Etymology and Language of Anatomy Reference

calor

heat

Anti

Against, opposed

ase

forms name of enzyme

cycl

Ring, circle

gluc

sweet, sugar

Gene

Origin, birth

mono

one

Inter

Within, inside

lys, lyt

split, break, dissolve

Met, meta

Between, middle

adip, lip

fat

Pro

Forward, before

macr, macro

big, large

Som, somat

body

poly

many

Stasis

placed, staying

-ose, sacchar-

sugar

Telo

end

de

not, away from

Kine

move

cata

breakdown, downward

Co

With, together

hydr

water

Onc

Mass, tumor

di, dipl

two, double

sym, syn

together

zygo

yolk

non

not

bi

two, into two parts

ploid

chromosome

ex

out of, away from

dis, dia, dif

Through, apart, across

hyper

more, excessive

hetero

different

hypo, infra

less, below

homo

same

iso

equal, same

karyo

nucleus

pino

drink

oo, ov

egg

phago

to feed or eat

hapl

One, simple

hem

blood

eu

true.

tetr

four

trans, per

through

re

Again, repeat

cyte

cell

uni

one

phil

loving, fond of

multi

many

en, endo, ent

in, into, within

retro

backward, behind

aero

air

chlor

green

photo

light

phyll

leaf

tri

three (3)

plasm, plast

form, formed into

a, an

not, without

auto

self

lact

milk

gymno

bare

bryo

moss

sperm

having seeds

meso

middle

thigmo

touch

anter

front

dors, noto

the back

ventr

belly

zo, zoa

animal

pod, ped

foot

cephal

head

card

heart

erythro

red

leuco, leuko

white

gastr

stomach

pneumo, pulmo

lungs, breathe

pharyn

throat

chondr

cartilage

oste

bone

myo

muscle

hist

tissue

itis

inflammation of

derm

skin

nephr

kidney

epi

above

Anterior

refers to the plane where the face of the organism is located.

Posterior

the opposite direction of the facial plane.

Superior

the top of the organism when standing in anatomical position.

Inferior

the bottom.

Ventral

means 'belly' - this would be the plane where the belly is found.

Dorsal

means 'the back' which would be the opposite direction as the belly.

Proximal

refers to towards the trunk of the body.

Distal

refers to the direction away from the body.

Cephalic

is towards the head.

Caudal

is towards the tail.

Medial

is towards the midline of the organism.

Lateral

is away from the midline.