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/suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| macro- | Macrophage | Large, long |
| macul- | Macula | Spot, blotch |
| -malacia | Osteomalacia | Softening |
| mal-, malign- | Malignant | Harmful, bad |
| mamm- | Mammogram | Of or pertaining to the breast |
| mammill- | Mammillaplasty | Of or pertaining to the nipple |
| manu- | Manufacture | Of or pertaining to the hand |
| mast- | Mastectomy | Of or pertaining to the breast |
| medi- | Medial | Middle |
| mega-, megalo-, -megaly | Splenomegaly | Enlargement, million |
| melan- | Melanin | Black color |
| melos | Erythromelalgia | Extremity |
| meningo- | Meningitis | Membrane |
| mero- | Merocrine | Part |
| mes- | Mesoderm | Middle |
| meta- | Metacarpus | After, behind |
| -meter | Sphygmomanometer | Instrument used to measure or count |
| -metry | Optometry | Process of measuring |
| metr- | Metrorrhagia | Pertaining to conditions of the uterus |
| micro- | Microscope | Small/smallness, millionth |
| milli- | Milliliter | Thousandth |
| mono- | Mononucleosis | Single |
| morph- | Morphology | Form, shape |
| muscul- | Musculoskeletal | Muscle |
| my-, myo- | Myoblast | Of or relating to muscle |
| myc- | Onychomycosis | Fungus |
| myel- | Myeloblast | Bone marrow, or spinal cord |
| myl- | Mylohyoid | Of or relating to molar teeth or lower jaw |
| myri- | myriad | Ten thousand |
| myring- | Myringotomy | Eardrum |
| myx- | Myxoma | Mucus |
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.