Nervous System • CHAPTER 9 419WORD ELEMENTS
This section introduces CFs related to the nervous system. Included are key suffixes; prefixes
are defined in the right-hand column as needed. Review the following table and pronounce each
word in the word analysis column aloud before you begin to work the frames.
Word Element Meaning Word Analysis
Combining Forms
cephal/o head hydro/cephal/us (hī-drō-SĔF-ă-lŭs): condition of an enlarged cranium (portion
of the skull that encloses the brain)
hydro: water
-us: condition; structure
Hydrocephalus is caused by an accumulation of fluid within the ventricles of the brain.
cerebr/o cerebrum cerebr/o/spin/al (sĕr-ĕ-brō-SPĪ-năl): pertaining to the brain and spinal cord
spin: spine
-al: pertaining to
encephal/o brain encephal/itis (ĕn-sĕf-ă-LĪ-tĭs): inflammation of the brain (tissue)
-itis: inflammation
gli/o glue; neuroglial gli/oma (glī-Ō-mă): tumor composed of neuroglial tissue (supportive tissue of the
tissue nervous system)
-oma: tumor
mening/o meninges mening/o/cele (mĕn-ĬN-gō-sēl): saclike protrusion of the meninges through the
(membranes skull or vertebral column
covering the -cele: hernia, swelling
brain and Meningocele is a congenital defect (occurs at birth) and can be repaired by surgery.
spinal cord)
meningi/o meningi/oma (mĕn-ĭn-jē-Ō-mă): tumor composed of meninges
-oma: tumor
myel/o bone marrow; myel/algia (mī-ĕl-ĂL-jē-ă): pain of the spinal cord or its membranes
spinal cord -algia: pain
neur/o nerve neur/o/lysis (nū-RŎL-ĭs-ĭs): destruction of a nerve
-lysis: separation; destruction; loosening
Suffixes
-paresis partial paralysis hemi/paresis(hĕm-ē-pă-RĒ-sĭs): paralysis of one half of the body (right half or
left half)
hemi-: one half
-phasia speech a/phasia(ă-FĀ-zē-ă): absence of speech
a-: without, not
Aphasia is an abnormal neurological condition in which language function is defective
or absent because of an injury to certain areas of the cerebral cortex.
-plegia paralysis quadri/plegia(kwŏd-rĭ-PLĒ-jē-ă): paralysis of all four extremities
quadri-: four
Pronunciation Help Long sound a ̄in ra ̄te e ̄in re ̄birth ı ̄in ı ̄sle o ̄in o ̄ver u ̄in u ̄nite
Short sound a ̆in a ̆lone e ̆in e ̆ver ̆ıin ı ̆t o ̆in no ̆t u ̆in cu ̆t
Visit the Medical Terminology Simplifiedonline resource center at DavisPlus for an audio
exercise of the terms in this table. It will help you master pronunciations and meanings
of medical terms.