Unit 12 Roots
Root Word | Definition |
---|---|
abort abort/i |
early termination of a pregnancy |
abruptio | Latin word for sudden breaking off |
abstinence | choosing to not have sex |
actin | cytoskeletal protein |
albicans | Latin word for whitening |
amnio amnion amnios |
membrane surrounding the fetus |
angi | vessel |
anomaly | something out of the ordinary |
antron | an anatomical cavity |
arche | beginning |
areola | pigmented circle around a nipple |
balan balan/o |
glans of the penis |
blast blast/o |
a rapidly dividing cell |
bulb/o | the bulb (base) of the penis |
Cæserian | from a Roman emperor (Julius Cæsar) |
carcin | cancer |
card/i/o | heart |
cavernosum | Latin word for cavernous, open space |
cele | hernia |
cephal/o | the head |
cervic cervic/o cervix |
the muscular sphincter between the uterus and vagina |
Chlamydia | genus of obligate intracellular parasites |
chorio chorion |
outermost membrane surrounding a fetus; contributes to the formation of the placenta |
circumcision | removal of the prepuce (foreskin) of the penis with a circular incision |
clitoris | female genital erectile tissue that plays a major role in sexual arousal |
coitus | the act of sexual intercourse |
colp colp/o |
vagina |
conception | the process of sperm penetrating egg which begins human development |
condom | a sheath over the penis used for disease prevention and/or contraception |
corpora | body (plural) |
corpus | body (singular) |
cremaster | involuntary muscle causing retraction of the testicles |
crypt | hidden chamber |
cyesis | pregnancy |
cyst | fluid-filled space |
cyt/e cyt/o |
cell |
dartos | thin layer of smooth muscle under the male scrotum or female labia majora |
decidua | the mucous membrane of the uterus; shed during menstruation |
derm | skin (in this context, refers to one of the layers of the developing embryo) |
didymis | testicle |
dyna | force (of uterine contractions); cf. dynamic |
eclampsia | convulsions of the mother during pregnancy caused by high blood pressure |
ejacula | expulsion of semen from the male urethra |
embryo/n | a developing infant from conception to week 10 (of 40) |
epision | perineum, the area between the vaginal opening and the anus |
fertil[e] | capable of bearing or creating a child |
fetus | a developing infant from week 10 to birth (at about 40 weeks) |
fil[um] | thread-like structure |
fimbria | structures between the uterine (Fallopian) tubes and ovaries that help an ovum enter the tubes |
fraternal | related like brothers |
gastrula | embryonic stage characterized by an inpocketing and folding |
genitus | the time of birth |
gest | carrying an infant |
glans | enlarged, pigmented area at the end of the penis or clitoris |
gon/ad/o | organs of reproduction (male testis and/or female ovaries) |
granulosa | type of cell in the uterus |
gravida | pregnancy |
gravidarum | pregnant person |
gynec/o | women |
hem/at/o hem/o |
blood |
hermaphrodite | individual showing physical characteristics of both sexes |
herpes | virus that causes a blistering, painful rash |
hydr hydr/o |
water |
hymen | membrane covering the vaginal canal |
hyster hyster/o |
uterus |
in vitro | "in glass", that is, performed in a laboratory |
inhib[it] | to hold back |
labia labi/o |
lips, in this context, the lips around the vulva |
lact/o | breast milk |
lapse | to slip or fall |
lei/o | smooth (muscle) |
leuk/o | white or colorless (in this context, refers to a vaginal discharge) |
ligat[e] | tied together |
lith/o | stone |
luteum | Latin word for yellow |
majora | Latin word for major |
mamm/o | breast |
mast/o | breast |
megal/o | enlargement |
men/o | menstruation |
menstru[s] | menstruation |
metr/i metr/o |
womb |
minora | Latin word for minor |
my my/o |
muscle |
myc | fungus |
nat nat/o |
birth |
nephr | kidney |
nucleus | in this context, the center of a cell, where DNA is stored and RNA is made |
oo | egg |
oophor oophor/o |
ovary (oo + phor, "egg carrier") |
orch orch/i orch/i/o orchid orchid/o |
testicle |
organ/o | internal organs |
orifice | opening |
ovar/i/o | ovary |
ovum | egg; female gamete |
oxy | oxygen |
Papanicolaou | name of a Greek-American physician who is credited with the invention of the Pap smear |
papilla | nipple |
pareun | sexual intercourse (literally, "lying with") |
partum | Latin, giving birth |
pause | coming to a stop |
pelv/i | the hip bone and structures contained in it (pelvis) |
penis | the male sexual organ |
perine/o | the area between the genitals and anus |
phleb | vein |
placenta | placenta (singular) |
placentae | placenta (plural) |
prepuce | foreskin |
previa | Latin, previous, in front of |
Priapos | embodiment of male fertility in Greek mythology |
prostat prostat/o |
prostate gland |
pubo | pubic |
py/o | pus |
recto | rectum |
relax | the opposite of contraction of a muscle |
rete | net |
salping salping/o salpinx |
uterine tubes; Fallopian tubes |
scrot | scrotum |
semen semin |
sperm plus glandular secretions |
sex | the physical characteristics of males or females |
som som/ato |
body |
sono | sound |
speculum | instrument for looking inside the vagina |
sperm sperm/at/o sperm/i sperm/o |
sperm; male gamete |
spermatid | developmental stage of a spermatozoon |
spongiosum | Latin, "like a sponge" |
sten | abnormal narrowing |
stet/r | standing; with ob–, standing in front of, as a midwife |
suckl[e] | draw milk from mother's breast |
sustentacul[um] | a body part that suspends another |
syphilis | sexually transmitted disease |
terat/o | mutations or malformations (especially of a fetus) |
test testic |
testicle |
thele | nipple |
toc toc/o |
labor; active childbirth |
top/o | place |
Toxoplasma | genus of single-celled parasites |
Trichomonas | genus of single-celled parasites |
tropho | nourishment, growth |
urethr/o | tube between the bladder and the outside world |
uter | womb |
vagin/o | vagina (the passage from the uterus to the vulva) |
varico | |
vas deferens | vessel that conducts sperm from the testicle to the urethra |
vas/o | vessel |
vesico | urinary bladder |
vesicul/o | seminal vesicle |
virus | infectious packet of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) |
vulv/o | the outer genitalia of the female |
zoo | life, living |
zygote | fertilized egg before the first division (i.e. stage between fertilization and embryo) |