Overview
This lecture introduces key anatomical terms using medical prefixes and suffixes, organized from the head to the lower body and covering head/neck, eye, and digestive system anatomy.
Head and Neck Anatomical Terms
- Cephal/o refers to the head.
- Faci/o means face; crani/o refers to the skull.
- Trich/o means hair (as in trichotillomania).
- Stom/o or or/o both denote the mouth (e.g., stomatitis).
- Gloss/o, lingu/o refer to the tongue; glossitis is inflammation of the tongue.
- Labi/o, cheil/o denote lips; cheilosis is a lip condition.
- Dent/o, odont/o refer to teeth (dentist, odontoid).
- Gingiv/o means gums (gingivitis).
- Rhin/o, nas/o denote the nose (rhinitis).
- Bucc/o means cheek (buccal swab).
- Genio, ment/o refer to the chin (mental foramen).
- Mandibul/o is the lower jaw; maxill/o is the upper jaw.
- Sial/o, aden/o refer to the salivary gland.
- Trache/o refers to the trachea.
- Laryng/o means the larynx; pharyng/o means the throat.
- Thyr/o refers to the thyroid gland.
- Epiglott/o refers to the epiglottis.
- Ot/o means ear (otitis).
- Myring/o, tympan/o denote the eardrum.
- Cochle/o refers to the cochlea.
- Mastoid/o relates to the mastoid process behind the ear.
Eye Anatomical Terms
- Opt/o, ophthalm/o, ocul/o all refer to the eye.
- Pupil/o is the pupil.
- Blephar/o, palpebr/o denote the eyelid.
- Conjunctiv/o refers to the conjunctiva.
- Cili/o is the eyelash; supercili/o (rare) is the eyebrow.
- Retin/o means retina; kerat/o is the cornea.
- Ir/o, irid/o refer to the iris.
- Hyalo/o means vitreous humor.
- Dacry/o, aden/o refer to the tear (lacrimal) gland.
- Lacrim/o denotes the lacrimal (tear) duct.
Digestive System Anatomical Terms
- Celi/o, lapar/o refer to the abdomen.
- Gastr/o means stomach (gastritis).
- Pylor/o is the pylorus (pyloric sphincter).
- Cholecyst/o is the gallbladder (cholecystitis).
- Choledoch/o is the common bile duct.
- Chol/e, bilirubin, cholangi/o refer to bile and bile ducts.
- Enter/o denotes the intestine (enteritis, gastroenteritis).
- Pancreat/o is the pancreas (pancreatitis).
- Duoden/o is the duodenum.
- Jejun/o is the jejunum.
- Ile/o is the ileum.
- Append/o, appendic/o refer to the appendix.
- Cec/o, typhl/o denote the cecum.
- Col/o, colon/o is the colon (large intestine).
- Sigmoid/o is the sigmoid colon.
- An/o, proct/o refer to the anus and rectum.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Prefix/Suffix — word part added to indicate body part or function.
- Anatomical term — specific word referring to a body structure.
- -itis — suffix meaning inflammation of an organ (e.g., gastritis).
- oscopy — suffix meaning visual examination (e.g., colonoscopy).
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review all prefixes and suffixes covered in this lesson.
- Watch the "Medical Terminology Basics" lesson if not already done.
- Take personal notes on unfamiliar terms for further study.