Human Anatomy Roots, Prefixes, And Suffixes

Front 1

a-

Back 1

without, lack of
ex: asymptomatic (absence of symptoms)

Front 2

ab-

Back 2

away from
ex: abstinence (to hold back from)

Front 3

acou-

Back 3

hearing
ex: acoustics (science of sound)

Front 4

-ac, -al

Back 4

pertaining to
ex: cardiac (the heart), myocardial (heart muscle)

Front 5

ad-

Back 5

to, toward, near to
ex: adduction (move toward midline)

Front 6

aden-, adeno-

Back 6

gland
ex: adenoma (tumor of a gland)

Front 7

af-

Back 7

toward
ex: afferent (moving toward)

Front 8

albi-

Back 8

white
ex: albinuria (passing of pale or white urine)

Front 9

-algia

Back 9

painful condition
ex: myalgia (muscle pain)

Front 10

an-

Back 10

without, lack of
ex: anesthesia (absence of pain)

Front 11

andro-

Back 11

male
ex: androgens (male hormones)

Front 12

angi-, angio-

Back 12

vessel
ex: angiopathy (disease of blood vessels)

Front 13

ante-

Back 13

before
ex: antepartum (before birth)

Front 14

anti-

Back 14

against
ex: anticoagulant (prevents blood from clotting)

Front 15

apo-

Back 15

separated from, off
ex: apodia (congenital absence of feet)

Front 16

arthr-, arthro-

Back 16

joint
ex: arthritis (inflamation of a joint)

Front 17

-ary

Back 17

associated with
ex: uninary (associated with urine)

Front 18

-asis, -asia

Back 18

condition or state of
ex: homeostasis (state of metabolic balance)

Front 19

audio-

Back 19

hearing
ex: auditory (belonging to the hearing sense)

Front 20

auri-

Back 20

ear
ex: auricle (ear shaped)

Front 21

auto-

Back 21

self
ex: autolysis (self breakdown)

Front 22

baro-

Back 22

weight, pressure
ex: baroreceptor (receptor for pressure changes)

Front 23

bi-

Back 23

twice, double
ex: bicuspid (two cusps)

Front 24

-blast

Back 24

germ, bud
ex: chondroblast (cartilage-producing cell)

Front 25

brachi-

Back 25

arm
ex: brachial (of the arm)

Front 26

brady-

Back 26

slow
ex: bradycardia (slow heart rate)

Front 27

bucc-

Back 27

cheek
ex: buccal cavity (inside cheek region)

Front 28

callo-

Back 28

thick
ex: callosity (thickening of keratinized layer of epidermis)

Front 29

carcin-

Back 29

cancer
ex: carcinogenic (causing cancer)

Front 30

cardio-

Back 30

heart
ex: cardiogram (register of heart activity)

Front 31

caud-

Back 31

tail
ex: caudal (by the tail)

Front 32

cephal-

Back 32

head
ex: cephalic (by the head)

Front 33

cerebro-

Back 33

brain
ex: cerebrospinal (of the brain and spinal cord)

Front 34

chondro-

Back 34

cartilage, gristle
ex: chondrocyte (cartilage cell)

Front 35

-cide

Back 35

kill
ex: spermicide (agent that kills sperm)

Front 36

circum-

Back 36

around
ex: circumduction (movement forming a circle)

Front 37

-clast

Back 37

break
ex: osteoclast (cell that breaks down bone)

Front 38

co-, com-

Back 38

with, together
ex: cooperate, gray commissure (connects right/left horns)

Front 39

contra-

Back 39

against, opposite
ex: contralateral (opposite side)

Front 40

cost-

Back 40

rib
ex: intercostals (between the ribs)

Front 41

crani-

Back 41

skull
ex: cranial activity (where the brain is)

Front 42

cune-

Back 42

wedge
ex: cuneiform (wedge shaped)

Front 43

cuti-

Back 43

skin
ex: subcutaneous (under the skin)

Front 44

cyan-

Back 44

blue color
ex: cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin)

Front 45

cysti-, cysto-

Back 45

sac, bladder
ex: cystoscope (instrument for examining inside of bladder)

Front 46

-cyte, ctyo-

Back 46

cell
ex: erythrocyte (red blood cell), cytology (study of cells)

Front 47

demi-

Back 47

half
ex: costal demifacet (half-moon facet on vertebra for rib articulation)

Front 48

derm-

Back 48

skin
ex: dermatology (study of skin)

Front 49

di-, diplo-

Back 49

two
ex: diploid (two sets of chromosomes)

Front 50

duct-, -duct

Back 50

lead, draw
ex: ovarian duct, adduct (to lead away from)

Front 51

dur-

Back 51

hard
ex: dura mater (tough menix of CNS)

Front 52

dys-

Back 52

painful, difficult, bad
ex: dysuria (painful urination)

Front 53

e-, ec-, ef-, ex-

Back 53

out, from
ex: efferent (carries away from), excretion (eliminate from)

Front 54

ecto-

Back 54

outside, outer
ex: ectocardia (displacement of hear)

Front 55

-ectomy

Back 55

to cut out
ex: appendectomy (removal of appendix)

Front 56

ede-, -edem

Back 56

swelling
ex: myodema (muscle swelling)

Front 57

-el, -elle

Back 57

small
ex: organelle (tiny structure that performs specific cellular functions)

Front 58

endo-

Back 58

within
ex: endocardium (lining within heart chambers)

Front 59

entero-

Back 59

intestine
ex: enteritis (inflamation of intestines)

Front 60

epi-

Back 60

upon, on
ex: epicardium (membrane covering heart)

Front 61

ex-, exo-

Back 61

outside
ex: exhale (breathe out), exocrine (gland that secretes to outside)

Front 62

extra-

Back 62

outside
ex: extracellular (ouside the cell)

Front 63

-ferent

Back 63

carry
ex: afferent (carries toward)

Front 64

-form

Back 64

resembling, shape of
ex: fusiform (spindle-shaped)

Front 65

gastr-, gastro-

Back 65

stomach
ex: gastric ulcer (stomach ulcer)

Front 66

-genesis, -genic

Back 66

produce, origin
ex: gluconeogenesis (glucose from another molecule), carcinogenic (causes cancer)

Front 67

gloss-, glosso-

Back 67

tongue
ex: hypoglossal (under the tongue)

Front 68

glyco-

Back 68

sugar, sweet
ex: glycolysis (breakdown of glucose)

Front 69

gyn-

Back 69

female, woman
ex: gynecology (treatment of female reproductive organs)

Front 70

hapto-

Back 70

single
ex: haploid (single set of chromosomes)

Front 71

hem-, hemato-

Back 71

blood
ex: hematology (study of blood)

Front 72

hepato-

Back 72

liver
ex: hepatitis (inflamation of the liver)

Front 73

hetero-

Back 73

different
ex: heterosexual (involving different sexes)

Front 74

hist-, histo-

Back 74

tissue
ex: histology (study of tissues)

Front 75

holo-

Back 75

whole, entire
ex: hologynic (manifests only in females), holocrania (absence of all bones of skull vault)

Front 76

homo-, homeo-

Back 76

same
ex: homeostasis (constancy of body parameters)

Front 77

hydro-

Back 77

water
ex: hydroadipsia (absence of thirst for water)

Front 78

hyper-

Back 78

over, above
ex: hypertrophy (overgrowth of cells or part)

Front 79

hypo-

Back 79

below, under
ex: hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Front 80

idio-

Back 80

self, distinct
ex: idopathic (disease of unknown source)

Front 81

intra-

Back 81

below
ex: infraspinatus (below the spine of scapula)

Front 82

inter-

Back 82

between
ex: interosseous (between two bones)

Front 83

-issimus

Back 83

greatest
ex: latissimus (widest)

Front 84

iso-

Back 84

equal, same
ex: isotonic (same concentration)

Front 85

-itis

Back 85

inflammation
ex: neuritis (inflamation of nerve)

Front 86

juxta-

Back 86

near
ex: juxtaglomerular (near the glomerulus)

Front 87

labi-

Back 87

lip
ex: labia major (thickened folds of skin and connective tissue in female external genitalia)

Front 88

lacto-

Back 88

milk
ex: lactose (milk sugar)

Front 89

leuko-

Back 89

white
ex: leukocyte (white blood cell)

Front 90

lip-

Back 90

fat
ex: lipid (an operational term denoting solubility characteristics; "fat soluble")

Front 91

-logy

Back 91

study
ex: urology (study of unrinary system)

Front 92

-lysis

Back 92

breaking up, disolve
ex: hemolysis (breaking up erythrocytes)

Front 93

macro-

Back 93

large
ex: macrophage (certain large leukocytes)

Front 94

mamm-, mast-

Back 94

breat
ex: mammary glands, mastectomy (breast removal)

Front 95

medi-

Back 95

middle
ex: medial (toward midline)

Front 96

melano-

Back 96

black
ex: melanocyte (dark pigment-producing cell)

Front 97

-mers, -meres

Back 97

parts
ex: polymers (larger molecules made of monomers)

Front 98

meta-

Back 98

after, beyond
ex: metastasis 9beyond the original position)

Front 99

micro-

Back 99

small
ex: microorganism (very small organism)

Front 100

mono

Back 100

one, single
ex: monomer (a single part), monosaccharide (a simple or single sugar)

Front 101

morph-

Back 101

form, shape
ex: morphology (study of shape)

Front 102

myo-

Back 102

muscle
ex: myometrium (muscular wall of uterus)

Front 103

necro-

Back 103

dead
ex: necrotic (being of dead tissue)

Front 104

neo-

Back 104

new
ex: neonatal (newborn)

Front 105

nephro-

Back 105

kidney
ex: nephrology (study of kidneys)

Front 106

neuro-

Back 106

nerve
ex: neurilemma (nerve cell membrane)

Front 107

oculo-, ophthalm

Back 107

eye
ex: oculomotor (movement of the eye), ophthalmology (study of the eye)

Front 108

odonto-

Back 108

tooth
ex: odontoid (shaped like a tooth)

Front 109

-ole

Back 109

little
ex: arteriole (small artery-like vessel)

Front 110

oligo-

Back 110

few, little, deficient
ex: oliguria (little urine output)

Front 111

-oma

Back 111

tumor
ex: carcinoma (cancerous tumor), osteoma (benign bone tumor)

Front 112

oo-

Back 112

egg
ex: oocyte (egg cell)

Front 113

-osis

Back 113

condition of
ex: osteoporosis (having bones that are porous)

Front 114

osse-, osteo-

Back 114

bone
ex: osteoblast (bone-forming cell)

Front 115

oto-

Back 115

ear
ex: otogenic (originating within the ear)

Front 116

para-

Back 116

near, beside
ex: paranasal (by the nose)

Front 117

-pathy

Back 117

disease
ex: neurophathy (nerve disease)

Front 118

pelv-

Back 118

basin
ex: renal pelvis (collection area in kidney)

Front 119

-penia

Back 119

deficiency
ex: leucopenia (deficiency of leukocytes)

Front 120

peri-

Back 120

around
ex: periosteum (membrane covering bones)

Front 121

phag-

Back 121

eat
ex: phagocytosis (cellular eating)

Front 122

phil-

Back 122

have an affinity for
ex: lipophilic (associates with fat)

Front 123

-plegia

Back 123

paralyze, stroke
ex: paraplegia (paralysis of lower extremities)

Front 124

pneumo-

Back 124

air, gas, lungs
ex: pneumothorax (air in the pleural cavity)

Front 125

-poie, -poiesis

Back 125

make, formatin of
ex: erythropoietin (hormone that stimulates erythrocyte production)

Front 126

poly-

Back 126

many
ex: polycythemia (excess erythrocytes)

Front 127

post-

Back 127

after
ex: postnatal (after birth)

Front 128

pre-

Back 128

before in time, place
ex: prenatal (before birth)

Front 129

pro-

Back 129

before in time, place
ex: prosect (to cut for demonstration)

Front 130

pseudo-

Back 130

false
ex: pseudostratified (not tru layered)

Front 131

quad-

Back 131

fourfold
ex: quadriceps femoris (4-headed muscle of anterior thigh)

Front 132

rami-

Back 132

branch
ex: ramus (primary division of a nerve)

Front 133

rect-

Back 133

straight
ex: rectus abdominis (stright muscle of abdomen)

Front 134

reno-

Back 134

kidney
ex: renal (of the kidney)

Front 135

retro-

Back 135

backward, behind
ex: retroperitoneal (posterior to the peritoneum)

Front 136

sclero-

Back 136

hard
ex: arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

Front 137

semi-

Back 137

half
ex: semilunar (half-moon shaped)

Front 138

serrate-

Back 138

saw-edged
ex: serratus anterior (muscle of the thorax)

Front 139

somato-

Back 139

body
ex: somatotropin (growth hormone)

Front 140

steno-

Back 140

narrow
ex: stenosis (narrowing of opening)

Front 141

sterno-

Back 141

breast, chest
ex: sternum (bone over heart and medial to ribs)

Front 142

stria-

Back 142

stripe
ex: striated (showing stripes or lines)

Front 143

sub-

Back 143

under
ex: subcutaneous (under the skin)

Front 144

super-, supra-

Back 144

above, upper
ex: supercilia (upper brows), suprarenal (superior to the kidney)

Front 145

sym-, syn-

Back 145

together, with
ex: symphysis (growing together), synapse (where neurons, or neuron and muscle fiber, meet)

Front 146

tachy-

Back 146

fast
ex: tachycardia (rapid heart rate)

Front 147

therm-

Back 147

heat
ex: thermometer (tool to measure temperature)

Front 148

thorac-

Back 148

chest
ex: thoracic cavity ( body cavity containing heart, lungs)

Front 149

thrombo-

Back 149

blood clot
ex: thrombocyte (platelet)

Front 150

-tomy

Back 150

cut, incise
ex: appendectomy (removal of appendix)

Front 151

topo-

Back 151

place, position
ex: ectopic (being out of place)

Front 152

trans-

Back 152

across
ex: transdermal (across the skin)

Front 153

tri-

Back 153

three
ex: triceps brachii (three-headed muscle)

Front 154

-tropic

Back 154

influencing
ex: gonadotropic (effecting the gonads)

Front 155

tunica-

Back 155

layer, coat
ex: tunica interna (inner part of blood vessel)

Front 156

ultra-

Back 156

beyond, excess
ex: ultradian (more than every 24 hours)

Front 157

uni-

Back 157

one
ex: unicellular (single cell)

Front 158

-uria

Back 158

urine
ex: polyuria (excess urine)

Front 159

vas-

Back 159

vessel
ex: vasodilation (widening of lumen of blood vessel)

Front 160

vertebro-

Back 160

spine
ex: vertebrae (bones of the spine)

Front 161

villo-

Back 161

hair
ex: microvilli (minute projections of cell membrane)

Front 162

viscer-

Back 162

internal organ
ex: visceral (of the internal organs)

Front 163

zyg-

Back 163

yoked, paired, union
ex: azygos (unpaired anatomical structure)