URINARY SYSTEM CHAPTER REVIEW
WORD ELEMENTS SUMMARY
The following table summarizes CFs, suffixes, and prefixes related to the urinary system. Study the word elements
and their meanings before completing the Word Elements Chapter Review that follows.
320 CHAPTER 7• Urinary System
Word Element Meaning Word Element Meaning
Combining Forms
aden/o gland nephr/o, ren/o kidney
azot/o nitrogenous compounds noct/o night
carcin/o cancer olig/o scanty
cyst/o, vesic/o bladder py/o pus
erythr/o red pyel/o renal pelvis
glomerul/o glomerulus scler/o hardening; sclera (white of the eye)
hemat/o blood ureter/o ureter
lith/o stone, calculus urethr/o urethra
meat/o opening, meatus ur/o, urin/o urine
Suffixes
-al, -ic, -ous pertaining to -megaly enlargement
-algia, -dynia pain -oma tumor
-cele hernia, swelling -osis abnormal condition; increase
(used primarily with blood cells)
-ectasis dilation, expansion -pathy disease
-ectomy excision, removal -pepsia digestion
-edema swelling -pexy fixation (of an organ)
-emesis vomiting -phagia swallowing, eating
-grade to go -phobia fear
-gram record, writing -plasty surgical repair
-graphy process of recording -ptosis prolapse, downward displacement
-ia condition -rrhaphy suture
-iasis abnormal condition (produced -rrhea discharge, flow
by something specified)
-ist specialist -stomy forming an opening (mouth)
-lith stone, calculus -tome instrument to cut
-logist specialist in the study of -tomy incision
-logy study of -tripsy crushing
-lysis separation, destruction, loosening -uria urine