Human Anatomical Terminology Essential Components
Human Anatomical Terminology – Essential Components
1. Prefixes Indicating Location, Direction, and Tendency
Prefix Meaning Example______
Ab-from, awayabnormal - away from normal
Ad-to, near, towardadrenal - near the kidney
Ante-beforeantepartum - before delivery of child
Brady-slowbradycardia - slow heart beat
Brev-shortbrevity - in a short time
Circum-aroundcircumocular - around the eye
Co-with, togethercoordinate - work together
Con-with, togethercongenital - with birth
Contra-againstcontraindicated - not indicated
Counter-againstcounterirritant - against irritation
Dis-apart fromdisarticulated - taking a joint apart
Ect-outsideectonuclear - outside the nucleus
End-withinendocardium - membrane lining inner heart
Epi-upon, on top ofepidermis - upon the skin
Ex-out fromexhalation - breathe out
Hypo-under, lowerhypodermic - under the skin
Hyper-above, higherhyperactive - higher level activity
Im-notimmature - not mature
In-notincurable - not curable
Infra-under, belowinfrapatellar - below the knee
Peri-aroundpericardium - sac around the heart
Post- afterpostmortem - after death
Pre-beforeprenatal - before birth
Pro- beforeprognosis - a fore-knowing
Super-above, on topsuperciliary - above the eyebrow
Supra-above, on topsuprapubic - above the pubic bone
Sym-with, togethersymphony - sounds played together
Syn-with, togethersynarthrosis - union of bones
Trans-through, acrosstransurethral - through the urethra
2. Prefixes Indicating Number and Measurement
Prefix Meaning Example______
Uni-oneunicycle - one wheel
Mono-onemononuclear - one nucleus
Bi-twobilateral - two sides
Bin-twobinocular - two eyes
Di-twodicephalic - two heads
Ter-threetertiary - the third part or stage
Tri-threetrilobar - three lobes
Quadr-fourquadriceps - muscle with four heads
Tetra-fourtetracylcine - a four-ringed molecule
Prefix Meaning Example______
Poly-manypolydactyly - many digits (more than 5)
Oligo-fewoligosaccharide - few sugars linked together
Micro-smallmicroscope - equipment to view small things
Macro-largemacrophage - large eating cell
Mega-great, enormousmegadontia - huge teeth
3. Prefixes Denoting Organs, Structures, Things
Prefix Meaning Example______
Acoust-soundacoustics - quality of sound
Aud-ear, hearaudition - to hear someone
Abdomin/oabdomenabdominal - relating to the abdomen
Acr/oextremity, limbsacromegaly - abnormally large limbs
Blast/oearly, embryonicblastocyte - embryonic type cell
Aden/oglandadenopathy - disease of a gland
Angi/ovesselangiogram - picture of a vessel
Arthr/ojointarthritis - inflammation of a joint
Bucc/ocheekbuccolabial - relating to cheek and lip
Cardi/oheartcardiology - study of the heart
Corp-bodycorpus callosum - connecting body
Chondr/ocartilagechondrocyte - cartilage cell
Cephal/oheadcephalic - relating to the head
Cyst/obladdercystoscopy - view of the bladder
Cyt/ocellcytokinesis - cell movement
Dent/otoothdental - referring to teeth
Dermat/oskindermatitis - skin inflammation
Duoden/oduodenumduodenal - relating to the duodenum
Encephal/obrainencephalitis - brain inflammation
Gastr/ostomachgastrointestinal - stomach and intestine
Hepat/oliverhepatitis - liver inflammation
Gloss/otongueglossopathy - tongue disease
Glute-buttocksgluteus minimus - small buttocks muscle
Laryng/olarynxlaryngitis - larynx inflammation
My/omusclemyocardium - heart muscle
Nephr/okidneynephrologist - one who studies kidneys
Neur/onerveneurosurgeon - surgeon of nervous system
Oste/oboneosteocyte - bone cell
Ot/oearotitis media - middle ear inflammation
Ophthalm/oeyeexophthalmos - eyes bulge out
Path/odiseasepathological - relating to disease
Pneumon/olungpneumonia - condition of the lung
Rhin/onoserhinoplasty - reform the nose
Stomat/omouth, openingstomatitis - mouth inflammation
Thorac/ochest or thoraxthoracocentesis - puncture of the thorax
4. Suffixes Denoting Relations, Conditions, and Agents
Suffix Meaning Example______
-acrelated tocardiac - related to the heart
-iousrelated tocontagious - communicable by contact
-icrelated topyloric - related to pyloric valve of stomach
-ismconditionmutism - condition of being mute
-osisconditionscoliosis - S-shaped condition of backbone
-tionconditionconstipation - constant blockage condition
-istagent (a person)opthalmologist - eye doctor
-oragentoperator
-eragentexaminer
-icianagentphysician
5. Suffixes Used for Surgical and Operative Terminology
Suffix Meaning Example______
-centesisto punctureamniocentesis - puncture the amnion (fluid)
-ectomyto cut out and removeappendectomy - cut out & remove appendix
-ostomyto cut and form openingcolostomy - opening to drain the colon
-otomy to cut or slicetracheotomy - cut the trachea
-pexyto fix or repairgastropexy - repair the stomach
-plastyto reform or repairrhinoplasty - reform the nose
-rraphyto suture, sewateriorraphy - suture an artery
-scopyto viewotoscope - instrument to view ear
6. Other Suffixes Used in Anatomy
Suffix Meaning Example______
-algiapainneuralgia - nerve pain
-cidekill or destroygermicide - substance that kills germs
-emiaof the bloodcholesterolemia - cholesterol in the blood
-gramwriting or recordelectrocardiogram - record of heart action
-graphrecording instrumentelectrocardiograph - records the heart
-itisinflammationappendicitis - appendix inflammation
-ologythe study ofophthalmology - study of the eye
-omatumorlymphoma - tumor of lymphatics
-orrheaflowmenorrhea - flow during menstruation
-malaciasoftosteomalacia - bone softening
-phasiaspeechdysphasia - slurred or blunted speech
-phobiafeararachnophobia - fear of spiders
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