Structural Prefixes
What it Means
Example term
Cyt/o
Epitheli/o
Fibr/o
Root
Cell
Epithelium
Fibrous
Cytology
Epithelioma
Fibrosis
Hist/o
Tissue
Histologist
Lip/o
Fat
Liposuction
Myo
Muscle
Myositis
Neur/o
Organ/o
Nerve
Organ
Neuropathy
Organomegaly
Viscer/o
Internal
organs
Viscera
What it Means
Study of cells
Tumor of the skin
Condition of the
fibrous tissue
Physician who studies
tissue
Removal of fat cells by
suction
Enlargement of an
organ
Condition of the nerve
Enlargement of an
organ
Internal organs
Structural Suffixes
Suffix
What it Means
Example term
-cyte
-gen
Cell
Agent that causes
Erythrocyte
Carcinogen
-genic
Producing
Carcinogenic
-oma
Tumor or swelling
Myoma
-osis
Abnormal
condition
Disease
Cytosis
Growth or
formation
Malignant tumor
Neoplasm
-pathy
-plasm
-sarcoma
Neuropathy
Myosarcoma
Directional Prefixes
Root word
Anter/o
Caud/o
Cephal/o
Dist/o
Dors/o
Infer/o
Later/o
Medi/o
Poster/o
Proxim/o
Super/o
Ventr/o
What it means
Front
Tail or downward
Head or upward
Away from (distant) the point of origin
Back
Below
Side
Middle
Back or behind
Near to (proximity) the point of origin
Above
Front or belly
What it Means
Red blood cell
Agent causing
cancer
Has cancercausing properties
Tumor in the
muscle
Abnormal condition
of cells
A disease of the
nerves
A new growth
Malignant muscle
tumor