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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

Gastro-

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ˈɡæstroʊ/prefixCommon term

In anatomy & physiology, gastro- means: A word part from Greek meaning 'stomach'. It appears in gastric (of the stomach), gastrointestinal (of the stomach and intestines) and gastroenterology.

In Turkish: gastro-, mideyle ilgili

How it is used

It appears as gastr- before a vowel (gastritis) and gastro- before a consonant. The abbreviation GI (gastrointestinal) is used all the time: GI tract, GI bleeding. Turkish keeps the root: gastrik, gastrointestinal.

Example sentences

  1. The gastrointestinal tract runs from the mouth to the anus.

  2. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin.

Common collocations

  • gastric
  • gastrointestinal
  • GI tract
  • gastroenterology
  • epigastric
  • stomachThe J-shaped muscular bag between the esophagus and the small intestine. It stores food, mixes it with acid and enzymes, and passes it on slowly to the duodenum.
  • digestionThe process of breaking food down into small molecules that the body can absorb. It is partly mechanical (chewing, churning) and partly chemical, using enzymes.
  • hepato-A word part from Greek meaning 'liver'. It appears in hepatic (of the liver), hepatocyte (liver cell) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).
  • -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.

More terms: Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

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