Okuzeka
Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

Cardio-

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ˈkɑːrdioʊ/prefixCore term

In anatomy & physiology, cardio- means: A word part from Greek meaning 'heart'. It appears as cardi- or cardio- at the start of words and as -cardia or -cardium at the end, as in cardiology, tachycardia and myocardium.

In Turkish: kardiyo-, kalple ilgili

How it is used

Once you know it, many words become clear: cardiac (of the heart), cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels), pericardium (the sac around the heart). In gym English, 'cardio' on its own means aerobic exercise.

Example sentences

  1. The cardiovascular system includes the heart, the blood vessels and the blood.

  2. Cardiac muscle cells are called cardiomyocytes.

Common collocations

  • cardiac
  • cardiovascular
  • cardiology
  • pericardium
  • myocardium
  • heartThe muscular organ in the chest that pumps blood around the body. It has four chambers: two atria that receive blood and two ventricles that pump it out.
  • -ologyA word ending meaning 'the study of' or 'the science of'. Histology is the study of tissues, cytology the study of cells and neurology the study of the nervous system and its diseases.
  • -cyteA word ending from Greek meaning 'cell'. It appears in erythrocyte (red blood cell), leukocyte (white blood cell), osteocyte (bone cell) and hepatocyte (liver cell).
  • gastro-A word part from Greek meaning 'stomach'. It appears in gastric (of the stomach), gastrointestinal (of the stomach and intestines) and gastroenterology.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.