This section will describe common word components related to the integumentary system. These word components will help you build definitions for many medical terms related to the integumentary system. Other common prefixes are described in Chapter 1.3, and common suffixes are described in Chapter 1.5.

Common Prefixes Related to the Integumentary System

  • a-, an-: Absence of, without, not
  • bi-: Two or both
  • dia-: Through, complete
  • dys-: Difficult, painful, abnormal, labored
  • epi-: Upon, on, over
  • hyper-: Above, excessive
  • hypo-: Deficient, below, under, incomplete
  • intra-: Within, in
  • meta-: Change, beyond, after
  • neo-: New
  • para-: Beside, around, beyond, abnormal
  • per-: Through
  • pro-: Before
  • sub-: Under, below
  • trans-: Through, across, beyond
  • uni-: One

Common Word Roots With a Vowel (Called Combining Forms) Related to the Integumentary System

  • aden/o: Gland
  • adip/o: Fat
  • albin/o: White
  • aut/o: Self
  • bi/o: Life
  • coni/o: Dust
  • cry/o: Cold
  • crypt/o: Hidden
  • cutane/o: Skin
  • cyan/o: Blue
  • derm/o: Skin
  • dermat/o: Skin
  • erythr/o: Red
  • erythemat/o: Redness
  • fibr/o: Fibrous tissues
  • heter/o: Other, different
  • hidr/o: Sweat
  • kerat/o: Hard, horny tissue, keratin
  • lei/o: Smooth
  • leuk/o: White
  • lip/o, lipid/o: Fat
  • melan/o: Black
  • myc/o: Fungus
  • necr/o: Death
  • onych/o: Nail
  • pachy/o: Thick
  • pil/o: Hair
  • py/o: Pus
  • rhytid/o: Wrinkles
  • scler/o: Hardening
  • seb/o: Sebum
  • staphyl/o: Grapelike clusters
  • steat/o: Fat, sebum
  • strept/o: Twisted chains
  • trich/o: Hair
  • ungu/o: Nail
  • xanth/o: Yellow
  • xer/o: Dryness, dry

Common Suffixes Related to the Integumentary System

  • -a: No meaning, noun ending
  • -ad: Toward
  • -al: Pertaining to
  • -coccus: Berry-shaped
  • -cyte: Cell
  • -ectomy: Excision
  • -gen: Substance that produces/causes, agent that produces/causes
  • -genic: Producing, originating, causing
  • -ia: Condition of, diseased state, abnormal state
  • -ic: Pertaining to
  • -ior: Pertaining to
  • -itis: Inflammation
  • -logist: Specialist who studies and treats
  • -logy: Study of
  • -malacia: Softening
  • -megaly: Enlarged, enlargement
  • -oid: Resembling
  • -oma: Tumor, swelling
  • -opsy: View of, process of viewing, viewing
  • -osis: Abnormal condition, increased numbers pertaining to blood
  • -ous: Pertaining to
  • -pathy: Disease
  • -phagia: Eating, swallowing
  • -plasia: Development, growth, condition of formation
  • -plasm: Growth, substance, formation
  • -plasty: Surgical repair
  • -rrhea: Flow
  • -rrhage, -rrhagia: Excessive discharge
  • -sis: State of
  • -stasis: Stop, controlling, standing
  • -tome: Instrument used to cut

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Medical Terminology - 2e Copyright © 2024 by Jonathan Eastabrooks, MBA, RHIA and Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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