VETN 105B: Medical Terminology - ALL Systems

Ab-

Ab-

away from

Ad-

toward

Albin/o

no color

-algia

pain

Ambi-

both

Amphi-

both, on both sides

Ankl/o

Stiff, not moveable, crooked, bent

Ante-

before, prior to, in front of

Arth/o, Articul/o

joints

-blast

bud, germinal, seed (production)
ex: osteoblast - bone cell production

Brachi/o

brachium, humerus (arm)

Carp/o

Carpus (wrist bones on foreleg)

Cervic/o

Neck
ex: cervical vertebrae

Chlor/o

Green
ex: chlorophyll in plants

Chondr/o

Cartilage

Chrom/o

Color

Cirrh/o

Orange

-clast

To break
ex: osteoclast - remodels/destroys bone

Coccyg/o

Tail
ex: coccygeal vertebrae

Cost/o

Ribs
ex: costal bones (rib bones)

Cox/o

Hip
ex: os coxae

Crani/o

Head

Cyan/o

Blue

-cyte

Cell
ex: osteocyte, chondrocyte

Dactyl/o

Dactyl or digit (fingers and toes)

Dia-

Through, between, apart, across

Digit/o

Digit, finger, toe

-dynia

Pain (interchangeable with -algia)

End-, Endo-

Inner, within

Epi-

On or upon

Erythr/o

Red
ex: erythrocyte - red blood cell

Ex-, Exo-

Out, outside, outer, away from,

Femor/o

Femur

Fibul/o

Fibula

Gen/o, -genesis

Formation or the beginning

Gnath/o

Jaw

Humer/o

humerus (upper arm bone)

Ile/o

Ileum (distal portion of the small intestine)

Ili/o

Ilium (bone in the pelvis)

Inter-

between, among

Intra-

Within, inside

Ischi/o

Ischium (one of the bones that make up the pelvis)

Leuk/o

White
ex: leukocytes - white blood cells

Lumb/o

Loin (lower part of the back between hip bones and ribs)
ex: lumbar vertebrae

Mal-

Diseased, bad, abnormal, defective
ex: malignant

Malac/o

Soft, softening

Mandibul/o

Mandible (lower jaw)

Maxill/o

Maxilla (upper jaw)

Melan/o

Black, dark

Meta-

Beyond, after, next
Ex: metatarsals, metacarpals

Myel/o

Bone marrow

-oma

A tumor or abnormal growth

Orth/o

Straight, normal, connect
ex: orthodontist - straighten teeth

Os/Osse

Bone

Pachy-

Thick

Patell/o

Patella

Pelv/i, Pelv/o

Pelvis

Peri-

Around or surrounding
Ex: perimeter

Phalang/o

Phalanges

Physi/o

To make grow, to produce

Plas/o

Growth, development, formation

-plasm

Formed material (as of a cell or tissue)

Pod/o

Foot
ex: podiatrist - foot specialist

Por/o

A pore, small opening, or cavity

Post-

After, behind, later

Pro-

Before, anterior, in front of

Pub/o

Pubis - one of the bones that make up the pelvis

Purpur/o

Purple

Radi/o

Radius or radiation

Rubr/o

Red

Sacr/o

Sacrum - bones lying dorsally between the two hip bones)

Scapul/o

Scapula

Skelet/o

Skeleton, the bony and some of the cartilaginous framework

Spondyl/o

Vertebrae

Stern/o

Sternum (breast bone)

Syn-

together, joined, with

Tars/o

Tarsus

Thorac/o

Thorax

Tibi/o

Tibia

Tuber/o

Rounded projection, knob
ex: great tubercle, tibial tuberosity

Uln/o

Ulna

Vertebr/o

Vertebra/vertebrae (backbone)

Xanth/o

yellow

Plas/o

Growth, development, formation

A-

Without, no, not

Ab-

Away from
ex: abnormal - away from normal
abduct - away from body

Ad-

Toward
ex: Adduct - towards body

An-

Without, no, not

Bi-

Two (2)

Bi/o

life

Cardi/o

Heart

Cat/a

Down, reverse, backwards, degenerative
ex: cataclysm - destruction/degenerative

Centi-

One-hundredth, 10^-2 or 0.01

Cep

Head, origin of a muscle
ex: Biceps - two heads

Cephal/o

Head, skull
ex: brachiocephalicus muscle

Contra-

Against, contrary, opposing

Cry/o

Freezing, icy cold

De-

Removal, separation, reduction

Deci-

one tenth, 10^-1 or 0.1

Di-

two, double (2)