Anatomical Terminology

August 11, 2022

Free short video explaining the basics of anatomical terminology! Use this video and article in your classes to share study tips with your students to make anatomy simpler and perform better!

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Learning anatomy is very similar to learning a new language because anatomy is a very vocabulary heavy subject. Some of the words anatomists and medical professionals use seem intimidating and overly-complicated. However, there are trends within the roots, prefixes, and suffixes of anatomy terms that give clues as to what these terms mean. In this Brain Builder, we are going to discuss some common prefixes, root words, and suffixes to help you understand and simplify words like the supercilium or hepaticocholangiocholecystenterostomies (yes, this is a real word). 

Let’s begin with a quick history lesson. Most medical terminology is derived from Greek and anatomy terminology is derived from Latin. This is because the Greeks were some of the first to practice medicine and when Greek medicine migrated to Rome, Latin terminology began popping up into anatomical terminology. The Hippocratics were the first to describe diseases based on observation, and the names given by them to many diseases are still used currently. Latin was the standard language of science in the 18th century, so all medical texts were written in Latin.  There are hundreds of anatomy terms and prefixes and suffixes that we could include in this article, but for the purpose of keeping this article simple and as introduction - we will cover the most basic and common prefixes, root words, and suffixes. 

Prefixes

Prefixes can be used to describe a number, direction or position, or condition of a term. Let’s dive into each of these categories.

Numbers

It is common for medical terms to contain a prefix that describes a numerical value. Here are the three most common:

Directions or Positions

Prefixes can also describe where a muscle, procedure, or condition occurs on the body by giving directional and positional clues.

Conditions

Medical professionals use the following prefixes to describe conditions a patient may have. 

Root Words

Root words describe the region of the body. Below is a list of common root words that coordinate with a specific part of the body. This list is helpful to memorize for anatomy students when learning anatomy terminology in understanding where a specific term is located. 

Suffixes

Suffixes can be used to describe conditions that may be affecting a specific region or surgical procedures. 

Conditions

The following suffixes can be added to a root word to describe a condition a patient may be experiencing.

Surgical Procedures

The following suffixes are added to describe surgical procedures. When these suffixes are combined with a root word describing a region of the body, the terminology can indicate where and what type of procedure occurred. 

 

Putting it all Together

Let’s look at some examples of applying these prefixes, root words, suffixes to understand the anatomy terms described at the beginning of this article. 

Supercilium = Super + cilium

Prefix: Super - above

Root word: Cilium - eyelid, eyelash

Meaning: Eyebrow or region of the eyebrow

Hepaticocholangiocholecystenterostomies = Hepat + ico + chol + angio + chol + enteros + ostomies

Prefixes: Hepat - liver, Chol - bile, Angio - blood vessels, Enteros - intestine

Suffix: -ostomies - A new permanent opening

Meaning: A surgery where a channel is made to create communication between the gallbladder and the hepatic duct or intestines.

There are hundreds of different prefixes, root words, and suffixes used in medical and anatomical terminology. Having a basic knowledge of just a few of these can help familiarize you with new and obscure terms and save you time in the long run with your anatomical studies. 

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Resources:

The Anatomy of Medical Jargon - Pocket Anatomy 

Learning Medical Terminology and Human Anatomy - MB&CC

Helpful Links:

• The Planes of the Body & Anatomical Directions Brain Builder
• The Lymphatic System and Lymphoma Brain Builder
• BodyViz 3D Anatomy Learning Solutions