Word roots, prefixes and suffixes of anatomical terms :
A --- B --- C --- D --- E --- F --- G --- H --- I --- J --- K --- L --- M --- N --- O --- P --- Q --- R --- S --- T --- U --- V --- W --- X --- Y --- Z
(Click here to take a 'Word Roots' quiz!)
| Prefix or suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| a-, an- | Apathy | Not, without, lack of |
| ab- | Abduction | Away |
| abdomin- | Abdomen | Of or relating to the abdomen |
| -able | Viable | Capable of |
| -ac, -acal | Cardiac | Pertaining to |
| acanth- | Acanthocyte | Thorn, spine |
| acous-, Acu- | Acoumeter | Of or relating to hearing |
| acr- | Aacromegaly | Extremity, topmost |
| -acusis | Paracusis | Hearing |
| ad-, or -ad | Adduction | At, increase, on, toward |
| aden- | Adenocarcinoma | Of or relating to a gland |
| adip- | Adipocyte | Of or relating to fat or fatty tissue |
| adren- | Adrenal artery | Of or relating to the adrenal glands |
| -aemia | Anaemia | Blood condition |
| aer- | Aerobic | Air, gas |
| aesthesio- | Anesthesia | Sensation |
| -al | Femoral | Pertaining to |
| alb- | Albino | A white or pale color |
| alg- | Analgesic | Pain |
| -algia | Myalgia | Pain |
| all | Allopathy | Different, or an addition |
| alveoli- | Alveolus | Cavity, socket |
| ambi- | Ambidextrous | Denoting something as positioned on both sides; describing both of two |
| amni- | Amniocentesis | Pertaining to the membranous fetal sac (amnion) |
| amph- | Amphicrania | On both sides |
| an- | Analgesia | Not, without |
| ana- | Anaplasia | Back, again, up |
| an- | Anal | Anus |
| andro- | Andrology | Pertaining to a man |
| angi- | Angiogram | Blood vessel |
| aniso- | Anisocytosis | Describing something as unequal |
| ankyl-, ancyl- | Ankylosis | Denoting something as crooked or bent |
| -ant | Malignant | Having the characteristics of |
| ante- | Antepartum | Describing something as positioned in front of another thing |
| anti- | Antibody | Describing something as 'against' or 'opposed to' another |
| apo- | Apoptosis | Away, separated from, derived from |
| arch- | Archinephron | First, primitive |
| arsen- | Arsenoblast | Of or pertaining to a male, masculine |
| arteri- | Arteriole | Of or pertaining to an artery |
| arthr- | Arthritis | Of or pertaining to the joints, limbs |
| articul- | Articulation | Joint |
| -ary | Biliary tract | Pertaining to |
| -ase | Lactase | Enzyme |
| -asia, -asis | Hemostasis | Having the characteristics of |
| -asthenia | Myasthenia gravis | Weakness |
| atel- | Atelocardia | Imperfect or incomplete development |
| ather- | Atherosclerosis | Fatty deposit |
| -ation | Medication | Process |
| atri- | Atrioventricular | An atrium (esp. heart atrium) |
| audit- | Auditory canal | Hearing |
| aur- | Aural | Of or pertaining to the ear |
| aut-, auto- | Autoimmune | Self |
| aux- | Auxocardia | Increase, growth |
| axill- | Axilla | Of or pertaining to the armpit |
| azo- | Azothermia | Nitrogenous compound |
Resources :
In this section we've added a few alternative study aids to help you along.
- Articles - Here you'll find a range of short articles on basic anatomy and physiology topics, complete with a few 'test yourself' questions for each one.
- Images and pdf's - Just in case you get tired of looking at the screen we've provided images and pdf files that you can print out and use for 'off-line' practice.
- Word Roots - When you learn the word roots, prefixes and suffixes contained within anatomical and medical terms, you can often work out what they mean. This can be a useful skill as you progress in your studies, so we've provided a dictionary to help you!
- Games - Finally in the resources section, we've added some simple games to make anatomy and physiology practice a little bit more fun.