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Reference

Medical Terminology Finder

Decode anatomy and physiology terms by their Greek and Latin roots, prefixes and suffixes.

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Medical Terminology Finder

cardio-

Relating to the heart (e.g. cardiology).

-itis

Inflammation (e.g. arthritis = joint inflammation).

-ology

The study of (e.g. biology = study of life).

hepat-

Relating to the liver (e.g. hepatitis).

nephro-

Relating to the kidney (e.g. nephron).

neuro-

Relating to nerves or the nervous system.

osteo-

Relating to bone (e.g. osteoporosis).

derm-

Relating to skin (e.g. dermatology).

pulmo-

Relating to the lungs (e.g. pulmonary).

gastro-

Relating to the stomach (e.g. gastric).

hemo-/haem-

Relating to blood (e.g. haemoglobin).

-ectomy

Surgical removal of (e.g. appendectomy).

-ology

Study of a subject.

myo-

Relating to muscle (e.g. myocardium).

arthro-

Relating to joints (e.g. arthroscopy).

-pathy

Disease or disorder (e.g. neuropathy).

angio-

Relating to vessels (e.g. angiogram).

cyto-

Relating to cells (e.g. cytoplasm).

hyper-

Above or excessive (e.g. hypertension).

hypo-

Below or deficient (e.g. hypoglycaemia).

This tool is for education and general interest only. It is not a medical device and must not be used to diagnose, treat or make health decisions. Always consult a qualified professional.

How to use it

  1. Step 1Search a prefix, root or suffix.
  2. Step 2Read its meaning and an example.
  3. Step 3Combine parts to decode longer words.

Crack the code

Most anatomy words are built from a small set of Greek and Latin building blocks. Learn the common roots and you can decode terms you have never seen before.

An example

Take "cardiology": cardio- (heart) plus -ology (study of) = the study of the heart. Practise with our glossary and the beginner's guide.

Questions & Answers

Frequently asked questions

They let you work out the meaning of unfamiliar terms, which makes studying anatomy far faster.

These are common examples. There are many more, but these cover a lot of everyday terms.

Mostly ancient Greek and Latin, the traditional languages of science and medicine.

Understand the science

Go beyond the numbers

Every tool pairs with a guide that explains the biology behind it in plain language.

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