A term is usually prefix + root + suffix: the prefix modifies, the root names the body part, the suffix says what is happening to it.
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
'Anuria' means:
Answer: A. The -uria family is built from prefixes: an- (none), olig- (little), dys- (painful), poly- (excessive), hemat- (blood), noct- (at night). Anuria and oliguria are different findings — do not use them interchangeably.
Question 2 of 5
'Bradycardia' means a heart rate that is:
Answer: A. Brady- (slow) and tachy- (fast) attach to -cardia (heart) and -pnea (breathing), giving four terms from two prefixes.
Question 3 of 5
The prefix 'endo-' means:
Answer: A. The heart's three layers use three prefixes: endocardium (inner), myocardium (muscle), pericardium (around). One word set teaches all three.
Question 4 of 5
The suffix '-scopy' means:
Answer: A. Three lookalike suffixes: -scopy (look), -graphy (record the process), -gram (the record produced). An electrocardiogram is the strip.
Question 5 of 5
The suffix '-uria' refers to a condition of the:
Answer: A. -uria and -emia are the two great 'substance in a fluid' suffixes: glycosuria is sugar in urine, hyperglycemia is sugar in blood.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
What is prefixes, suffixes & roots?
Learning roughly thirty of them lets you decode words you have never seen — which pays off in the Vocabulary section AND in the Anatomy, Biology and Chemistry sections, where the same parts keep reappearing.
Key points
- A term is usually prefix + root + suffix: the prefix modifies, the root names the body part, the suffix says what is happening to it.
- Prefixes of amount and rate: a-/an- (without), hyper- (above normal), hypo- (below normal), brady- (slow), tachy- (fast), poly- (many).
- Suffixes of process: -itis (inflammation), -ectomy (surgical removal), -ostomy (surgical opening), -oscopy (looking inside), -pathy (disease), -ology (study of).
- Roots of place: cardi- (heart), pulmon- (lung), hepat- (liver), nephr-/ren- (kidney), gastr- (stomach), oste- (bone), my- (muscle), neur- (nerve), derm- (skin).
- -emia means a blood condition, so anemia = without enough blood cells and hyperglycemia = high blood sugar.
Study first
- Decode 'bradycardia' cold: brady- (slow) + cardi- (heart) + -ia (condition) = a slow heart rate. You never needed to memorize the whole word.
- Decode 'hepatitis': hepat- (liver) + -itis (inflammation) = inflammation of the liver.
Commonly tested
- Learn prefixes and suffixes FIRST — they are fewer than the roots and do more work.
- Practice by splitting long words with a slash: peri/cardi/um, poly/ur/ia. If you can split it, you can define it.
Watch out for
- Mixing up -ectomy (remove it) with -ostomy (make an opening) — one takes tissue out, the other creates a passage.
- Reading hyper- and hypo- too quickly; they are two letters apart and mean opposite things.
- Assuming every root is Latin — some are Greek, so two roots can name the same organ (nephr- and ren- are both kidney).
Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots: FAQs
What should I focus on first when studying Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots?
Decode 'bradycardia' cold: brady- (slow) + cardi- (heart) + -ia (condition) = a slow heart rate. You never needed to memorize the whole word. Decode 'hepatitis': hepat- (liver) + -itis (inflammation) = inflammation of the liver.
What is most often missed on Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots?
Mixing up -ectomy (remove it) with -ostomy (make an opening) — one takes tissue out, the other creates a passage. Reading hyper- and hypo- too quickly; they are two letters apart and mean opposite things. Assuming every root is Latin — some are Greek, so two roots can name the same organ (nephr- and ren- are both kidney).
What do I need to know about Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots for the HESI A2?
A term is usually prefix + root + suffix: the prefix modifies, the root names the body part, the suffix says what is happening to it. Prefixes of amount and rate: a-/an- (without), hyper- (above normal), hypo- (below normal), brady- (slow), tachy- (fast), poly- (many). Suffixes of process: -itis (inflammation), -ectomy (surgical removal), -ostomy (surgical opening), -oscopy (looking inside), -pathy (disease), -ology (study of). Roots of place: cardi- (heart), pulmon- (lung), hepat- (liver), nephr-/ren- (kidney), gastr- (stomach), oste- (bone), my- (muscle), neur- (nerve), derm- (skin).
What are the most commonly tested points on Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots?
Learn prefixes and suffixes FIRST — they are fewer than the roots and do more work. Practice by splitting long words with a slash: peri/cardi/um, poly/ur/ia. If you can split it, you can define it.
