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The Medical Terminology "cheat sheet" Every Healthcare Pro Needs [Infographic]
As you probably already know, the medical field is not home for simple terminology. But don’t let these tongue-twisting polysyllabic behemoths discourage you. Most medical terms follow a naming convention that makes even the completely unfamiliar terms decipherable. All you need to know is where to look.
To help you de-mystify these terms, we created a handy “cheat sheet” that breaks down common medical word roots, suffixes, prefixes and modifiers.
The subheading reads, “Medical terms have you scratching your head? Your first step is to break it down.” The infographic then provides an example using the word “otorhinolaryngology”. The prefix, “ot/o” is related to the ear, “rhino” is related to the nose, laryng/o is related to the larynx and “logy” is the study of something. One could then deduce that “otorhinolaryngology” is the study of the ear, nose and larynx.
Beneath the example, the texts reads that most medical terms come in two formats. The first is the combining a form of the word root + (optional) combining form of word root + suffix, while the second applies the prefix + combining form of word root + (optional) combining form of root word + suffix.
The text also defines prefix and suffix. A prefix is found before a combining form of a word root and usually will indicate a location, time, number or status of the word root.
A suffix is found after a combining form of a word root and adds to the meaning of the word root. Suffixes usually indicate a procedure, condition, disorder or disease.
The remainder of the infographic is a chart, broken in three sections. The first indicates examples of prefixes, what they mean and the examples.
Prefix
Meaning
Example
A-, an-
Lack of, without, not
Analgesic – “without pain”
Dys-
Bad, painful, difficult
Dysrhythmia – “abnormal physiological rhythm”
Hyper-
Above, excessive, beyond
Hypertension – “high blood pressure”
Hyp-, hypo-
Below, beneath, deficient
Hypoglycemia – “low blood sugar”
Macro-
Large
Macrocephaly – “large head”
Micro-, micr-
Tiny, small
Microcephaly – “small head”
Post-
After, or following, behind
Postoperative – “after a surgical operation”
Pre-, pro-
In front of, before, preceding
Preoperative – “prior to a surgical operation”
Retro-
Behind, backward
Retrocardiac – “located behind the heart”
The following chart indicates suffixes, what they mean and the examples.
Suffix
Meaning
Example
-ac, -ic, -al, -ous-, -tic
Related to or pertaining to
Celiac – “relating to the abdomen”
-ent, -er, -ist
Person, agent
Dentist – “person who works on teeth and gums”
-ism
Condition or theory
Dysmorphism – “condition of anatomical malformation”
-ectomy
Excision, removal
Tonsillectomy – “surgical removal of tonsils”
-plasty
Surgical repair
Rhinoplasty – “surgical repair of the nose”
-itis
Inflammation
Pancreatitis – “inflammation of the pancreas”
-ologist
One who studies, specialist
Cardiologist – “one who studies the heart”
-ology
Study of, process of study
Oncology – “the study of tumors”
-oma
Tumor
Melanoma – “tumor of melanin-forming cells”
-pathy
Disease, disease process
Angiopathy – “disease related to blood vessels”
-scopy
Process of visual examination
Endoscopy – “visual examination within the body”
The last section describes the combining form of the word roots and what they mean.
Combining form of word root
Meaning
Dermato/o
Skin
Gastr/o
Stomach
Nas/o
Nose
Opt/o
Eye
Pneum/o
Air, lung
My/o
Muscle
Cardi/o
Heart
Arthr/o
Joint
Oste/o
Bone
Nephr/o
Kidney
Mamm/o
Breast
Test/o
Testis
Gluc/o, glyc/o
Sugar
Neur/o
Nerve
You’re now equipped with a useful shorthand guide to medical terminology. Bookmark this resource for easy access in the future and pass it along to anyone else you feel may benefit from it!
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Will is a Sr. Content Specialist at Collegis Education. He researches and writes student-focused articles on a variety of topics for Rasmussen University. He is passionate about learning and enjoys writing engaging content to help current and future students on their path to a rewarding education.
This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen University part of American Public University System to support its educational programs. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/ for a list of programs offered. External links provided on rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen University does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. American Public University System (the System) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The System is comprised of American Military University (AMU), American Public University (APU), Rasmussen University (RU), and Hondros College of Nursing (HCN).
