Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud

HESC 203: Terminología Médica Cap 18 Sistema Sensorial
Prof. Amarilys Irizarry

Roots for External Eye Structures

Root Meaning Example Definition of Example

blephar/o eyelid symblepharon adhesion of the eyelid to the eyeball (sym-
sim-BLEF-ah-ron means “together”)
palpebr/o eyelid palpebral pertaining to an eyelid
PAL-peh-bral
dacry/o tear, lacrimal dacryorrhea discharge from the lacrimal apparatus
apparatus dak-re-o-RE-ah
dacryocyst/o lacrimal sac dacryocystocele hernia of the lacrimal sac
dak-re-o-SIS-to-
sele
lacrim/o tear, lacrimal lacrimation secretion of tears
apparatus lak-rih-MA-shun

Roots for the Eye and Vision

Root Meaning Example Definition of Example

opt/o eye, vision optometer instrument for measuring the
op-TOM-eh-ter refractive power of the eye
ocul/o eye sinistrocular pertaining to the left eye
sih-nis-TROK-u-
lar
ophthalm/o eye exophthalmos protrusion of the eyeball
eks-of-THAL-mos
scler/o sclera episcleritis inflammation of the tissue on the
ep-ih-skle-RI-tis surface of the sclera
corne/o cornea circumcorneal around the cornea
sir-kum-KOR-ne-

For  Med  Term  students  review  only         UAA  

Root Meaning Example Definition of Example
al
kerat/o cornea keratoplasty plastic repair of the cornea; corneal
KER-ah-to-plas-te transplant
lent/i lens lentiform resembling a lens
LEN-tih-form
phak/o, phac/o lens aphakia absence of a lens
ah-FA-ke-ah
uve/o uvea uveal pertaining to the uvea
U-ve-al
chori/o, choroid subchoroidal below the choroid
choroid/o sub-kor-OYD-al
cycl/o ciliary body, ciliary cycloplegic pertaining to or causing paralysis of
muscle si-klo-PLE-jik the ciliary muscle
ir, irit/o, irid/o iris iridoschisis splitting of the iris
ir-ih-DOS-kih-sis
pupill/o pupil iridopupillary pertaining to the iris and the pupil
ir-ih-do-PU-pih-
lar-e
retin/o retina retinoscopy examination of the retina
ret-in-OS-ko-pe

Suffixes for the Eye and Vision

Suffix Meaning Example Definition of Example

-opsia condition of vision heteropsia unequal vision in the two eyes
het-er-OP-se-ah
-opia condition of the eye, vision hemianopia blindness in half the visual field
hem-e-an-O-pe-ah
 

For  Med  Term  students  review  only         UAA