Definition of "Acellular" in Medical Terminology

by Jacqueline Wilson

Overview

Medical terminology such as "acellular" gives health care professionals a uniform way to communicate. Medical terms change over time, but some words (and word parts) used in the early days of medicine are still employed today.
Understanding Word Parts

Most medical terms are made up of word parts. Instead of memorizing thousands of words and definitions, a clinician instead learns definitions of prefixes, suffixes and word roots and applies them to terms.

Prefixes

Prefixes come at the beginning of a word and modify the meaning. Most medical terms do not have a prefix; "acellular" is an exception. "A-" is a prefix meaning "without."
Suffixes

Suffixes come at the end of the word and also modify the meaning. Most medical terms have a suffix. "Acellular" is exceptional because it does not.
Word Roots

Word roots define the meaning of the word. All medical terms have at least one word root. In the term "acellular," the word root is "cellular," defined as "pertaining to cells."
Defining "Acellular"

Consider the prefix, word root and suffix to learn the meaning. In "acellular," the word is broken down as a-cellular, which is defined as "pertaining to without cells." So "acellular" refers to any objects that are devoid of cells.

References & Resources

"Exploring Medical Language"; Myrna LaFleur Brooks; 2001
"Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary: Sixth Edition"; Douglas M. Anderson, M.A., et. al; 2002