Unit 6 Roots

Root Word Definition
acous
acusis
hearing
aden gland
aer air
ambly blunted
ambul moving around
ampulla flask with long, narrow neck
aneurysm[os] dilation of an artery
angio vessel
anxio anxiety
arachn[id] spider
arter
arterio
artery
asthen weakness
athero encysted tumor
audio sound
audit hearing
aur sound
aut[os] self
axo[n]
axon
nerve cell structure that carries a signal over a long distance
basi[s] base (of the midbrain)
blephar/o eyelid
brain brain
cataract cloudiness ("waterfall")
caud[a] tail
central [sulcus] in the center
cephal/o pertaining to the head
cereb
cerebr/o
brain
chemo chemical
chor[ion] membrane (resembling the one surrounding the fetus)
clonus violent shaking
cochlea snail's shell
conjunctiva joining (the eyelids and globe of the eye)
convuls[e] jerking movement
corn[u] horn
cortex
cortico
outside of a multilayered structure ("bark of a tree")
cran/i/o head; skull
cycl/o circle; in this case, the ciliary body which forms a circle around the inside of the eye
cysticercus larval stage of some tapeworms
cyst/o fluid-filled space
dacry/o tear (drop)
decussate make a shape like the letter X
dendr/o tree
depress push down
derm/a
derm/at
skin
duct pipe
dura tough
ectasis dilation
edema swelling
electro related to electricity
embol arterial blockage ("peg, stopper")
emulsion mixture with large particle sizes
encephal/o brain (literally, inside the head)
ependyma lining of the ventricles
esthes feeling
exter[i]o[r] outside
externa outside
fascia sheet of fibers; bundle of stick-like structures
fer[re] carry; move
front front
gangl
gangl/i
cluster of nerve cell bodies
geminus twins
gen birth (dealing with inheritance)
glaucoma increased pressure in eye
glia
gli/o
glue
glosso tongue
glyc/o sugar
gnos knowing
gustat[e] taste
gyrus elevation or bump on the brain (from the Greek word for "ring, circle"
[h]em[e]
hem
heme
hemo
hemat
blood
homunculus "little man"; map of the body on the brain surface
hydro water
hypno sleep
ictus seizure; sudden, unexpected illness
idios self
insula island
ir[is]
irid[es]
irido
iris (plural irides)
kerat/o horn
kine/t movement
labyrinth maze
lacrim crying; tears
laryng/o voice box
leps[is] seizure; grasp
lex[is] reading
ligand signaling molecule or drug that binds a receptor
lir[a] staying on track (literally, "furrow")
lith stone
lob
lobo
large region of the brain; roundish structure
lymph here, the fluid inside the inner ear chambers
mechano mechanical
medulla inside of a multilayered structure ("marrow")
mening
meningi
meningo
coverings of the brain
mens
ment
mind
metr measurement
motor movement
my[ein] pupil constriction
myc fungus
mydriasis pupil dilation
myel/o spinal cord
myo muscle
myring/o eardrum
narco sleep
nas/o nose
neur/o nervous system
noci harmful; noxious
nom name
nucle the center of something
nystagmus nodding or jerking back-and-forth
occipit back of the head
ocul/o eye
op
ops
opt/o
eye; vision
ophthalm/o eye; vision
orexis desire
osmē smell
oste/o bone
ot/o ear
propagate reproduce; breed
papilla nipple
paresis weakness
pariet side of the head
path[os] feeling
phac/o
phak
lens
pharmaco pertaining to drugs
phas speaking
phon sound
phor carrier
phot/o light
phren skull; mind
physi function
plas something molded
pleg stroke; weakness
plex woven
pol[e]
polar
one end of a round object, as in North Pole & South Pole
polio degeneration of myelin
presby elder; old person
propri[us] understanding of one's own body position
prosop face
pseudo false
psych/o mind
py/o pus
[re]ceptor
receptor
a protein on the surface of a cell that turns a chemical on the outside to a signal on the inside of the cell
retin/a
retin/o
net; the receptive surface of the eye
rhin/o nose
saccule small sac
salping/o tube (e.g. Eustachian tube; Fallopian tube)
sciatic nerve of the buttocks and thigh
scler/a
scler/o
hard (white of the eye)
scot darkness; blindness
soma body
somn/o sleep; drowsiness
sono sound
spin[e] spinal column
stigma wound; point
stimulus something which initiates an action
sulcus groove in the brain
synapse contact between a nerve cell and its target
syncope fainting
tempor side of the head around the ear
therm/o temperature
thromb/o clot
tinnitus jingling or ringing noise
tox poison
transmit carry along
trop turning toward
tympan/o eardrum
utricle bag
varicos[e] dilation; enlargement
vascul little vessel
vertigo spinning sensation
vestibul/o inner ear structures controlling balance
vitr/e glass

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