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Myelo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “marrow” or “of the spinal cord.” It is often used in medical terms.

Marrow is a soft, fatty, vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones that is a major site of blood cell production.

Myelo- comes from the Greek ������ó��, meaning “marrow.” The Latin word for marrow is medulla, which English directly borrowed as medulla.

What are variants of myelo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, myelo- ���𳦴dz������myel-, as in myelin.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features myelo- is myelopathy, “any disorder of the spinal cord or of bone marrow.”

We know myelo- refers to “marrow” or the spinal cord. Now, the combining form -pathy, here, means “disease.” The form -pathy ultimately comes from the Greek ��á�ٳ�Dz�, “suffering, sensation,” source of the English words pathology and pathos. Myelopathy literally translates to “marrow disease.”

What are some words that use the combining form myelo-?

• myelocyte
• myelodysplasia
• myelofibrosis
• myelogenic
• myelography

What are some other forms that myelo- may be commonly confused with?

• melano-
• myo-

A myelogram is a type of X-ray photograph. What part of the body does a myelogram capture an image of?