Anatomical Root Word List

Anatomical Root Words

Root Word Meaning Example in a medical word

abdomin/o- [lapar/o-]

aden/o-

an/o-

angi/o-

append/o-

arthr/o-

arteri/o-

blephar/o-

hem/o- [hemat/o-]

hemangi/o-

bronch/o- [bronchi/o-]

cardi/o-

cephal/o-

cerebr/o-

cervic/o-

cheil/o- [labi/o-]

chol/e-

cholecyst/o-

chondr/o-

col/o-

cost/o-

crani/o-

cyst/o-

cyt/o-

dent/o- [odont/o-]

derm/o- [dermat/o-]

encephal/o-

enter/o-

esophag/o-

gastr/o-

gingiv/o-

gloss/o- [lingu/o-]

hepat/o-

hyster/o- [metr/o-; uter/o-]

labi/o- [cheil/o-]

lapar/o- [abdomin/o-]

laryng/o-

lingu/o- [gloss/o-]

lymph/o-

lymphaden/o-

lymphangi/o-

nephr/o- [ren/o-]

mast/o- [mamm/o-]

metr/o- [hyster/o-; uter/o-]

myel/o-

my/o-

neur/o-

odont/o- [dent/o-]

oo/o-

oophor/o [ovari/o-]

ophthalm/o [opt/o-]

orchi/o- [orchid/o-]

oste/o-

ot/o-

pancreat/o-

pharyng/o-

phleb/o- [ven/o-]

pneum/o- [pneumon/o-]

proct/o-

pyel/o-

rachi/o- [spin/o-]

ren/o- [nephr/o-]

rhin/o-

sacr/o-

salping/o-

sigmoid/o-

splen/o-

stomat/o-

thorac/o-

ureter/o-

urethr/o-

ven/o- [phleb/o-]

spondyl/o-

viscer/o-

Suffixes:

-itis = inflammation -ology = study of

-ectomy = excision -otomy = incision

-scope = instrument to visually examine -oscopy = process of visually examining

-gram = record (sometimes an x-ray) -ography = process of recording

-dynia / -algia = pain -opathy = disease

-oma = tumor -orrhaphy = suture

-ist = specialist

-ar, -al, -eal, -ic, -ac, -ous = pertaining to