Medical Terminology Simplified

Word Elements

64 CHAPTER 3• Integumentary System

Figure 3-1 Structure of the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Epidermis

Dermis

Subcutaneous

tissue

Papilla

Hair shaft

Sweat gland

pore

Stratum

corneum

Basal layer

Touch receptor

Sebaceous
(oil) gland

Hair follicle

Nerve Sudoriferous

(sweat) gland

Adipose tissue

Arteriole Venule

This section introduces combining forms (CFs) related to the integumentary 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

adip/o fat adip/o/cele (ĂD-ĭ-pō-sēl): hernia containing fat or fatty tissue

-cele:hernia, swelling

lip/o lip/o/cyte (LĬP-ō-sīt): fat cell

-cyte:cell

steat/o steat/itis (stē-ă-TĪ-tĭs): inflammation of fatty tissue

-itis:inflammation

cutane/o skin cutane/ous (kū-TĀ-nē-ŭs): pertaining to the skin

-ous:pertaining to

dermat/o dermat/o/logist (dĕr-mă-TŎL-ō-jĭst): physician specializing in treating skin disorders

-logist:specialist in the study of

derm/o hypo/derm/ic (hī-pō-DĔR-mĭk): under or inserted under the skin, as in a

hypodermic injection

hypo-:under, below, deficient

-ic:pertaining to