Word roots, prefixes and suffixes of anatomical terms :
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(Click here to take a 'Word Roots' quiz!)
| Prefix/suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| salping- | Salpingectomy | Of or pertaining to tubes |
| sangui-, sanguine- | Sanguine | Of or pertaining to blood |
| sarco- | Sarcoma | Muscular, fleshlike |
| schist- | Schistocyte | Split, cleft |
| schiz- | Schizophrenia | Split, or double-sided |
| scler- | Scleroderma | Hard |
| -sclerosis | Atherosclerosis | Hardening |
| scoli- | Scoliosis | Twisted |
| -scope | Stethoscope | Instrument for viewing |
| -scopy | Endoscopy | Use of instrument for viewing |
| scoto- | Scotopic vision | Darkness |
| semi- | Semiconscious | One-half, partly |
| sep- | Septicemia | Toxic condition due to micro-organisms |
| sial- | Sialagogue | Saliva, salivary gland |
| sigmoid- | Sigmoid colon | Sigmoid, S-shaped curvature |
| sinistr- | Left, left side | |
| sinus- | Sinusitis | Of or pertaining to the sinus |
| sito- | Sitophobia | Food, grain |
| soma-, somato- | Somatic | Body, bodily |
| -spadias | Hypospadias | Slit, fissure |
| spasmo- | Spasmodic dysphonia | Spasm |
| sperma-, spermo-, spermato- | Spermatogenesis | Semen, spermatozoa |
| splanchn-, splanchn- | Splanchnology | Viscera |
| splen- | Splenectomy | Spleen |
| spondyl- | Spondylitis | Of or pertaining to the spine, the vertebra |
| squamos- | Squamous cell | Full of scales, scaly |
| -stalsis | Peristalsis | Contraction |
| -stasis | Cytostasis | Stopping, standing |
| -staxis | Dripping, trickling | |
| sten- | Stenography | Narrow in shape |
| -stenosis | Stenosis | Abnormal narrowing |
| steth- | Stethoscope | Of or pertaining to the upper chest |
| stheno- | Strength, force, power | |
| stom | Mouth | |
| stomat- | Stomatogastric | Of or pertaining to the mouth |
| -stomy | Colostomy | Creation of an opening |
| sub- | Subcutaneous tissue | Beneath |
| super- | Superior vena cava | In excess, above, superior |
| supra- | Supraorbital vein | Above, excessive |
| sy, syl-, sym-, syn-, sys- | Synesthesia | Indicates similarity, likeness |
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.