| Human Anatomy, 6/e Kent Van De Graaff,
Weber State University
Medical Terms Combining FormsListed here are all of the prefixes, suffixes and combining forms printed on
the inside of the front and back covers of the textbook and some additional
roots. The long-term benefit of a systematic study of terminology is an increased
ability to comprehend new terms as they are encountered in the professional
literature.
a- (an-) | Without, lack of
| | | | ab- | Off; away
| | | | -able | Capable
| | | | acou- | Hearing
| | | | acr- | Extremity
| | | | ad- (af-) | To; toward
| | | | adeno- | A gland
| | | | -aero -aerob | Air, of the air
| | | | -al | Relationship to (adj.)
| | | | -algia | Pain
| | | | andro- | Male
| | | | ante- | Before, forward
| | | | anti- | Against, reversed
| | | | api- | The tip
| | | | apo- | Away from; off
| | | | arachn- | Spider
| | | | -art-,arteri- | An artery
| | | | arthr- | Joint
| | | | -ary | Relationship to (adj.)
| | | | aryten- | A pitcher; a ladle
| | | | auscult- | To listen; to hear
| | | | -asis | Condition, state of
| | | | astr- | A star
| | | | auto- | Arising within, self
| | | | axilla- | The armpit
| | | | baro- | Pressure
| | | | bi- | Twice
| | | | blast- | Bud, germ
| | | | brachi- | Arm; upper arm
| | | | brady- | Slow
| | | | bucc- | The cheek
| | | | burs- | Bag; sac
| | | | -c | Relationship to (adj.)
| | | | cancel- | Crossbar; lattice
| | | | carcin- | Cancer
| | | | cardio- | Heart
| | | | cata- | Down, according to
| | | | cephal- | Head
| | | | -cele | Hollow
| | | | cerebro- | Brain
| | | | chol- | Bile
| | | | cholecyst- | Gallbladder
| | | | chondr- | Cartilage
| | | | -cide | Kill
| | | | circum- |
| | | | -clast | Smash, break
| | | | co-,com-,con- | With, together
| | | | contra- | Against, opposite
| | | | cost- | Of a rib
| | | | crin- | To separate
| | | | crypto- | Hidden
| | | | cysto- | Bladder, sac
| | | | -cyte-, cyto | Cell
| | | | de- | Away from
| | | | dendr- | A tree, branching
| | | | derm- | Skin
| | | | desmo- | Band; ligament
| | | | di- | Two
| | | | dia- | Through, apart, across
| | | | diastol- | Stand apart, relax
| | | | dis- | Reversal, apart from
| | | | diure- | Urine prod., urination
| | | | duc-(duct) | Leading, drawing
| | | | -dynia | Pain
| | | | dys- | Difficult, bad
| | | | e-, ef- | Out, away from
| | | | ec- | Out from
| | | | ecto- | On outer side
| | | | ectop- | Displaced
| | | | -ectomy | Cut out
| | | | -edem | Swell
| | | | ejacul- | To throw out
| | | | electro- | Electricity
| | | | em-, | en -In
| | | | -emia | Blood
| | | | endo- | Within
| | | | endym | A garment
| | | | entero- | Intestine
| | | | epi- | Upon, on
| | | | erg- | Work, power
| | | | erythro- | Red
| | | | ethm- | A sieve
| | | | eu- | Well, good
| | | | ex- | Out, away from
| | | | exo- | Outside, on outer side
| | | | extra- | Outside
| | | | fasci- | Bundle
| | | | fer-, -ferent | To bear, carrying
| | | | folli- | A bag
| | | | foram- | A pit
| | | | -form | Expressing resemblance
| | | | foss- | Ditch, depression
| | | | gangli- | A swelling
| | | | gastro- | Stomach
| | | | gemm- | A bud
| | | | -genesis | Produce, origin
| | | | germ- | Embryo, sprout
| | | | gingiv- | The gums
| | | | gli- | Glue
| | | | glob- | A ball
| | | | gloss- | Tongue
| | | | gluco, glucos- | Sugar, sweet
| | | | gon(ado)- | A seed
| | | | -gram | A drawing
| | | | -graph | Instrument that records
| | | | gusta- | Taste
| | | | gyn- | Female
| | | | hem(o)- | Blood
| | | | hemi- | Half
| | | | hepato- | Liver
| | | | hetero- | Different, other
| | | | hist- | Tissue
| | | | holo- | Whole, entire
| | | | homeo- | Same
| | | | hormon- | To set into motion
| | | | hydr(o- | Water
| | | | hyoid- | U-shaped
| | | | hyper- | Over, above, excessive
| | | | hypo- | Under, below, deficient
| | | | -ia, -id | Expressing condition
| | | | -iatr | Treat, cure
| | | | -im | Not
| | | | in- | In, into
| | | | -ineum | Discharge
| | | | infra- | Below, beneath
| | | | inter- | Between
| | | | intra- | Within
| | | | ischem- | Without blood
| | | | -ism | Condition, state of
| | | | iso- | Equal, the same
| | | | -itis | Inflammation
| | | | -ity | Expressing condition
| | | | jugu- | The neck
| | | | juxta- | Near, next to
| | | | kerat(o)- | Cornea or horny tissue
| | | | -kin | Move
| | | | lacr- | Tears, weeping
| | | | lacto- | Milk
| | | | lacun- | Space, hollow
| | | | lamell- | Leaf, layer
| | | | lamin- | Layer
| | | | -lemma | Husk, covering
| | | | leuko-,(leuco-) | White
| | | | -liga | Bind
| | | | lip | Fat
| | | | -lith | A stone, of stone
| | | | -logy | The study of
| | | | luc- | Light
| | | | lumb- | Loin
| | | | lumen- | Light, opening
| | | | lun- | The moon
| | | | -lysis | Breaking up, dissolving
| | | | -lyte | That which is loosed
| | | | macro- | Large
| | | | mal- | Bad
| | | | malaco- | Soft
| | | | malle- | Hammer
| | | | mast- | Breast
| | | | mastic- | Of chewing
| | | | maxi- | The most
| | | | medull- | Underneath, beneath
| | | | mega- | Great
| | | | melano- | Black
| | | | menin- | A membrane
| | | | mero- | A part
| | | | meso- | Middle, mid
| | | | meta- | Beyond, after, change
| | | | metr- | Measure
| | | | -metri | The uterus
| | | | micro- | Small
| | | | mictur- | Urination
| | | | mito- | Thread, filament
| | | | modul- | Control, measure
| | | | mono- | One, single
| | | | -morph | Form
| | | | moti- | To move
| | | | moto- | Movement, motor
| | | | multi- | Many, much
| | | | mura- | Wall
| | | | my-(myo-) | A muscle
| | | | myelo- | Marrow, spinal cord
| | | | narco- | Numbness
| | | | nata- | Birth
| | | | natri- | Natrium (Na), sodium
| | | | neo- | New
| | | | nephro- | Kidney
| | | | neuro- | Nerve
| | | | -nomic | Of law
| | | | noto- | The back
| | | | oculo- | Eye
| | | | odonto- | Tooth or teeth
| | | | -oid | With resemblance to
| | | | olfact- | Smell
| | | | oligo- | Few, scanty, little
| | | | -oma | Tumor
| | | | -op-, opsi- | See, sight
| | | | ophthalam-- | Eye
| | | | ortho- |
| | | | -ory | Referring to
| | | | -ose | Full of
| | | | -osis | A condition of
| | | | osmo- | Pushing
| | | | osteo- | Of bone
| | | | oto- | Ear
| | | | -ous | Expressing material
| | | | papill- | A nipple
| | | | para- | Beside, beyond, near
| | | | parot- | Beside the ear
| | | | pars- | A part
| | | | -pathy | Disease
| | | | pedunc- | A little foot
| | | | -penia | Deficiency
| | | | per- | Through, excessive
| | | | peri- | Around
| | | | permea- | To pass through
| | | | -phag | Eat
| | | | -phas | Speak, utter
| | | | -phil | Like, love
| | | | phleb- | Vein
| | | | -phobia | Fear
| | | | -phragm | A fence, partition
| | | | phren- | Of the diaphragm
| | | | physis/phy- | Growth, production
| | | | plant- | The sole of the foot
| | | | -plas | Form, grow
| | | | -plegia | Paralyze
| | | | pleur- | The side
| | | | plex- | A network
| | | | pluri- | More, several
| | | | pne- | Breathe
| | | | pneumo- | Air, gas, or lungs
| | | | pod- | Foot
| | | | poie- | A making, production
| | | | pol- | An axis
| | | | poly- | Many, much
| | | | pon- | A bridge
| | | | post- | After, behind
| | | | pre-, pro- | Before, in front of
| | | | procto- | Anus, rectum
| | | | propri- | Peculiar
| | | | propaga- | Reproduce, generate
| | | | proprio- | One’s own
| | | | pseudo- | False
| | | | psycho- | Mind, soul
| | | | pteryg- | A wing
| | | | pudend- | The female genitalia
| | | | pyo- | Pus
| | | | ram- | Branch
| | | | re- | Back, again, contrary
| | | | recept- | A receiver
| | | | rect- | Straight
| | | | renal- | Of the kidney
| | | | reticul- | Net-like
| | | | retin- | A network
| | | | retro- | Backward, loc. behind
| | | | -rrhagia | Burst forth, pour
| | | | -rrhea | Flow, discharge
| | | | sacchar- | Sugar
| | | | sagitt- | An arrow
| | | | salt- | To leap or dance
| | | | sarco- | Flesh or fleshy
| | | | sclero- | Hard
| | | | -scope | Examine
| | | | semi- | Half
| | | | semin- | Related to semen
| | | | somato-, -some | Body
| | | | sphen- | A wedge
| | | | sphin- | To squeeze or strangle
| | | | -spire | To breathe
| | | | -stasis | Stop, stand still
| | | | steno- | Narrow
| | | | stimul- | A goad or prod
| | | | -stomy | To make an artificial opening
| | | | strat- | Forming layers
| | | | stria- | To channel
| | | | sub- | Under
| | | | sulc- | A groove or furrow
| | | | super- | Above, upper, excessive
| | | | supra- | Above, upon
| | | | syn-(sym-) | Together, with
| | | | systol- | To stand together, contract
| | | | tachy- | Fast, swift
| | | | tax- | Arrangement
| | | | tegmen- | A cover
| | | | telo- | The end
| | | | tetan- | Rigid, stretched
| | | | thalam- | A chamber
| | | | thenar- | The palm of the hand
| | | | therm- | Heat
| | | | thesis- | A placing, arrangement
| | | | thrombo- | A blood clot
| | | | thyro- | A shield
| | | | -tomy | To cut, incise
| | | | -ton | To stretch
| | | | -tope | Place
| | | | tox- | Poison
| | | | trab- | Beam or timber
| | | | trans- | Across, through, beyond
| | | | tri- | Three
| | | | -troph | To nourish
| | | | -tropic | Changing, influencing
| | | | ure-, -uria | Pertaining to the urine
| | | | vas-, vaso- | A vessel
| | | | -vect | Carrying, to carry
| | | | vene- | Vein
| | | | viscer- | Internal organ
| | | | viscos- | Sticky, thick
| | | | vitr- | Glassy
| | | | zyg- | Paired
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