Human Anatomy & Physiology: Latin and Greek Word-Part List (prefixes, suffixes, roots)
Students of any human anatomy and physiology 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.
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”.
You must have the chart filled out, and you will be quizzed on the material the first Friday of school.
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)bradybronchcardcatcent-
Meaning
Example Words
-centesis
cephal-, -ceps
chol-, cystic
chondr-cide
circ-, peri-clast
coel-, sinucorp-, soma-crine
cut, derm
cyan-cyte
dactyl, digit
dec(k)
dent, dont
dia-, per-, trans-
dys-, mal-ectomy, -tom, -sect
ectopedem-emesis
-emia
en, endo-, intraepiequi-, homo-, isoerythr-esthe
ex-, ectofasciforamgastr-
-gen, poie-, blast
ger (o, i) glomgloss/tt, lingu
gluc-, gly,
hemhemi-, semihepathexhisthyperhyster-, metr-iasis, -osis
-itis
interkinlactlaparleuk(c)-logy, -ist, -ician
lys, lyze
macr-, mega, magnmamm-, mass-, pect-
-mania
med-, meso-, meta-
-megaly
melanomens-ole, -ule
mnemmono-, unimorph, -plasty
mort, necrmulti-, polymutmyo-
nas-, rhin
nephr-, ren
o(o), ovi
oct
ocu, ophth, opt, orbit
-oid
olig-oma, onco
-opia
or(a)
ost-ostomy
ot
palp, tact
para
path
ped, pod
-phasia
phleb
photo, lumen
phobia, phobe
phys
-plasia
plegia
pnea, spir
pneum, pulmon
post
prim
proct
pseudo
phren,
quad, tetra
re-, retro
-rrhea
schlero
sten
strat
super, supra
tachy
-tension
therm
thromb
-tonic
tri-, tert-