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Study Guide: PTCE: The Basics of Medical Terminology
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PTCE: The Basics of Medical Terminology

By Fatskills Exam Guides Team — the exam nerds behind 28,500+ quizzes and 2.1M practice questions across 500+ global exams.

⏱️ ~6 min read

Table 1: Prefixes

Prefix Meaning
a-, an- without
ab- away
ad- toward, near
ana- up, again
ante- before
anti- against
apo- upon
bi- two
brady- slow
cata- down
con- together
contra- against
de- from, down from
dia- thorough, complete
dis- to undo, free from
ect- outer, outside
end- within, inner
epi- on, upon, over
eso- inward
eu- normal, good
extra- outside of, beyond
hemi- half
hyp-, hypo- under, deficient
hyper- above, beyond, excessive
in- in, into
infra- beneath, below
inter- between
intra- within
mal- bad
meso- middle
meta- after, beyond
micro- small
multi- many
neo- new
nulli- none
pan- all, total
para- beside, beyond
per- through
peri- around
poly- many, excessive
post- after
pre- before, in front of
pro- before
re- back
retro- back, behind
semi- half
sub- under
super- over, above
supra- above
sym-, syn- together, joined
tachy- fast, rapid
tetra- four
trans- through, across
tri- three
ultra- beyond, excess
uni- one

 

Table 2: Suffixes

Suffix Meaning
-agra excessive pain
-algia pain
-apheresis removal
-ase enzyme
-asthenia weakness
-atresia absence of a normal body opening
-capnia carbon dioxide
-cele hernia, protrusion
-centesis surgical puncture to remove fluid
-cidal killing
-clasis, -clast break
-coccus berry-shaped
-crine secrete
-crit separate
-cyte cell
-desis surgical fixation, fusion
-drome run, running
-ectasis stretching out, dilation
-ectomy cut out, excision
-ectopia displacement
-emesis vomiting
-emia blood condition
-en substance or agent that produces or causes
-esis, -iasis, -osis state or condition
-genesis origin, cause
-genic producing, originating, causing
-gram, -graphy recording, written
-ia disease or pathological condition
-iatry physician, treatment
-ician one who
-ictal a blow, strike, stroke, or thrust
-ism state of
-ites, -itis inflammation
-lepsy seizure
-lysis loosening, separating, breaking down
-lytic destroy
-malacia softening
-mania madness, insanity
-megaly enlargement
-meter instrument used to measure
-metry measure
-morph form, shape
-odia smell
-odynia pain
-oid resembling
-ologist specialist, one who studies
-ology study of
-oma tumor
-oorhagia rapid flow of blood
-oorhaphy suturing, repairing
-opia vision
-opsy to view
-orrhea flow
-orrhexis rupture
-osis abnormal condition
-ostomy creation of an artificial opening
-oxia oxygen
-paresis slight paralysis
-pathy disease
-penia deficiency, lack of
-pepsia digestion
-pexy surgical fixation
-phagia eating
-phil, -philia love
-phobia abnormal fear or aversion
-phonia sound or voice
-phoria feeling
-physis growth
-plasia formation, growth
-plasm growth, substance
-plasty surgical shaping
-pnea breathing
-poiesis formation
-porosis passage
-prandial meal
-praxia in front of, before
-ptosis dropping, sagging
-ptysis spitting
-rrhaphy suture
-rrhea flow or discharge
-salpinx fallopian tube
-sarcoma malignant tumor
-schisis split, fissure
-sclerosis hardening
-scope, -scopic, -scopy instrument used for visual examination; to examine
-sepsis infection
-sis state of
-spasm sudden involuntary muscle contraction
-stalsis contraction
-stasis control, stop
-stenosis constriction, narrowing
-stomy surgical opening
-thorax chest
-tocia birth, labor
-tome instrument used to cut
-tomy cutting, incision
-tripsy surgical crushing
-trophy nourishment
-ule little
-uria urine, urination

 

Table 3: Root Words

Root Word Meaning
abdomen abdomen
acanth thorny, spiny
acetabul acetabulum
acou hearing
acr extremities
actin ray, radius
aden gland
adenoid adenoids
adren, adrenal adrenal gland
aer air, gas
albumin albumin
algesi pain
alveol alveolus
ambly dull, dim
amni amnion
amyl starch
andr male
angi vessel
anis unequal
ankyl crooked, bent
aort aorta
appendic appendix
arche first, beginning
arteri artery
arteriol arteriole
arthr joint
articul joint
atel imperfect, incomplete
ather yellowish, fatty plaque
atri atrium
aur ear
aut self
axill armpit
azot urea, nitrogen
bacteri bacteria
bil bile
bio life
blast developing cell
blephar eyelid
brachi arm
bronch bronchus
bronchiol bronchiole
bucc cheek
burs bursa
calc calcium
carcin cancer
cardi heart
carp carpals
caud tail, toward the lower part of the body
cec cecum
celi abdomen
cephal head
cerebell cerebellum
cerebr cerebrum
cerumen earwax
cervic cervix
cheil lip
chir hand
chol gall, bile
cholangi bile duct
choledoch common bile duct
chondr cartilage
chori chorion
chrom color
clavic, clavicul clavicle
col colon
colp vagina
coni dust
conjunctiv conjunctiva
cor, core pupil
corne cornea
coron heart
cortic cortex
cost rib
crani cranium
cry cold
crypt hidden
cutane skin
cyan blue
cyes pregnancy
cyt cell
dacry tear, tear duct
dactyl fingers or toes
dent tooth
derm, dermat skin
dextr right
diaphor sweat
diaphragmat diaphragm
dipl two, double
dips thirst
disk intervertebral disk
diverticul diverticulum
dors back of the body
duoden duodenum
dur hard, dura mater
dynam power or strength
ech sound
ectop located away from a usual place
electr electricity
embry embryo
emmetr a normal measure
encephal brain
endocrin endocrine
enter intestines
epididym epididymis
epiglott epiglottis
episi vulva
epitheli epithelium
erythr red
esophag esophagus
esthesi sensation
eti cause
faci face
femor femur
fet fetus
fibr fibrous tissue
fibul fibula
gangli ganglion
gastr stomach
ger, geront old age
gingiv gum
glomerul glomerulus
gloss tongue
gluc sweetness, sugar
glyc, glycos sugar
gnath jaw
gnos knowledge
gon seed
gravid pregnancy
gyn, gynec woman
hem, hemat blood
hepat liver
herni hernia
heter other
hidr sweat
hist tissue
home unchanging
hor boundary
humer humerus
hydr water
hymen membrane
hypn sleep
hyster uterus
iatr medicine, physician
ichthy fish
ile ileum
ili ilium
immun immune
ir, irid iris
is equal, same
isch deficiency, blockage
ischi ischium
jejun jejunum
kal potassium
kary nucleus
kerat cornea, hard tissue
kin movement
kinesi movement, motion
kyph hump
labi lip
labyrinth maze, inner ear
lacrim tear duct, tear
lact milk
lamin lamina
lapar abdomen
laryng larynx
later side
lei smooth
leuk white
lingu tongue
lip fat
lith stone, calculus
lob lobe
lord curve, bent forward
lymph water
macro abnormal largeness
mamm breast
mandibul mandible
mast breast
mastoid shaped like a nipple or breast
maxill maxilla
meat meatus
melan black
men menstruation
mening meninges
menisc meniscus
ment mind
metr uterus
mon one
morph form, shape
muc mucus
my muscle
myc fungus
myel, myelon bone marrow
myos muscle
myring eardrum
narc stupor
nas nose
nat birth
necr death
nephr kidney
neur nerve
noct night
nyct, nyctal night
ocul eye
olig scanty, few
onc tumor
onych nail
oo egg, ovum
oophor ovary
ophthalm eye
opt vision
or mouth
orch, orchi, orchid testis, testicle
organ organ
orth straight
oste bone
ot ear
ov egg
ox oxygen
pachy thick
palat palate
pancreat pancreas
papill nipple
para bear, give birth to
parathyroid parathyroid gland
part bear, give birth to
patell patella
path disease
pector chest
ped child, foot
pelv pelvis
perine perineum
peritone peritoneum
petr stone
phac lens of the eye
phag eat, swallow
phak lens of the eye
phalang phalange (finger or toe joint)
phas speech
phleb vein
phot light
phren mind
physic nature
plasm plasma
pleur pleura
pneum, pneumat, pneumon lung, air
pod foot
poikil varied, irregular
poli gray matter
polyp small growth
poster back of body
prim first
proct rectum
prostat prostate gland
pseud fake, false
psych mind
pub pubis
pulmon lung
pupill pupil
py pus
pyel renal pelvis
pylor pylorus
pyr fever, heat
quadr four
rachi vertebra
radi radius
radicul nerve root
rect rectum
ren kidney
retin retina
rhabd rod-shaped
rhin nose
rhiz nerve root
rhytid wrinkle
salping fallopian tube
sarc flesh, connective tissue
scapul scapula
scler sclera
scoli crooked, curved
seb sebum
sept septum
sial saliva
sigmoid sigmoid colon
sin sinus
somat body
somn sleep
son sound
sperm, spermat spermatozoa, sperm cells
sphygm pulse
spir breathe, breathing
splen spleen
spondyl vertebra
staped stapes
staphyl grape-like clusters
stern sternum
steth chest
stomat mouth
strept twisted chains
synovi synovia
tars tarsal, tarsus
tendin tendon
test testis, testicle
therm heat
thorac thorax
thromb clot
thym thymus gland
thyr thyroid gland
tibi tibia
tom cut, section
ton tension, pressure
tonsil tonsils
top place
toxic poison
trache neck, neck-like, trachea
trich hair
tympan eardrum, middle ear
uln ulna
ungu nail
ur, urin urine, urinary tract
urethr urethra
uter uterus
uvul uvula
vagin vagina
valv, valvul valve
vas vessel, duct
ven vein
ventricul ventricle
vertebr vertebra
vesic bladder
vesicul seminal vesicles
viscer internal organs
vulv vulva
xanth yellow
xer dry

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