Dyspepsia (bad, difficult); peptic (suffix added to make adjective) |
| Pexy |
Fix |
Mastopexy (fixation of breast); nephrosplenopexy (surgical fixation of kidney and spleen |
Phag,
phago |
Eat |
Phagocytosis (eating of cells); phagomania (madness mad craving for food or eating dysphagia (difficult eating or swallowing) |
Phan,
phas |
Appear visible, |
Phanerosis (act of becoming visible); phantasia; phantasy; phasmophobia (fear of ghosts) |
| Phas |
Speak, utter |
Aphasia (unable to speak); dysphasia (difficulty in speaking) |
| Phil |
Like, love |
Hemophilia (blood a hereditary disease characterized by delayed clotting of blood); acidophilia (acid stain liking or staining with acid stains); philanthropy (love of mankind) |
| Phobia |
Fear |
Hydrophobia (fear of water); photophobia (fear of light); claustrophobia (fear of close places |
Phrax,
phrag |
Fence off, wall off |
Diaphragm (across partition separating thorax from abdomen); phragmoplast (formed) |
| Plas |
Form, grow |
Neoplasm (new growth); rhinoplasty (nose operation for formation of nose); otoplasty (ear); choledochoplasty (common bile duct) |
| Plegia |
Paralyze |
Paraplegia (paralysis of lower limbs); ophthalmoplegia (eye); hemiplegia (partial paralysis) |
Pne,
pneo |
Breathe |
Dyspnea (difficult breathing); apnea (lack of breathing); hyperpnea. (overbreathing) |
| Poie |
Make |
Hematopoiesis (blood); erythropoiesis (red blood cells); leukopoiesis ( ' white blood cells) |
| Ptosis |
Fall |
Proctoptosis (anus prolapse of anus); splanchnoptosis (viscera) |
| Rrhagia |
Burst forth, pour |
Menorrhagia (abnormal bleeding during menstruation); menometrorrhagia (abnormal uterine bleeding); hemorrhage (blood) |
| Rrhaphy |
Suture |
Herniorrhaphy (suturing or repair of hernia); hepatorrhaphy (Jiver); nephrorrhaphy (kidney) |
| Rrhea |
Flow, discharge |
Leukorrhea (white discharge from vagina); galactorrhea (milk discharge); rhinorrhea (nasal discharge) |
| Rrhexis |
Rupture |
Enterorrhexis (intestines); metrorrhexis (uterus) |
| Schiz |
Split, divide |
Schizophrenia (mind split personality); schizonychia (nails); schizotrichia (hair) |
| Scope |
Examine |
Microscopic; cardioscope; endoscope (endo means within an instrument for examining the interior of a hollow viscus) |
| Stasis |
Stop, stand still |
Hematostatic (pertaining to stagnation of blood);epistasis (checking or stopping of any discharge) |
| Stazien |
Drop |
Epistaxis (nosebleed) |
Teg,
tect |
Cover |
Tegmen; tectum (rooflike structure); integument (skin covering) |
| Therap |
Treat, cure |
Therapy; neurotherapy (nerves); chemotherapy (chemicals); physiotherapy |
| Tomy |
Cut, incise |
Phlebotomy (incision of vein); arthrotomy (joint); appendectomy (ectomy, meaning cut out excision of appendix); oophorectomy (excision of ovary); ileocecostomy (ostomy, meaning creation of an artificial opening, and os, pertaining to opening or mouth thus, an anastomosis of ileum and cecum) |
| Topo |
Place |
Topography;. toponarcosis (numbing hence, numbing of a part, or localized anesthesia |
| Tropho |
Nourish |
Hypertrophy (enlargement or overnourishment); atrophy (undernourishment); dystrophy (difficult or bad) |
| Volv |
Turn |
Involution; volvulus (twisting of an organ, intestinal obstruction with twisting of bowel, or twisting of the esophagus) |
