Unit 5 Roots
Roots used in word building for Unit 5 (musculoskeletal system) are listed here.
| Root | Definition |
|---|---|
| agon | main actor; driver |
| alges[ia] | pain |
| ankylos | stiff |
| appendix | part attached to the end |
| arthr arthro |
joint |
| articul[us] | joint |
| asthenia | weakness |
| axi | axis |
| blast | a rapidly dividing cell |
| burs bursa |
purse; bag |
| carcin | cancer |
| carp | wrist |
| center | middle of a round object |
| cephal | pertaining to the head |
| cervic cervico |
neck |
| chondr chondro |
cartilage |
| circum | around |
| clast | breakdown |
| clonus | violent shaking |
| condyle | knob |
| cost costo |
rib |
| cranio | head; skull |
| crepit[us] | crackling noise |
| cyt | cell |
| dactyl | finger |
| duct | to lead |
| effusion | pouring out of |
| electro | related to electricity |
| erg[on] | energy |
| exten[d] | moving away from |
| facet | flat spot, like on a jewel |
| fasci fascio |
bundle of fibers |
| femor femur |
thigh |
| fissure | deep crack |
| fixate | remain in place |
| flex | reducing the angle of a joint |
| foramen | hole |
| fossa | shallow groove |
| fracture | broken bone |
| genu | knee |
| glen[e] | socket |
| gomph | tooth |
| graph | written record |
| hallux | big toe |
| hemo hemato |
blood |
| hydr | water |
| inflammation | inflammation |
| kines kinet |
movement |
| kyphosis | hunchback curve of spine |
| lacrim | crying; tears |
| lamella | thin plate |
| lemma | thin layer surrounding a cell |
| lordosis | swayback curve of spine |
| lumb lumbo |
lower back |
| luxation | dislocation |
| meatus | tube; passage |
| medull[a] | marrow; center |
| membran[e] | thin sheet |
| mere | a part |
| metric | measurement |
| musculo | muscle |
| my myo myos |
muscle |
| myel | marrow |
| necro | death |
| neuro | nervous system |
| occipit[o] | back of the head |
| olisthes | slippage |
| ortho | straight; at right angles; true |
| os osse ost osteo |
bone |
| pector[is] | chest |
| pelvis | hips; lower abdomen |
| phalanges | fingers and toes |
| physis | part of a bone |
| plasm | something molded; plastic or dough |
| polariz[e] | to go to one extreme or another |
| pollux | thumb |
| por[e] | hole |
| prone | face down |
| pyre | fever |
| sarc sarco |
muscle; flesh |
| scler | hard |
| scoliosis | lateral curvature of the spine |
| scop | instrument for looking inside |
| skelet | skeleton; bones collectively |
| spasm | uncontrollable contraction |
| sphincter | muscle surrounding an opening |
| spin spina spine |
spine; vertebrae |
| spondyl spondlyo |
vertebrae |
| sprain | injury to ligaments |
| sten | abnormal narrowing |
| sterno sternum |
sternum; breastbone |
| strain | injury to muscles or tendons |
| sulcus | groove |
| supine | face up |
| tars tarso tarsus |
ankle |
| tax | moving |
| tempor | side of the head |
| ten teno tendo tendin tendon |
tendon |
| thorac thorax |
chest |
| tibia | bone of the lower extremity below the knee |
| tomo | cutting |
| ton tono |
tone, strength |
| trochanter | point on femur where large leg muscles attach |
| trochlea | piece of bone that acts as a pulley |
| troph | nourishment, growth |
| tuber | potato-like raised area on bone |
| valgum | knees closer than normal |
| varum | knees farther apart than normal |
| vertebra | bone of spinal column |
