Directional terms

COMBINING FORM DEFINITION

anter/o front

caud/o tail (downward)

cephal/o head (upward)

dist/o away (from the point of attachment)

dors/o back

infer/o below

later/o side

medi/o middle

poster/o back, behind

proxim/o near (the point of attachment)

super/o above

ventr/o belly (front)

2 ■ Diagnostic Imaging Combining Forms

COMBINING FORM DEFINITION

radi/o x-rays, ionizing radiation

son/o sound

tom/o to cut, section, or slice

3 ■ Prefixes

PREFIX DEFINITION

bi- two

uni- one

4 ■ Suffixes

SUFFIX DEFINITION

-ad toward

-al pertaining to

-gram the record, radiographic image

-graph instrument used to record, the record

-graphy process of recording, radiographic imaging

-ic pertaining to

-ior pertaining to

-logist one who studies and treats (specialist, physician)

-logy study of