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 |
---|---|---|
capill- | Capillus | Of or pertaining to hair |
capit- | Capitation | Of or pertaining to the head |
carcin- | Carcinoma | Cancer |
cardi- | Cardiology | Of or pertaining to the heart |
carp- | Carpopedal | Of or pertaining to the wrist |
cata- | Cataract | Down, under |
-cele | Hydrocele | Pouching, hernia |
-centesis | Amniocentesis | Surgical puncture for aspiration |
cephal- | Cephalalgy | Of or pertaining to the head |
cerat- | Ceratoid | Of or pertaining to the cornu, a horn |
cerebell- | Cerebellum | Of or pertaining to the cerebellum |
cerebro- | Cerebrology | Of or pertaining to the brain |
cervic- | Cervicodorsal | Of or pertaining to the neck, the cervix |
chem- | Chemotherapy | Chemistry, drug |
chir-, cheir- | Chiropractor | Of or pertaining to the hand |
chlor- | Chlorophyll | Denoting a green color |
chole- | Cholecystitis | Of or pertaining to bile |
cholecyst- | Cholecystectomy | Of or pertaining to the gallbladder |
chondr- | Chondrocalcinosis | Cartilage, gristle, granule |
chrom- | Hemochromatosis | Color |
-cid, -cide | bacteriocidal | Killing, destroying |
cili- | Ciliary | Of or pertaining to the cilia, the eyelashes |
circum- | Circumcision | Around |
cirrh- | Cirrhosis | Yellow |
cis- | On this side | |
clast | Osteoclast | Break |
co- | Coenzymes | With, together, in association |
col-, colo-, colono- | Colonoscopy | Colon |
colp- | Colposcopy | Of or pertaining to the vagina |
com-, con- | Congenital | With, together |
contra- | Contraindicate | Against |
cor-, core-, coro- | Corectomy | Of or pertaining to eye's pupil |
cordi- | Commotio cordis | Of or pertaining to the heart |
cornu- | Greater cornu | Like a horn |
coron- | Coronary | Crown |
cost- | Costochondral | Of or pertaining to the ribs |
cox- | Coxopodite | Of or relating to the hip, haunch, or hip-joint |
crani- | Craniology | Belonging or relating to the cranium |
-crine, crin | Endocrine | To secrete |
cryo- | Cryoablation | Cold |
crypt- | Cryptorchidism | Hidden, concealed |
cut- | Subcutaneous | Skin |
cutane- | Subcutaneous | Skin |
cyano- | Cyanopsia | Denotes a blue color |
cycl- | Cyclical | Circle, cycle |
cyph- | Cyphosis | Denotes something as bent |
cyst- | Cystotomy | Of or pertaining to the urinary bladder |
cyt- | Cytokine | Cell |
-cyte | Leukocyte | Cell |
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.