Medical Terminology: Female Reproductive System

Combining Forms in Female Reproductive System

• arche/o: Represents the beginning or first stage, often used in developmental terms.
• cervic/o: Pertains specifically to the cervix, a crucial part of the female reproductive system.
• colp/o, vagin/o: Both terms refer to the vagina, the muscular canal leading from the external genitals to the uterus.
• gynec/o, gyn/o: Indicates female or woman, commonly used in terms related to women's health.
• hymen/o: Refers to the hymen, a membrane that partially covers the vaginal opening.
• hyster/o, metr/o, metri/lo, uter/o: These forms denote the uterus, an essential organ for reproductive and gestational functions.
• lact/o: Relates to milk, significant in discussions of breastfeeding and lactation.
• mamm/o, mast/o: Both terms relate to the breast, involved in milk production and various health considerations.
• men/o: Refers to menstruation, the monthly process of shedding the uterine lining.
• oophor/o, ov/o, ov/i: Pertains to the egg or ovum, critical in reproduction and fertility discussions.
• perine/o: Relates to the perineum, the area between the vagina and the anus.
• salping/o: Refers to the fallopian tubes, the conduits through which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus.
• vulv/o, episi/o: Both terms denote the vulva, the external part of the female genitalia, important for sexual and reproductive health.