Prefixes

a- (absence of, without)

an- (absence of, without)

dia- (through, complete)

dys- (painful, abnormal, difficult, labored)

poly- (many, much)

Combining Forms

albumin/o (albumin)

azot/o (urea, nitrogen)

blast/o (developing cell, germ cell)

cyst/o (bladder, sac)

glomerul/o (glomerulus)

glyc/o (sugar)

glycos/o (sugar)

hydr/o (water)

lith/o (stone, calculus)

meat/o (meatus)

nephr/o (kidney)

noct/i (night)

olig/o (few, scanty)

pyel/o (renal pelvis)

py/o (pus)

ren/o (kidney)

ureter/o (ureter)

urethr/o (urethra)

urin/o (urine, urinary tract)

ur/o (urine, urinary tract)

vesic/o (bladder, sac)

Suffixes

-al (pertaining to)

-ary (pertaining to)

-cele (hernia, protrusion)

-emia (in the blood)

-gram (the recorded radiographic image)

-graph (instrument used to record)

-graphy (process of recording, radiographic imaging)

-iasis (condition)

-esis (condition)

-itis (inflammation)

-lith (stone)

-lysis (loosening, dissolution, separating)

-megaly (enlarged, enlargement)

-oma (tumour, swelling)

-osis (abnormal condition)

-pexy (surgical fixation, suspension)

-ptosis (drooping, sagging, prolapse)

-rrhaphy (suturing, repairing)

-scope (instrument used for visual examination)

-scopic (pertaining to visual examination)

-scopy (visual examination)

-stomy (creation of an artificial opening)

-tomy (cut into, incision)

-tripsy (surgical crushing)

-uria (urine, urination)

Apply the rules of medical language to pronounce, break into word parts, and define the following terms.

Label each word part by using the following abbreviations:

P = Prefix
WR = Word Root
CV = Combining Vowel
S = Suffix
CF = Combining Form

Example: osteoarthropathy (ä-stē-ō-är-THROP-ă-thē) – disease of bone and joint

WR     CV    WR     CV     S

oste / o / arthr / o /pathy

     CF               CF

Use terms related to the urinary system.

Label the following urinary system bladder anatomy.

detrusor muscle | external urethral sphincter | internal urethral sphincter | lamina propria | peritoneum | submucosa | transitional epithelium | ureter | ureteral openings

Chapter Attributions

This chapter was adapted by Jerry Casteel from “Urinary System” in Medical Terminology Student Companion by Stacey Grimm; Colleen Allee; Heidi Belitz; Traci Gotz; Micheal Randolph; Elaine Strachota; and Laurie Zielinski. Licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.