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At first glance, medical terminology can seem like a foreign language. But often the key to understanding medical terms is focusing on their components (prefixes, roots, and suffixes). For example, spondylolysis is a combination of "spondylo, " which means vertebra, and "lysis," which means dissolve, and so means dissolution of a vertebra.
The same components are used in many medical terms. "Spondylo" plus "itis, " which means inflammation, forms spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae. The same prefix plus "malacia, " which means soft, forms spondylomalacia, a softening of the vertebrae.
Knowing the meaning of a small number of components can help with interpretation of a large number of medical terms. The following list defines many commonly used medical prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
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a(n)
|
absence of
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malac
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soft
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acou, acu
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hear
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mamm(o)
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breast
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aden(o)
|
gland
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mast(o)
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breast
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aer(o)
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air
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megal(o)
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large
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alg
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pain
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melan(o)
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black
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andr(o)
|
man
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mening(o)
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membranes
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angi(o)
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vessel
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my(o)
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muscle
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ankyl(o)
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crooked, curved
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myc(o)
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fungus
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ante
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before
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myel(o)
|
marrow
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anter(i)
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front, forward
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nas(o)
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nose
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anti
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against
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necr(o)
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death
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arteri(o)
|
artery
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nephr(o)
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kidney
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arthr(o)
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joint
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neur(o)
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nerve
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articul
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joint
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nutri
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nourish
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ather(o)
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fatty
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ocul(o)
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eye
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audi(o)
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hearing
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odyn(o)
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pain
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aur(i)
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ear
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oma
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tumor
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aut(o)
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self
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onc(o)
|
tumor
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bi, bis
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double, twice, two
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oophor(o)
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ovaries
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brachy
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short
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ophthalm(o)
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eye
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brady
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slow
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opia
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vision
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bucc(o)
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cheek
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opsy
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examination
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carcin(o)
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cancer
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orchi(o)
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testes
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cardi(o)
|
heart
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osis
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condition
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cephal(o)
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head
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osse(o)
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bone
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cerebr(o)
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brain
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oste(o)
|
bone
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cervic
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neck
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ot(o)
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ear
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chol(e)
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bile, or referring to gall-bladder
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path(o)
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disease
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chondr(o)
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cartilage
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ped(o)
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child
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circum
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around, about
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penia
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deficient, deficiency
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contra
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against, counter
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peps, pept
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digest
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corpor
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body
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peri
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around
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cost(o)
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rib
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phag(o)
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eat, destroy
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crani(o)
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skull
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pharmaco
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drug
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cry(o)
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cold
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pharyng(o)
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throat
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cut
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skin
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phleb(o)
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vein
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cyan(o)
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blue
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phob(ia)
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fear
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cyst(o)
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bladder
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plasty
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repair
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cyt(o)
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cell
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pleg(ia)
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paralysis
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dactyl(o)
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finger or toe
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pnea
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breathing
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dent
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tooth
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pneum(ato)
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breath, air
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derm(ato)
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skin
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pneumon(o)
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lung
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dipl(o)
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double
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pod(o)
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foot
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dors
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back
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poie
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make, produce
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dys
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bad, faulty, abnormal
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poly
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much, many
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ectomy
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excision (removal by cutting)
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post
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after
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emia
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blood
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poster(i)
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back, behind
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encephal(o)
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brain
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presby
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elder
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end(o)
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inside
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proct(o)
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anus
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enter(o)
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intestine
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pseud(o)
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false
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epi
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outer, superficial, upon
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psych(o)
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mind
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erythr(o)
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red
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pulmon(o)
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lung
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eu
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normal
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pyel(o)
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pelvis of kidney
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extra
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outside
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pyr(o)
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fever, fire
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gastr(o)
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stomach
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rachi(o)
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spine
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gen
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become, originate
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ren(o)
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kidneys
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gloss(o)
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tongue
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rhag
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break, burst
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glyc(o)
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sweet, or referring to glucose
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rhe
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flow
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gram, graph
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write, record
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rhin(o)
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nose
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gyn
|
woman
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scler(o)
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hard
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hem(ato)
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blood
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scope
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instrument
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hemi
|
half
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scopy
|
examination
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hepat(o)
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liver
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somat(o)
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body
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hist(o)
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tissue
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spondyl(o)
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vertebra
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hydr(o)
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water
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steat(o)
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fat
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hyper
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excessive, high
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sten(o)
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narrow, compressed
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hypo
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deficient, low
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steth(o)
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chest
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hyster(o)
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uterus
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stom
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mouth, opening
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iatr(o)
|
doctor
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supra
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above
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infra
|
beneath
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tachy
|
fast, quick
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inter
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among, between
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therap
|
treatment
|
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intra
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inside
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therm(o)
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heat
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itis
|
inflammation
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thorac(o)
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chest
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lact(o)
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milk
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thromb(o)
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clot, lump
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lapar(o)
|
flank, abdomen
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tomy
|
incision (operation by cutting)
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latero
|
side
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tox(i)
|
poison
|
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leuk(o)
|
white
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uria
|
urine
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lingu(o)
|
tongue
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vas(o)
|
vessel
|
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lip(o)
|
fat
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ven(o)
|
vein
|
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lys(is)
|
dissolve
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vesic(o)
|
bladder
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mal
|
bad, abnormal
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xer(o)
|
dry
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Last full review/revision March 2010
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