Medical Word Roots: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms

Alphabetical list of common prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes used in anatomy and physiology, detailing their core meanings and illustrative medical examples.

a-, an-

not, without (e.g., acardia, lack of a heart; anaerobic, in the absence of oxygen)

ab-

off, from, away (e.g., abnormal, departing from normal)

acou-

hearing (e.g., acoustics, the science of sound)

acr-, acro-

at the apex, extremity; peak (e.g., acrodermatitis, inflammation of the skin of the extremities)

ad-

to, toward (e.g., adorbital, toward the orbit)

aden-, adeno-

gland (e.g., adeniform, resembling a gland in shape)

aero-

air (e.g., aerobic respiration, oxygen-requiring metabolism)

af-

toward (e.g., afferent neurons, which carry impulses to the central nervous system)

alb-

white (e.g., corpus albicans of the ovary, a white scar tissue)

amphi-

on both sides; of both kinds (e.g., amphibian, an organism capable of living both in water and on land)

ana-

apart, up, again (e.g., anaphase of mitosis, when the chromosomes separate)

angi-

vessel (e.g., angiitis, inflammation of a lymphatic vessel or blood vessel)

ant-, anti-

against, opposite (e.g., anticoagulant, a substance that prevents blood coagulation)

ante-

preceding; before (e.g., antecubital, in front of the elbow)

ap-, api-

tip, extremity (e.g., apex of the heart)

append-

hang to (e.g., appendicular skeleton)

aqua-, aque-

water (e.g., aqueous solutions)

areola-

open space (e.g., areolar connective tissue, a loose connective tissue)

arthr-, arthro-

joint (e.g., arthropathy, any joint disease)

artic-

joint (e.g., articular surfaces of bones, the points of connection)

atri-

vestibule (e.g., atria, upper chambers of the heart)

aut-, auto-

self (e.g., autogenous, self-generated)

ax-, axi-, axo-

axis, axle (e.g., axial skeleton, axis of vertebral column)

azyg-

unpaired (e.g., azygous vein, an unpaired vessel)

basal

base (e.g., basal lamina of epithelial basement membrane)

bi-

two (e.g., bicuspid, having two cusps)

bio-

life (e.g., biology, the study of life and living organisms)

blast-

bud, germ (e.g., blastocyte, undifferentiated embryonic cell)

brachi-

arm (e.g., brachial plexus of peripheral nervous system supplies the arm)

brev-

short (e.g., peroneus brevis, a short leg muscle)

broncho-

the windpipe (e.g., bronchospasm, spasmodic contraction of bronchial muscle)

bucco-

cheek (e.g., buccolabial, pertaining to the cheek and lip)

capit-

head (e.g., decapitate, remove the head)

carcin-

crab, cancer (e.g., carcinogen, a cancer-causing agent)

cardi-, cardio-

heart (e.g., cardiotoxic, harmful to the heart)

carneo-

flesh (e.g., trabeculae carneae, ridges of muscle in the ventricles of the heart)

caud-

tail (e.g., caudal, a directional term)

celi-

abdominal (e.g., celiac artery)

cephal-

head (e.g., cephalometer, an instrument for measuring the head)

cerebr-

brain, especially the cerebrum (e.g., cerebrospinal, pertaining to the brain and spinal cord)

cervic, cervix

neck (e.g., cervical vertebrae, vertebrae located in the neck)

chondr-

cartilage (e.g., chondrogenic, giving rise to cartilage)

cili-

small hair (e.g., ciliated epithelium)

circum-

around (e.g., circumnuclear, surrounding the nucleus)

clavic-

key (e.g., clavicle, a 'skeleton key')

co-, con-

with, together (e.g., concentric, common center, together in the center)

coel-

hollow (e.g., coelom, the ventral body cavity)

commis-

united (e.g., gray commissure of the spinal cord connects the two columns of gray matter)

contra-

against (e.g., contraceptive, agent preventing conception)

corn-, cornu-

horn (e.g., stratum corneum, outer layer of the skin composed of horny cells)

corona

crown (e.g., coronal suture of the skull)

corp-

body (e.g., corpse; corpus luteum, hormone-secreting body in the ovary)

cort-

bark (e.g., cortex, the outer layer of the brain, kidney, adrenal glands, and lymph nodes)

cost-

rib (e.g., intercostal, between the ribs)

crani-

skull (e.g., craniotomy, a skull operation)

crypt-

hidden (e.g., cryptomenorrhea, experiencing menstrual symptoms with no external loss of blood)

cubit

the elbow (e.g., cubital fossa, depression on the anterior side of the elbow)

cusp-

pointed (e.g., bicuspid and tricuspid valves of the heart)

cyst-

sac, bladder (e.g., cystitis, inflammation of the urinary bladder)

cyt-

cell (e.g., cytology, the study of cells)

de-

from, down, out (e.g., deactivation, becoming inactive)

decid-

falling off (e.g., deciduous milk teeth)

delta

triangular (e.g., deltoid muscle, roughly triangular in shape)

den-, dent-

tooth (e.g., dens process of axis, a tooth-shaped process)

dendr-

tree, branch (e.g., dendrites, branches of a neuron)

derm-

skin (e.g., dermis, deep layer of the skin)

di-

twice, double (e.g., dimorphism, having two forms)

dia-

across, separate, through, between (e.g., diaphragm, the wall through or between two areas)

dors-

the back (e.g., dorsal; dorsum; dorsiflexion)

duc-, duct

lead, draw (e.g., ductus deferens, carries sperm from the epididymis to the urethra)

dura-

hard (e.g., dura mater, tough outer meninx)

dys-

difficult, faulty, bad (e.g., dyspepsia, disturbed digestion)

ec-, ex-, ecto-

out, outside, from (e.g., excrete, to remove materials from the body)

ef-

away (e.g., efferent nerve fibers, which carry impulses away from the central nervous system)

en-, em-

in, into (e.g., encysted, enclosed in a cyst or capsule)

endo-

within, inner (e.g., endoderm, innermost of the three embryonic layers)

entero-

intestine (e.g., enterologist, specialized in intestinal disorders)

epi-

over, above (e.g., epidermis, outer layer of skin)

erythr-

red (e.g., erythrocyte, red blood cell)

eu-

well (e.g., euesthesia, a normal state of the senses)

exo-

outside, outer layer (e.g., exophthalmos, abnormal protrusion of the eye)

extra-

outside, beyond (e.g., extracellular, outside the body cells)

extrins-

from the outside (e.g., extrinsic muscles of the tongue)

fasci-, fascia-

bundle, band (e.g., superficial and deep fascia)

fenestra-

window (e.g., fenestrated capillaries)

fontan-

fountain (e.g., fontanelles of the skull)

foram-

opening (e.g., foramen magnum of the skull)

foss-

ditch (e.g., mandibular fossa of the skull)

gangli-

swelling or knot (e.g., dorsal root ganglia of the spinal nerves)

gastr-

stomach (e.g., gastrin, a hormone influencing gastric acid secretion)

germin-

grow (e.g., germinal epithelium of the gonads)

glosso-

tongue (e.g., glossopathy, any disease of the tongue)

glute-

buttock (e.g., gluteus maximus, largest muscle of the buttock)

gon-, gono-

seed, offspring (e.g., gonads, the sex organs)

hema-, hemato-, hemo-

blood (e.g., hematocyst, a cyst containing blood)

hemi-

half (e.g., hemiglossal, pertaining to one half of the tongue)

hepat-

liver (e.g., hepatitis, inflammation of the liver)

hetero-

different, other (e.g., heterosexuality, sexual desire for the opposite sex)

hist-

tissue (e.g., histology, the study of tissues)

holo-

whole (e.g., holocrine glands, whose secretions are whole cells)