Word Roots
Most anatomical terms are made up of a combination of four parts, the word root, the combining vowel, the prefix, and the suffix
The root is the foundation of the word.
The combining vowel – usually o – links the root to the suffix, prefix, or the root to
another root
A prefix is added to the beginning of the word to change its meaning
A suffix is the word ending. It is added to the end of a word root or combining form to
change its meaning
adip- fat
alg- pain
angi- vessel
arthr- joint
aut- self
bio- life, living
brachi- arm
bronch- trachea, windpipe
capit- head
cardi, cardia, cardio- heart
caud- tail
cephal- head
cerebro- brain
chondr- cartilage
crani- skull
cry, cryo- cold
cut- skin
cyt, cyto, cyte- cell
dactyl- digits
derma, demato- skin
dors- back
ede- swell
endo- within
entero- intestine
erythro- red
gastr- stomach
gloss- tongue
gyn, gyne- female, women
hem, hemat- blood
hepar, hepato- liver
hist- tissue
a, ab, abs -- away from
a, an -- negative, no, not, without
ad -- to, toward
aer -- air
amb -- both, on both sides
amph -- around, on both sides
ante -- before
anti -- against
bi, bis -- twice, double
brachy -- short, around
co, col, com, con -- with together
contra -- against, counter
di, diplo -- two, double
dia -- through, between
dis -- negative, separation, apart
dys -- bad, painful, difficult
ecto, exo -- outside
em, en -- in, on
end -- inside
epi -- upon, on, above
hemi -- half
heter -- other, different
homeo, homo -- same, similar
hyper -- beyond, excessive
hypo -- under, below, deficient
idio -- self, one’s own, separate
hydr- water
hyster- uterus
ilio- ilium
lachry, lacri- tears
lip- fat
meningo- membrane
morph- shape
myelo- spinal cord
myo- muscle
necr- corpse, death
nephr- kidney
neur- nerve
oculo- eye
odont- tooth
ophthalm- eye
oss, oste- bone
oto- ear
path- disease
ped- child
pod- foot
psych- mind, sou
scler- hard
soma, somato- body
spas- draw, pull
stasis, stat- stand still
therap- treatment
therm- heat
troph- nurture
tox- poison
trich- hair
viscer- organ