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.