Word Parts and Structural Terms
Combining Forms
arachn/o: spider
astr/o: star
cephal/o: head
cerebell/o: cerebellum
cerebr/o: cerebrum
cortic/o: outer layer or covering
crani/o: cranium, head
dur/o: dura mater, hard
encephal/o: brain
esthesi/o: sensation, sensitivity, feeling
gangli/o: ganglion
ganglion/o: ganglion
gli/o: glia, gluey substance
heme/o: blood
hydr/o: water
mening/o: meninges
meningi/o: meninges
ment/o: mind
mon/o: one, single
myel/o: spinal cord
neur/o: nerve
pariet/o: wall
phas/o: speech
poli/o: gray matter
psych/o: mind
quadr/i: four
radic/o: nerve root
radicul/o: nerve root
rhiz/o: nerve root
somat/o: body
thromb/o: clot
Prefixes
a-: absence of, without, no, not
an-: absence of, without, no, not
dys-: painful, abnormal, difficult, labored
hemi-: half
hyper-: above, excessive
hypo-: below, deficient
inter-: between
intra-: within
pan-: all, total
para-: beside, beyond, around, abnormal
poly-: many, much
post-: after
pre-: before
sub-: below, under
syn-: together
Suffixes
-al: pertaining to (adjective)
-algia: pain (noun)
-cele: hernia, protrusion (noun)
-cyte: cell (noun)
-ectomy: excision, surgical removal, cutting out (noun)
-genic: producing, originating, causing (adjective)
-gram: the record, radiographic image (noun)
-graph: instrument used to record (noun)
-graphy: process of recording, radiographic imaging (noun)
-ia: condition of, diseased state or abnormal state (adjective)
-ic: pertaining to (adjective)
-iatrist: specialist, physician (noun)
-atry: specialty, treatment (noun)
-ictal: seizure, attack
-itis: inflammation
-logist: specialist, physician
-logy: study of
-lysis: loosening, dissolution, separating
-malacia: softening
-oid: resembling
-oma: tumor
-osis: abnormal condition
-paresis: slight paralysis
-pathy: disease
-peri: around or about
-phasia: speech
-plasty: surgical repair
-plegia: paralysis
-rrhaphy: suture
-sclerosis: hardening
-rrhaphy: suturing, repairing
-tomy: incision, cut into
Structural Terms Built from Word Parts
arachnoid: resembling a spider
astrocyte: star-shaped cell; a type of glial cell
cephalgia: pain in the head
cephalic: pertaining to the head
cerebellar: pertaining to the cerebellum
cerebral: pertaining to the cerebrum
cortical: pertaining to the gray matter of the cerebrum
cranial: pertaining to the cranium or skull cap
craniocerebral: pertaining to the cranium and cerebrum
dendrite: tree-like structure; receptive process of the neuron
diencephalon: thalamus and hypothalamus
ganglial: pertaining to a localized collection of neuron cell bodies
glial: pertaining to neuroglia
gliocyte: glial cell
hypothalamic: pertaining to the hypothalamus
hypothalamus: structure below the thalamus; part of the diencephalon
intracerebral: pertaining to within the cerebrum
medulla oblongata: innermost, oblong-shaped part of the brain stem
meningeal: pertaining to the membranes protecting the brain
mental: pertaining to the brain
microglia: small neuroglial cell
myelin: a fatty sheath around an axon of some neurons
neuroglia: “nerve glue”; supportive cells of nerve tissue
neuroid: resembling a nerve
parietal: pertaining to the wall
parietal lobe: one of the cerebral lobes; named for the cranial bone it is situated beneath
peripheral: pertaining to around the center
peripheral nervous system: the division of the nervous system outside of the central nervous system
psychogenic: originating in the mind
somatic: pertaining to the body
somatic nervous system: pertaining to peripheral nervous system sections that carry impulses to the skeletal muscles
subarachnoid space: space under the middle layer of the meninges where cerebrospinal fluid flows