Medical Terminology Root Words: Indicating Body Parts and Conditions

In medical terms, the root word (often Greek or Latin) identifies the core subject – organ, tissue, or condition.

• gastr- (stomach) → gastritis, gastroenterology
• cardi- (heart) → cardiology, cardiomyopathy
• hepat- (liver) → hepatitis, hepatomegaly
• neur- (nerve) → neurology, neuron
• osteo- (bone) → osteoporosis, osteotomy
• derm- (skin) → dermatitis, dermatology

Prefixes modify (e.g., hyper-, hypo-, endo-); suffixes indicate procedure or condition (-itis, -ectomy, -pathy). Recognizing roots decodes unfamiliar terms.