Human Anatomy & Physiology: Latin and Greek Word-Part List (prefixes, suffixes, roots) Students of any biology course should learn to recognize the meaning of word parts as they often give clues to the meaning of a scientific term, function, or process. Science terminology is predominately based in the Latin and Greek languages. The following list of prefixes, suffixes, and roots will be used in this and most Biology (bio = life, logy = study of) courses. To help with pronunciation, word parts need to be linked together. The linkage for many word parts is “o”. For example, linking the root “cardi” with the suffix “-pathy” would make the word difficult to pronounce; therefore an “o” is used to link the root with the suffix. The completed word is written “cardiopathy” and pronounced kar-deop-ah-the (heart disease). Accurate spelling of each work is also important. Changing one letter may change the word part and its meaning. Examples include: “ileum” is a part of the small intestine & “ilium” is a bone in the hips, “ped” refers to the foot & “pedia” refers to children, “ab” means away & “ad” means toward. Finding a word in a dictionary, glossary, or index requires a knowledge of spelling – at least the beginning of a word. For example, pneumonia and psychology have a silent “p”. By the end of this course you should be able to: (1) Understand the importance of medical terminology and how it can be incorporated into the study of the human body, (2) Differentiate between a prefix, suffix, word root, and a compound term, (3) Link word parts to form medical terms, (4) Differentiate between singular and plural endings of medical terms, (5) Dissect (cut) compound medical terms into parts to analyze their meaning, and (6) Recognize and pronounce commonly used prefixes, suffixes, and root words used in medical terminology. The last page of this “Word Part” packet has a list of singular and plurals word forms. Word Part #1 Word Part a-, an, non ab-, efad-, afadi-, lip(o)-alg anaang(i)ante-, pre-, proanti-, contraaqua(e)-, hydr arthr(o), artic-ase audiaut(o)bi-, di-, diplobrachy-, brev(i)bradybronch- Meaning Example(s) Without, Not Away Toward Fat Pain Up Vessel Before Against, Resisting Water Joint Enzyme Hear Self Two Short Slow Airway Apnea, Anuria, Nonstriated Abductor muscle, Efferent Neuron Afferent neuron, Adductor muscle Adipose, Liposuction Neuralgia, Fibromyalgia Anabolic reaction Angiogenesis, Vasodialator Prenatal, Antebrachial, Promonocyte Antibody, Contraception Aqueous, hydrocephalus Arthritis, Articulation Maltase, Lipase Auditory nerve Autoimmunity Meaning of Example(s) Not breathing, Without urine, Muscle not striated Muscle pulling away from midline (deltoid), Carrying info away from brain Carry info toward brain, Muscle pulling toward midline (groin) Fat tissue, Removing (by suction) fat from the body Nerve pain, Muscle pain Building up molecules (bonding amino acids together to make proteins) Making of a new blood vessel, Medicines that widen a vessel Before birth, Before the upper arm, Before the monocyte is mature Resisting a foreign body (pathogen), Against conception (egg + sperm) Water solution, Water (cerebral spinal fluid – CSF) on the brain Joint inflammation, Joint (where two bones meet) Enzyme breaking down maltose, Enzyme breaking down lipids/fats Nerve connecting the ear to the brain Self-immunity (when a persons antibodies attack its own cells/tissues) Bicuspid, Diencephalon, Diplococcus 2 pointed (tooth or heart valve), 2 parts within the brain, 2 round bacteria Brachydactyly, Fibularis brevis Bradycardia Bronchitis Short digits (toes or fingers), Short muscle in the lower leg Slower than normal heart rate Airway (bronchus – tube entering lungs) inflammation cardcat- Heart Down Word Part Cardiology Catabolic reaction Study of the heart Breaking down molecules (protein bonds being broken to form amino acids) Word Quiz #2 Meaning Example(s) coel-, sinu- 100, 100th Puncture Head Gallbladder Cartilage Kill Around Break, Destroy Together, With Cavity, Space Century, Centigram Amniocentesis Hydrocephalus, Biceps femoris Cholecystokinin, Cystic duct Chrondrocyte Spermacide Circumcision, Periodontal Osteoclast Congenital, Synthesis, System Coelom, Frontal sinus Word Part Meaning Example(s) Body Secrete, Release Skin Blue Cell Finger or Toe 10, 1/10th Tooth/Teeth Corpus luteum, Somatic cell Endocrine gland Subcutaneous, Dermatitis Cyanosis Leukocyte Syndactyly Decade, Dekagram, Deciliter Dentalgia, Orthodontist Through, Separate, Across Diarrhea, Permaeable, Transcutaneous Dyspnea, Malnutrition, Malabsorption cent-centesis cephal-, -ceps chol-, cystic chondr-cide circ-, peri-clast co-, con-, sym-, syn-, sys- Meaning of Example(s) 100 years, 1/100th of a gram Puncture to aspirate (remove) amniotic fluid from amniotic sac Water in brain (in the head), 2-headed (2 tendons) muscle by femur Hormone causing gallbladder contraction, Tube (for bile) from gallbladder Cartilage cell Sperm killer Cut around (ex. male foreskin), Around the teeth Bone breaker (cells that destroy cells, thus shaping a bone) Born with, Put together, Organs working together Body cavity, Space in the frontal bone Word Part #3 corp-, soma-crine cut, derm cyan-cyte dactyl, digit dec(k) dent, dont dia-, per-, trans- dys-, mal- Bad, Painful, Difficult Meaning of Example(s) Yellow body (former follicle in ovary), Body cell (all non-sex cells) Glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream Below the skin, Skin inflammation Condition causing skin to turn blue (due to low oxygen levels) White blood cell Fingers or Toes that are together (webbed) 10 years, 10 grams, 1/10th of a liter Tooth pain, Doctor that straightens teeth Flow through (intestines), Across a membrane, Across skin Difficult breathing, Bad nutrition/diet, Poor nutrient absorption Word Part #4 Word Part -ectomy, -tom, -sect ectopedem-emesis -emia en, endo-, intraepi- Meaning Cut, Cut out Displaced Swelling Vomiting Blood condition Inside, Within Upon, Over, Above Example(s) Appendectomy, Lobotomy, Dissect Ectopic pregnancy Lymphedema Hyperemesis Hypoglycemia Endosteum, Intraocular Epidermis, Epididymis Meaning of Example(s) Cut out appendix, Cut out cerebral (brain) lobe, Cut in two Displaced pregnancy (embryo implant outside uterus – usually oviduct) Swelling of tissues due to the accumulation of lymph Excessive vomiting Low blood sugar Cavity/space inside a bone, Inside the orbit or eye socket Layer of skin over the dermis, Coiled tubes above the testes equi-, homo-, isoerythr-esthe Homeostasis, Isotonic Erythrocyte Anesthesia Same, Equal, Balanced Red Sensation Constant internal balance (of body functions), Equal solute (ICF & ECF) Red blood cell With sensation or feeling Word Part #5 Word Part ex-, ectofasciforamgastr-gen, poie-, blast ger (o, i) glomgloss/tt, lingu gluc-, gly, -ose gyn Meaning Example(s) Outside Bundle Opening Stomach Create, Form Aging, Old Ball Tongue Sugar Woman Extracelluar fluid Muscle or nerve fascicle Infraorbital foramen Gastric bypass surgery Meaning of Example(s) Solute/fluid located outside of cells A bundle or grouping of muscle or nerve cells An opening in the bone below the eye for nerves & vessels to pass Surgery for obese patients to dramatically reduce stomach size Oogenesis, Hemopoiesis, Osteoblast Create an egg, Form new blood cells, Make new bone cells Gerontology, Geriatrics Study of aging, Branch of medicine dealing with older patients Glomerulus A ball of capillaries in the kidney where metabolic waste is filtered Hypoglossal, Sublingual Cranial nerve connected under the tongue, Salivary gland under tongue Glucose, Glycogen Monosaccharide of carbohydrates (sugars), Big molecule made of glucose Gynecologist Doctor specializing in the treatment of females & their repro system Word Part #6 Word Part Meaning Example(s) Something written Writing apparatus Print out of the electrical activity of the heart Blood Half Liver Six Tissue Over, Excessive Electrocardiogram (ECG) Electrocardiograph Electrocardiography Hemothorax Cerebral hemisphere Hepatitis Hexose Histology Hypertonic, Hyperesthesia hypo-, infra-, infer-,sub- Under, Below, Less Hypotonic, Infraorbital, Inferior, submandibular Lesser solute concentration, below eye, under the jaw Word Part Meaning Example(s) Uterus Condition of Inflammation of Between 1000, 1000th To move, Divide Milk Hysterectomy, Endometrium Cholelithiasis, Nephrosis Appendicitis Interstitial Fluid Kilogram, Milligram Kinesiology, Cytokinesis Lactose -gram -graph -graphy hemhemi-, semihepathexhisthyper- Use of writing apparatus Meaning of Example(s) Apparatus/machine used to make an electrocardiogram The use of the electrocardiograph Blood that has leaked into the chest cavity One half of the brain (left or right cerebral hemisphere) Inflammation of the liver (usually caused by viral infection) A sugar containing 6 carbons (glucose = C6H12O6) Study of tissues Greater solute concentration, Excessive/over sensitivity Word Part #7 hyster-, metr-iasis, -osis -itis interkilo-, millikinlact- Meaning of Example(s) Cutting out of uterus, Inner lining of uterus (lost each month in females) Having gallstones, Kidney disorder Inflammation (swelling, redness, warmth, & pain) of the appendix An extracellular fluid found between cells 1000 grams, 1000th of a gram Study of body movement (mechanics of muscles), Cell Division Milk sugar laparleuk(c)lig- Abdomen White Connect, Bind Laparscopy Leucopoeisis Ligaments, Ligase Abdomen viewed (small holes in abdomen replace large surgical incisions) The making of white blood cells (wbc’s) Connective tissue joining bone to bone, Enzyme that forms bonds Word Part #8 Word Part -logy, -ist, -ician lys, lyze macr-, mega, magnmamm-, mass-, pect- -mania med-, meso-, meta- -megaly melanomens-metric, -meter Meaning Example(s) Study of, Specialist Break apart, Dissolve Cardiology, Pharmacist, Dietician Study of heart, Drug/medicinal specialist, Nutrition specialist Hydrolysis, Lysosome Large Breast, Chest Macrophage, Magnum foramen Breaking down macromolecules, Organelle that digests/dissolves Big WBC that eats/digests, Large opening in skull for spinal cord Mammary, Massectomy, Pectoralis Obsession, Compulsion Kleptomania Middle Enlargement Black Month Mediastinum, Mesoderm, Metaphase Measurement, Length Splenomegaly Melanocyte Menstrual cycle Isometric, Spirometer Meaning of Example(s) Breast tissue, Breast removal, Chest muscle Compulsion to steal Middle space of chest cavity, Middle germ layer, Chromosomes in middle Enlargement of the spleen (usually due to infection) Black pigmented cells of the skin The ≈28 day cycle involving the endometrium of the uterus Using skeletal muscle w/o movement, Breathing/air measurement Word Part #9 Word Part Meaning Example(s) micro-, -ole, -ule mnemmono-, unimorph, -plasty mort, necrmulti-, polymutmyonas-, rhin nat- Small Memory One Shape Death Many Change Muscle Nose Birth Microscope, Arteriole, Venule Amnesia Monozygotic, Unicellular Morphology, Rhinoplasty Post mortem, Necrotic tissue Multinucleate, Polysaccharide Mutation Myopathy, Myofibril Nasal septum, Rhinovirus Prenatal Meaning of Example(s) Apparatus used to view small objects, Small artery, Small vein Loss of memory Twins coming from the same zygote (identical), 1-celled organism Differentiating/distinguishing by shape, Nose shaping (surgical repair) After death, dead tissue Many nuclei (ex. Skeletal muscle), Many monosaccharides Any change in the sequence of DNA Muscle disease, Skeletal muscle cell Division/wall in the nasal cavity, Virus frequently infecting the nose Before birth Word Part #10 Word Part Meaning Example(s) neonephr-, ren o(o), ovi oct New Kidney Egg Eight Eye Neonatal Nephrosclerosis, Renal vein Oophorectomy, Oviduct Octet rule Orbicularis occuli, Ophthalmologist Resembling, Shape of Sigmoid colon ocu, ophth, opt, orbit -oid Meaning of Example(s) Newborn Hardening of the kidney, Vessel carrying blood away from kidney Removal of ovary (egg maker), Tube transporting egg to uterus Atoms’ desire to fill its outer shell with 8 electrons (allows bonding) Muscle around eye (allows winking), Eye doctor S-shaped (end of colon, connects to rectum) olig-oma, onco -opia or(a) Little, Few Tumor Vision Mouth Oliguria Melanoma, Oncologist Hyperopia Orbicularis oris Word Part Meaning Example(s) -scopy ost-ostomy ot palp, tact para path ped, pod pent phago To view, See Bone Make an opening Ear Touch, Feel Beside Disease Foot, Feet Five Eat, Feed Arthroscopic surgery Osteoblast, Osteomyelitis Tracheostomy Otoscope Palpate, Tactile Parathyroid glands Pathogenic bacteria Pedal, Podiatrist Pentose Phagocyte Word Part Meaning Example(s) Drug Speech Vein Light Fear Function Growth, Formation Paralysis Breathing Lungs, Air Psychopharmic Dysphagia Phlebotomist Photoreceptor, Gastric lumen Hydrophobia Physiology Hyperplasia Quadriplegia Apnea ,Inspire Very little urine produced Tumor in the melanocytes of the skin, Tumor specialist Farsightedness (can see distance well, vision is blurry up close) Muscle around the mouth (allows puckering) Word Part #11 Meaning of Example(s) Inserting a camera into a joint to aid in surgery Maker of new bone cells, Bone infection Make an opening in the trachea/windpipe – due to blocked pharynx/throat) Instrument used to view the ear Feeling for physical abnormalities (bumps, hardness, swelling, etc.) Small glands imbedded into the sides of the thyroid gland (in neck) Disease causing bacteria (tetanus, E. coli, streptococcus, etc.) Involving the foot, Foot specialist 5 carbon sugar (deoxyribose, ribose) Eating cell (ex. – WBC’s engulfing bacteria & dead cells) Word Part #12 pharm -phasia phleb photo, lumen phobia, phobe phys -plasia plegia pnea, spir pneum, pulmon Meaning of Example(s) Drugs that affect the mind Difficulty speaking One who specializes in drawing blood Light sensitive cells of the eye, Space where digested food travels Fear of water (HAPoexaminophobe – One who fears HAP tests) Study of how something functions Excessive growth (tumor) Paralysis of all four limbs Moments of breathing cessation (usually during sleep), Breathing in Pneumothorax, Pulmonary embolus Air seeping into chest cavity, A blood clot stuck in the lungs Word Part #13 Word Part post prim proct pseudo psych, phren, -noia Meaning Example(s) After First Rectum, Anus False Mind Post natal Primary bronchus Proctoscope, Proctologist Pseudounipolar neuron Psychosis, Scizzophrenia Meaning of Example(s) After birth First branching of the airway beyond the trachea Apparatus used to view the rectum, Colon-Rectum-Anus specialist Neuron common in the eye General term for conditions affecting the brain, Split mind quad, tetra re-, retro -rrhea schlero sept, tox Four Back, Again, Past Flow, Discharge Hard (ening) Poison, Contaminate Quadriceps, Tetralogy of Fallot Reinfect, Retrograde amnesia Diarrhea, Otorrhea Arteriosclerosis, Scleroderma Antiseptic, Cytotoxin Meaning Example(s) Narrowing Layer Above, Over Fast Pressure Heat Clot Strength Three, Third Union Pyloric stenosis Stratified squamous epithelia The 4 large muscles (of the ventral thigh), 4 conditions of “blue babies” To become infected again, Inability to remember events of the recent past Flow through (feces through intestines), Ear discharge Hardening of the arteries, Hardening of the skin (and other tissues) Against poison (germ killer – lysol), Cell poison Word Part #14 Word Part sten strat super, supra tachy -tension therm thromb -tonic tri-, tertzyg Superier vena cava, Supraorbital Tachycardia Hypertension Thermoreceptor Thrombocyte Isotonic Triglyceride, Tertiary bronchus Zygote Meaning of Example(s) Narrowing of the distal stomach where it feeds into the small intestinge Many layers of flat cells (the skin is an example) Veins bringing blood from above the heart, Over the eye Faster than normal heart rate High blood pressure (pressure exerted on artery walls) Nerve receptors that detect changes in temperature Clotting cell (also called a platelet) Equal concentration of solute between ICF and ECF Lipid containing a glycerol & 3 fatty acids, 3rd division off trachea (airway) Union of egg and sperm ☺ The following information will be helpful to you but will not be on any of the weekly word part quizzes. Singular Plural -us (thrombus, nucleus) -a (ampulla) -ix, -ex (appendix, cortex) -ax (thorax) -ur (femur) -on (mitochondrion), -um (flagellum) -en (lumen, foramen) -is (neurosis) -i (thrombi, nuclei) -ae (ampullae) -ices (appendices, cortices) -aces (thoraces) -ora (femora) -a (mitochondria, flagella) -ena or –ina (lumena, foramina) -es (neuroses) Credit: http://cms.fhsdschools.org/
