ox/o
oxygen
From Greek oxys, sharp or acid, through the word oxygen
Meaning
What does ox/o mean?
ox/o is a root meaning oxygen. It comes from Greek oxys, sharp or acid, through the word oxygen.
Inside words it is spelled ox or oxi.
Oximeter and oximetry take an i, not an o; hypoxia means low oxygen and anoxia means none.
In real words
Medical words with ox/o
too little oxygen reaching the body's tissues
hypoxemia
too little oxygen in the blood · UK spelling: hypoxaemia
absence or near absence of oxygen in the body's tissues; severe hypoxia
measuring how much of the blood's hemoglobin carries oxygen, often with a clip on a finger (pulse oximetry)
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Word Parts and Structural Terms – Medical Terminology: An Interactive Approach
- Guide to Common Medical Terminology
- oxo- - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Lungs and airways
ox/o is one of 12 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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