A lot of players work together in the gastrointestinal tract. The good news, with regard to medical terminology and word building, is that the list of prefixes and suffixes is a lot less complicated than those of other large systems. The prefixes and suffixes you find here will help you keep all the body parts, ailments, and procedures straight.
When in doubt, sound it out!
| Prefix | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Exo- | Outside |
| Peri- | Surrounding |
| Re- | Back |
| Retro- | Backward, back |
| Suffix | What It Means |
| -ase | Enzyme |
| -flux | Flow |
| -ectomy | Surgical removal, cutting out |
| -iasis | Abnormal condition |
| -itis | Inflammation |
| -lithiasis | Calculus or stone |
| -lysis | Destruction or breakdown |
| -pepsia | Digestion |
| -prandial | Meal |
| -orrhaphy | Surgical fixation or suturing |
| -ostomy | Creation of an artificial opening |
| -tresia | Opening |
| -tripsy | Crushing |
Now, it’s time to find out what comes in between these word parts. Consider the combining forms and root words as you would the stomach — they break the word down into its most useful component. That root will, in turn, provide the nutritive content that gives the word its meaning.
| Root Word | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Abdomin/o | Abdomen |
| An/o | Anus |
| Appendic/o | Appendix |
| Bucc/o | Cheek (facial) |
| Cec/o | Cecum |
| Celi/o | Belly |
| Cheil/o | Lips |
| Chol/e, bil/i | Gall, bile |
| Cholecyst/o | Gallbladder |
| Choledoch/o | Common bile duct |
| Col/o, colon/o | Colon |
| Dent/o, odont/o | Teeth |
| Duoden/o | Duodenum |
| Enter/o | Small intestine |
| Esophag/o | Esophagus |
| Gastr/o | Stomach |
| Gingiv/o | Gums |
| Gloss/o | Tongue |
| Gluc/o, glyc/o | Sugar |
| Hepat/o | Liver |
| Ile/o | Ileum |
| Jejun/o | Jejunum |
| Labi/o | Lips |
| Lapar/o | Abdomen |
| Lingu/o, gloss/o | Tongue |
| Lip/o | Fat, lipids |
| Odont/o | Teeth |
| Or/o | Mouth, oral |
| Palat/o | Palate |
| Pancreat/o | Pancreas |
| Peritone/o | Peritoneum |
| Pharyng/o | Pharynx |
| Proct/o | Anus, rectum |
| Pylor/o | Pylorus |
| Rect/o | Rectum |
| Sialaden/o | Salivary gland |
| Sial/o | Saliva |
| Sigmoid/o | Sigmoid colon |
| Splen/o | Spleen |
| Steat/o | Fat |
| Stomat/o | Mouth |
| Submaxill/o | Lower jaw |
| Tonsill/o | Tonsil |
| Uvul/o | Uvula |