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 |
|---|---|---|
| ocul- | Oculist | Of or pertaining to the eye |
| odont- | orthodontist | Of or pertaining to teeth |
| odyn- | Stomatodynia | Pain |
| -oesophageal, oesophago- | Gullet | |
| -oid | Sarcoidosis | Resemblance to |
| ole | small or little | |
| oligo- | Oligotrophy | Having little, having few |
| om- | Omoplate | Of or pertaining to the shoulder |
| -oma (singular), -omata (plural) | Sarcoma | Tumor, mass, collection |
| omphal- | Omphalotomy | Of or pertaining to the navel, the umbilicus |
| onco- | Oncology | Tumor, bulk, volume |
| onych- | Onychophagy | Of or pertaining to the nail |
| oo- | Oogenesis | Of or pertaining to the an egg, the ovum |
| oophor- | Oophorectomy | Of or pertaining to the woman's ovary |
| ophthalm- | Ophthalmology | Of or pertaining to the eye |
| optic- | Opticochemical | Of or relating to chemical properties of the eye |
| or- | Oral | Of or pertaining to the mouth |
| orchi-, orchid-, orch- | Orchiectomy | Testis |
| ortho- | Orthodontist | Denoting something as straight or correct |
| os- | Osteocyte | Bone |
| -osis | Psychosis | a condition, disease or increase |
| osm- | Anosmia | Odour, sense of smell |
| osseo- | Osseous | Bony |
| ossi- | Ossifying | Bone |
| osteo- | Osteoporosis | Bone |
| -ostomy | Colostomy | Create an opening |
| ot- | Otology | Of or pertaining to the ear |
| -otomy | Tracheotomy | Surgical incision |
| -ous | Pertaining to | |
| ovari- | Ovariectomy | Of or pertaining to the ovaries |
| ovo-, ovi-, ov- | Ovogenesis | Of or pertaining to the eggs, the ovum |
| oxo- | Addition of oxygen | |
| oxy- | Sharp, acid, acute, oxygen |
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.