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Chapter 3 The Muscular System 61
Combining Form Meaning
fi br/o fi ber
fl ex/o to bend
kines/o, kinesi/o movement
lei/o smooth
muscul/o muscle
my/o, myos/o muscle
myocardi/o heart muscle
neur/o nerve
orth/o straight; normal
ped/o child; foot
plant/o sole of the foot
radi/o X-rays
rhabd/o rod-shaped
sarc/o fl esh; connective tissue
son/o sound
tax/o coordination; order
ten/o, tendin/o,
tendon/o
tendon
tens/o stretched; strained
ton/o tone; tension
vers/o turn; turning
Prefi xes
The prefi xes that follow are not specifi c to mus-
cular system terminology. These universal pre-
fi xes are used in many other medical terms, as you
will see in your study of medical terminology and
other body systems.
Prefi x Meaning
a-, an- not; without
ab- away; away from
ad- toward
bi- two; both
brady- slow
circum- around
dorsi- back
dys- painful; diffi cult
e-, ex- out; away from
hemi- half
hyper- above; above normal;
excessive
hypo- below; below normal;
defi cient
Prefi x Meaning
in- in; into; not
par-, para- near; beside; alongside;
beyond; abnormal
quadri- four
tachy- fast
tri- three
Suffi xes
The suffi xes that follow are common in medi-
cal terms used to describe health conditions,
diagnostic tests and procedures, and therapeutic
treatments related to the muscular system. You
will encounter many of the same suffi xes in your
study of other body systems.
Suffi x Meaning
-ac, -al, -ar, -ic pertaining to
-algia pain
-asthenia weakness
-cele hernia; swelling;
protrusion
-ceps heads (attachments)
-dynia pain
-ectomy surgical removal; excision
-esthesia sensation
-gram record; image
-graphy process of recording
-ia condition
-ion process; state; condition
-itis infl ammation
-logy study of
-lysis breakdown; separation;
loosening
-malacia softening
-oma tumor; mass
-paresis weakness
-penia defi ciency
-plasty surgical repair
-plegia paralysis
-plegic pertaining to paralysis
-rrhexis rupture
-scope instrument used to view
-scopy visual examination using
a scope
(Continued) (Continued)