Medical Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for R – S Medical terminology can feel like a foreign language. However, most medical terms are simply building blocks put together. By mastering a few key prefixes (beginnings) and suffixes (endings), you can easily break down and understand complex clinical words. The Letter R: Roots and Prefixes
Prefixes and word roots starting with R often describe colors, specific body fluids, or backward movement. Radicul/o- relates to a nerve root. Example: Radiculopathy (nerve root disease causing pain). Retr/o- means behind or backward. Example: Retroperitoneal (located behind the peritoneum). Rhin/o- relates to the nose. Example: Rhinoplasty (surgical repair of the nose). Rhod/o- means red. Example: Rhodocyte (a red blood cell). Rubr/o- also means red.
Example: Rubrospinal (concerning the red nucleus in the brain). The Letter R: Suffixes
Suffixes starting with R frequently describe heavy flowing, bursting forth, or surgical suturing. -rrhage / -rrhagia means bursting forth or excessive flow. Example: Hemorrhage (severe, heavy bleeding). -rrhaphy means surgical suturing or sewing. Example: Myorrhaphy (suturing a torn muscle). -rhea means flow or discharge. Example: Rhinorrhea (a runny nose). -rrhexis means rupture. Example: Enterorrhexis (rupture of the intestine). The Letter S: Roots and Prefixes
Prefixes and roots starting with S commonly denote hardness, positions like “under,” or specific body systems like the pelvis or saliva.
Salping/o- relates to a tube (usually the fallopian or eustachian tubes).
Example: Salpingectomy (surgical removal of a fallopian tube). Scler/o- means hard or relates to the white of the eye. Example: Scleroderma (hardening of the skin). Scoli/o- means crooked, curved, or twisted. Example: Scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine). Sial/o- relates to saliva or salivary glands. Example: Sialolith (a stone in the salivary gland). Splen/o- relates to the spleen. Example: Splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen). Sub- means under, below, or less than normal. Example: Subcutaneous (under the skin). Supra- means above or upper. Example: Suprarenal (above the kidney). The Letter S: Suffixes
Suffixes starting with S often indicate a narrowing, a sharp instrument, or an involuntary contraction. -schisis means splitting or cleft. Example: Retinoschisis (splitting of the retina layers). -sclerosis means hardening. Example: Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). -scope refers to an instrument used for visual examination. Example: Endoscope (instrument to look inside the body). -scopy means the act of visually examining. Example: Colonoscopy (visual examination of the colon). -spasm means sudden, involuntary muscle contraction. Example: Bronchospasm (airway constriction in the lungs). -stasis means stopping, controlling, or standing still. Example: Hemostasis (stopping the flow of blood). -stenosis means narrowing or stricture. Example: Arteriostenosis (narrowing of an artery). -stomy means surgically creating a new permanent opening. Example: Colostomy (creating an opening into the colon). Practice: Putting it Together Look at how easily these combine:
Rhin/o (nose) + -rrhea (discharge) = Rhinorrhea (runny nose).
Scler/o (hardening) + -derma (skin) = Scleroderma (hard skin condition).
Splen/o (spleen) + -megaly (enlargement) = Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen).
Memorisng these R and S components will quickly boost your medical vocabulary and clinical communication skills. To help you study,
See a list of common medical abbreviations for this section. Move on to prefixes and suffixes for letters T – U.
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