Comprehensive Medical and Biological Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words

a/an

not/without

meso

middle

aero

air

anti

opposite/against

amphi

both kinds

-itis

inflammation

-lateral

side

-logy

study of

-lysis

breaking down

-meter

measure

bio

life

cephal

head

chioro

green

chromo

color/pigment

cyto

cell

derm

skin

ecto

outside/external

endo/en/endon

inside, within

epi

on top of

gastro

stomach

herba

plant

hetero

different

homo

same

neuro

nerve

kary

nucleus

soma

body

primi/archea

first/beginning/primitive

hypo

below

intra

within

mono

one

morph

change

poly/multi

many/multiple

sym

together

pseudo

false

macro-

large/big

micro-

small

coel-

hollow/cavity

ana-

up/back/again

physio-

physical

viscerto-

guts/intestines

hist-

tissue

lip-

fat

dist-

away from midline

myo-

muscle

oma

tumor

gen/genesis

origin/production

osis-

abnormal condition

ventr/o-

front, belly

dors/o-

back

a-

not or without