Let’s put your medical terminology expertise into practice by breaking down muscular root words into meanings and useful applications. The roots are essential medical terminology knowledge, because once you master these roots (good ol’ Greek and Latin ones, that is), you can break down any muscular-related word and discover its meaning.
Don’t confuse myo (muscle) with myelo (bone marrow).
Here are some muscular root words you need to know.
| Root Word | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Duct/o | To draw |
| Fasci/o | Fascia (band of tissue surrounding muscle) |
| Fibr/o | Fibers |
| Flex/o | Bend |
| Leiomy/o | Smooth visceral muscle |
| My/o | Muscle |
| Myocardi/o | Heart muscle |
| Myos/o | Muscle |
| Pronati/o | Facing down or backward |
| Rhabdomy/o | Skeletal or striated muscle |
| Sarc/o | Soft, fleshy, or connective tissue |
| Supinati/o | Facing up or forward |
| Tens/o | Stretch |
Check out these muscular suffixes you need to know.
| Suffix | What It Means |
|---|---|
| -algia | Pain in fibrous tissue |
| -desis | Surgical fixation |
| -dynia | Pain |
| -ectomy | Surgical removal or excision |
| -gram | Record |
| -graph | Instrument used to record |
| -graphy | The process of recording |
| -itis | Inflammation |
| -ology | Study of, process of study |
| -oma | Tumor or mass |
| -otomy | To cut into |
| -pathy | Disease |
| -plasty | Surgical reconstruction, or shaping of |
| -rrhaphy | Suture repair |