Honors Anatomy - Vocab

Prefixes and Suffixes

ab-

from, away
ex: abnormal, away from normal

ad-

to, near, toward - ex: adrenal: adjoining the kidney

ante-

before - ex: antepartum: before delivery

anti-

against - ex: antiseptic: against infection

brady-

slow - ex: bradycardia: slow heart rate

circum-

around - ex: circumocular: around the eye

co-

with, together - ex: coordination: working together

con-

with, together - ex: congenital: with birth

contra-

against - ex: contraindicated: not indicated

counter-

against - ex: counterirritant: nonirritating

dis-

apart from - ex: disarticulation: taking a joint apart

ect-

outside - ex: ectonuclear: outside the nucleus of a cell

end-

within - ex: endocardium: membrane lining the inside of the heart

epi-

upon - ex: epidermis: upon the dermal layer of skin

ex-

out from - ex: exhale: to breathe out

hyper-

above - ex: hypertension: higher than normal blood pressure

hypo-

under - ex: hypodermic: under the skin

im-

not - ex: immature: not mature

in-

not - ex: incurable: not curable

infra-

under - ex: infrapatellar: under the kneecap

media-

middle - ex: mediastinum: region of the chest cavity between the lungs

peri-

around - ex: pericardium: membrane around the heart

post-

after - ex: postmortem: after death

pre-

before - ex: prenatal: before birth

pro-

before - ex: prognosis: a prediction

super-

above - ex: superciliary: above the eyebrow

supra-

above - ex: suprapubic: above the pubic bone

sym-

with, together - ex: symphysis: a fusion

syn-

with, together - ex: synanthrosis: a bony union

tach-

rapid - ex: tachycardia: rapid heart rate

trans-

through - ex: transurethral: through the urethra

abdomin/o-

abdomen - ex: abdominal: pertaining to the abdomen

acr/o-

extremity - ex: acromegaly: having usually large extremities

aden/o-

gland - ex: adenitis: inflammation of a joint

angi/o-

vessel - ex: angiogram: visualization of blood vessels

arthr/o-

joint - ex: arthritis: inflammation of a joint

cardi/o-

heart - ex: cardiology: study of the heart

chol/e-

gallbladder - ex: cholecystitis: inflammation of the gallbladder

chondr/o-

cartilage - ex: chondroma: a cartilaginous tumor

cyst/o-

bladder - ex: cystoscopy: examination of the inside of the bladder

cyt/o-

cell - ex: cytokinesis: cytoplasmic division

dent/a-

tooth - ex: dental: referring to the teeth

dermat/o-

duodenum - ex: duodenal: having to do with duodenum (first portion of small intestine)

enter/o-

intestine - ex: ent

gastr/o-

stomach - ex: gastroscopy: viewing the interior surface of the stomach

hepat/o-

liver - ex: hepatitis: inflammation of the liver

laryn/go-

larynx - ex: laryngoscope: instrument for viewing inside the larynx

my/o-

muscle - ex: myocardium: heart muscle

nephr/o-

kidney - ex: nephrology: study of the kidneys

neur/o-

nerve - ex: neurologist: physician specializing in diseases of the nervous system

ocul/o- or opt/o-

eye - ex: optical: pertaining to vision

oste/o-

bone - ex: osteocyte: bone cell

ot/o-

ear - ex: otology: study of the ear

path/o-

disease - ex: pathological: relating to disease

pneumon/o-

lung - ex: pneumonia: inflammation of the lung

rhin/o-

nose - ex: rhinitis: inflammation of the nasal passages

stomat/o-

mouth - ex: stomatitis: inflammation of the mouth

thorac/o-

thorax (chest) - ex: thoracentesis: puncture of the thorax for the removal of fluid

uni- , mon- ,

one - ex: unicellular: consisting of one cell, mononuclear: having one nucleus

bi-, bin-, di-

two - ex: bilateral, binocular, dicephalic (two headed)

ter-, tri

three - ex: tertiary, trilobar

quadr-, tetra-,

four

poly-

many

macr-

large

mega-

great/large

micro-

small

oligo-

few

-ac, -ious, -ic

related to - ex: cardiac (relating to the heart), contagious (communicable by touch), pyloric (relating to the pyloric valve)

-ism, -osis, -tion

condition - ex: mutism (inability to speak), tuberculosis (infection by tuberculosis bacteria)

-ist, -or, -er, -ician

agent (one who practices)

-centesis

to puncture - ex: amniocentesis (puncture of the amniotic sac)

-ectomy

to cut out or remove - ex: appendectomy (excision of the appendix)

-ostomy

to cut to form an opening - ex: tracheotomy: cut into the trachea

-pexy

to fix or repair - ex: gastropexy: repair of the stomach

-plasty

to repair or reform - ex: rhinoplasty: repair of the nose

-( r )rhaphy

to suture (stitch back together) - ex: arteriography: suture of an artery

-scopy

to view - ex: otoscopy: to view the ear canal

-algia

pain - ex: neuralgia: nerve pain

-emia

of the blood - ex: bacteremia: bacteria in the blood

-gram

writing - ex: electrocardiogram: tracing of the electrical activity of the heart

-itis

inflammation of - ex: appendicitis: inflammation of the appendix

-ology

study of - ex: ophthalmology: study of the eye

-orrrhea

flow - ex: amenorrhea: cessation of menstrual flow

-phobia

fear of - ex: arachnophobia: fear of spiders